Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-11-27
SOME CURIOUS AFRICAN GUS
TOMS.

There. are other curious things about these
people, besides their dress. Their houses
have walls of clay or reeds, and %sharp-point-
ed roofs of straw. The furniture consists
mainly of wooden plattcrs ami stools, which
are colored black by long burial in tho mud,
and their only light is II burning pinc-knot.
Before tho house is usually n post, on
which are hung the trophies of the hunt,
such rs horns OF antelopcs, skulls Of animals
and men, and, horrible to say. dried hands
and feet. These proclaim to the world how
great II warrior is the owner, and, in part,
answer the purposes that fine houses and
clothes TO with us.
When n Niam-Niam pays n visit to his
neighbor he carries his own stool to sit on,
and when he goes into mourning for a friend
he shaves his head. and scatters his precious
braids, twists aud puffs to the wind, which
certainly shows sincere grief on his part.
When two friends meet they do not shake
hands, but they join their middle fingers in
such u way that the Joints crack, while they
nod ut each other, more rs If in disgust-as
it looks to u white man-than in friendly
greeting.
If they find II hollow tree in which wild
bees have laid up honey, they Mt once smoke
the bees stupid, and eat honey, WAX, bees,
aud all. Indeed they eat several things that
we would not like. The children in some
parts Of Africa eat rats and field mice, which
they catch by means of baskets woven in the
form of long tubes. They are laid flat on
the ground, near the households, and then
the little savages begin n great noise of
stamping, shouting and s%lapping of hands.
The poor little animals are frightened, and
run into the traps for safety, and are easily
taken. They are then tied by tho tails in
lunches of II dozen or so, rs you have seen
children tic cherries, and bartcred with each
other rs choice morsels. Sometimes they
use them rs bats TO catch cats,-roast-cat
being u hvorite dish. They buildsmaIl huts
of twisted reeds, put the mice in, and cats
arc attracted to the trap, Of course.
The grown people feast on still stranger
diet,-such rs the bodies of their enemies
killed in battle, olephant-meat, dried till it
looks like n log Of wood, dogs and the term
ties, or white ants, Of which you may have
read, and whose immense cone-shapsd
houses are so common in Africa.
No important thing is begun without con
sulting certain signs to SEQ If it will be sue
cessful. Some of these are very curious.
Ono $ to put a few drops of water on a
smooth-topped stool, then take n smooth
block and rub It across the stool rs though
to plane It of. Iftho block moves easily the
sign is good; If hard. the sign is bad,
Another trial is to dose some unfortunate
hen with u certain greasy liquid. II she
dies the sign is bad; If she gets well it IL
good.
But the hens are not tho only sufferers
Another way to try ones luck is to seize Il
wretched cock, duck him under water many
times till he is stiff and senseless, and ther
leave him alone. The fate is decided by his
recovering or dying. The guilt OF any ono
accused or suspected of crime is tried IN the
same way, and no one dreams of suspeetinl
one whose signs have shown la%vorably.
70 protect themselves from the danger
and loss of fires, they provide no frozen
gines and insurance companies, rs we do
but hang an amulet made-for those whC
are Mohammedans-of II few verses of tho
Khoran, or Mohanmedan bible, wrapped
in skin, over the door, which it must be admit
ted is n much simpler and cheaper way thar
ours.
II a horse or donkey is i'll he is dosed witt