with the Fan Cannibals. 
221 
end, is fired before the beginning, of the rains, 
leaving the land ready for yams and sweet pota¬ 
toes almost without using the hoe. In the middle 
dries, from June to September, the villagers sally 
forth en masse for a battue of elephants, whose 
spoils bring various luxuries from the coast. 
Lately, before my arrival, they had turned out to 
gather the Aba, or wild mango, for Odika sauce; 
and during this season they will do nothing else. 
The Fa^ plant their own tobacco, which is de¬ 
scribed as a low, spreading plant, and despise the 
imported weed ; they neither snuff nor chew. All 
manufacture their own pipe-bowls, and they are 
not ignorant of the use of Lyamba or Hashish. 
They care little for sugar, contrary to the rule of 
Africa in general, but they over-salt all their 
food; and they will suck the condiment as chil¬ 
dren do lollipops. Their palm oil is very poor, 
as if they had only just learned the art of 
making it. 
After the daily siesta, which lasted till 3 r. m., 
Mr. Tippet asked me to put in an appearance 
at a solemn dance which, led by the kings eldest 
daughter, was being performed in honour of the 
white visitor. A chair was placed in the ve¬ 
randah, the street being the ballroom. Received 
with the usual salutation, “ Mbolane,” to which 
the reply is “ A n” I proceeded to the external 
study of Yhn womanhood. Whilst the men are 
