479 
0.5 metre long, like a broad two edged sword and with five or six barbs on' 
each side. To balance this the shaft is shod with a heavy iron spike about 
as long. The shaft itself is about a metre in length, and adorned, some¬ 
times with plaited cane, but oftener with alternate bands of red and black 
hair. The holiday shield is as the fighting one, but covered in front with 
tiger or bear skin ; when these cannot be had, a row of human masks,- 
made of black hair, are inwoven down the centre. The top is adorned at 
the corners with wooden horns and there is a spike in the middle, all 
three decked with locks of hair. Along one side are hung as many 
bunches of hornbill’s feathers as the bearer has slain of his enemies. At 
the same time the warrior wears in hi-s hair a hornbill’s feather for each 
foe he has killed. The “pangi-chunga” is also ornamented with locks of 
hair, and instead of being a mere bamboo-tube, is often a curved piece of 
wood worn behind like a tail. Great eagerness is shewn to possess guns, 
and the Angami having obtained a considerable supply by way .of Manipur 
gave much trouble to the attacking forces during the later expeditions 
against them. Now only a limited number are allowed to carry muskets, 
which are used with some skill in hunting. In cultivating a hoe, a short 
rake, and a rude sickle are used. The hoe which is much like that used in 
the plains has a heavy iron head, fixed, owing to the steepness of their 
fields, at an unusually acute angle to the short wooden handle. Poorer 
villagers use a light hoe of thin iron with bent ends attached to canes, these 
being bound together form a shaft. The rake is a piece of bamboo, one 
end of which is divided to a joint into several slips ; these, turned down at 
right angles to the shaft, kept in position by canes and trimmed to one 
length form the teeth. The sickle is not in common use; it is a thin piece 
of iron with a short wooden handle. During the rains men wear broad- 
brimmed peaked hats and waterproof coats. Women carry food and imple¬ 
ments to and from the fields in baskets, and instead of hats wear triangular 
rainshields, which rest at once on the head and the basket, protecting 
both from the wet. The baskets, like other burdens, are supported from 
the forehead by bands of plaited grass, as broad as the palm of the hand, 
attached at their extremities to grass ropes which are tied beneath the 
burden. The hats, rain shields, and baskets consist of a double 
frame-work of cane with dry plantain leaves between. The water¬ 
proofs are nets of woven sedge; each blade has one end free; the 
free ends are all to the side that is worn outwards and form an impervious 
thatch. For jungle work, besides the “ dhao”, a hatchet is used. 
9 
