American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-01-30
Our Boys and Girls.
FATHER JUT-TOOTH.
NO.. 5.

y,
a COW.
His wife wears an apron of skin wit
fringe of iron rings and beads an
bells; and the largest house in the vi
lage is hospital for cows.
Queer people, did you say? Yes, the,
are queer, l must admit; and it wOult
be hard to believe what we hear q
them only that travellers have seen then
and written books about them.
But let me tell you more. lie i
called Father Jut-Tooth by the Nubian
because of singular custom his people
have of breaking of or filing to poin
the two lower front teeth, thus leavin:
| the upper ones to grow out till they arr
very prominent. Why they should thinl
this an improvement upon Natures wa,
of arranging teeth nobody knows; bu
their fathers set the fashion and the,
dutifuIly follow it. And let me tell yOI
that the most savage tribes in Africa ar,
as much slaves to fashion as We; and i
is even worse with them because thu
fashion is not simply the cut of clothe.
but mutilation of the body, breaking of
| teeth, pressing heads out of shape
stretching the lips till they look like 6
ducks bill, tattoOing new patterns in
the skin and boring holes through the
| flesh.
| Father Jut-Tooth dresses in suit OF
ashes, as l said, ami rubs it well in, SC
that if he is poor man, and obliged to
| use wood ashes, he is changed from his
| native bronze color to a fine gray; but
if he be rich and can afford the luxury
of more expensive sort of ashes he
will be IA rusty red The use of the
ashes is to keep off insects, and for the
same purpose he sleeps in bed of the
same ashes.
His favorite ornament, [ told you, is
the tail of COW; but he does not disdain
other tails, such as a goats, and the chief
of his tribe has quite an assortment of
tails with which to vary his dress
Then, like all other Africans, he has
his ears pierced in several places, and
iron rings or bars put in. And, wclse
than that, his upper lip is pierced, al
IRON bar fitted in, and, as you'll not be
surprised to know, he is tatoCed III
stripes like the rays of the sun, going floL
the top of his nose across his forehead
and temples.
But this singular gentleman is not yt,
fully dressed. He has ivory rings on the
upper part of his arms, and, if he is rich,
iron rings or bracelets from elbow to
wrist, besides immense iron chains, some
times as MANY as four around his neck,
and fastened on, too, SO that they cannot
be taken off.
His hair is probably shaved to close
his head, though a traveller tells of one
dandy who had thin hair about six
inches long, which he mad trained with
great care till it stood up all over his
head in locks and pointed like tongues
of flame. The peculiar material which
he used on it had dyed it of a rusty red
color, and the observer frankly says he
looked like fiend
As for clothes, the less said of them
tho haftar He calls man who
wears garments woman, and the Ger
man traveler-who of course was fully
dressed-received the ironical name of
the * Turkish Lady"
This man is Dinka, and the dress of
his wife is about as droll as his. To be-
gin with, she nearly equals him in iron
rings and chains. Her ears and lips
and nose are MS fully decorated rs their
limited size will allow. Her neck bears
chains of iron beads shaped like gas pipe
cut into bits, strings of wooden balls,
cords of leather, among the rest. prob
ably, an amulet to keep her from harm,
made of some verses of the kohran, in
closed in an ornamental leather sheath.
This amulet, by the way, she shares with
the cows and donkeys, who of course
need protection also.
Her apron of skin is heavily fringed
with iron rings, bells, beads and such
.,
heavy iron rings on her ankles, which
are fastened on, and which cIank as she
walks. A person of wealth sometimes
wears as much as fifty pounds weight of
iron all the time. So you see riches have
their burdens in Africa as well as in
America.
Every Dinka man carries club
yard long, with knob on the end,
which makes it look like an immense
nail.
The house of this curious couple is
made of bamboo, daubed with clay, and
the pointed roof of layers of straw, sup |
ported by branches of a tree. This man. |
sion-as YOU may imayine-is not very !
strong and will last but Il few years.
The great wealth of the Dinkas con- |
sists of cows. They collect great num- |
bcrs of them and take the best care of |
them, with the sole desire of possessing |
great herds. But, strange to say, they |
never kill one to eat, though they like |
beef well enough TO ca. hem if they die |
Dy accident OF disease. 1t is wonderful |
now attached Dinka is 10 his cattle. |
lie provides IL large hospital for the sick
,nes and attends them with the greatest |
are. If one dies, he is inconsolable,
much more SO than if he had lost wife |
,r child. When asked the use of many |
.attle, he replies that il is enough to see |
hem do well and look fat.
AS Il sign of grief, going into mourn
NJ. in fact, Il pinka wears a cord
lround his neck, which l should think
must be hard to endure, in addition to
he stuff already there.
Like most saw ages, the Dinka thinks
Ill disease is caused by evil spirits, and
heir doctors are in fact II sort of wizard.
Their way of proceeding is exceedingly
urious. 1t is at hi ght, to make 1t more
First the doctor begins with
great noise, something like the cack-
ing of "A thousand hens. This he keeps
Up for an hour or two, for the purpose of
the evil spirit supposed to be
n the sick person, and competing IL 10
us wcr his questions. When it Is thought
% be sufficiently alarmed, the doctor
commences his talk with the spirit, who
ieckly answers all questions, or at least
ppcars to, for the cunning doctor Is a
cntrilouuist aud can bring an answer
ut of :, post ii he likes. He asks the
pirit his name, how long he has
cen in his present quarters, and why he
as chosen them. When the doctor has
Nhaustcd these important questions he
rocccds To pry into the family affairs OF
he scared spirit, asking about his friends
nd family. Having thus interviewed
he unhappy one as long he thinks
ecessary he goes to the WOODS for the
pots hch are to drive out the intruder
nd cure the patient ,
Don't laugh mt the FRANKS of the poor
,inka doctor. Quacks-to become
nown or famous-must make Il great
Disc in Africa ms well rs in America,
nd YOU must remember he has positively
o newspaper or fence corner in which |
D puff himself into fame.