Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-09

upon high and solitary granite bowlders,
thus making access most difficult. In these
storehouses you will find corn, Kafir corn,
and the very finely ground meal of each,
also rice, and in the proper season potatoes,
tomatoes and ground nuts. Lying about
the ground there will likely be pumpkins,
which the Mashonas raise in large numbers.
Tobacco, too, is extensively cultivated and
after being treated by some process is made
into conical-shaped cakes. The Mashona
tobacco, especially that known as the
'tMinyoka"is is considered to be very good
by large number of white men who, dur
ing the present famine, use it.
MAsHoNAs ARE NOT NEGROES.
The Mashonas, unlike their neighbors on
the East and West are far from war-like,
and consequently do not have many of those
cruel and barbarous practices invariably
found among such people. They are a
quiet and peaceful tribe Gf such they may
be called) as their physiognomies indicate.
For many decades they have been subdued
and harassed by the Matabele and other
neighboring tribes, and this accounts for
that lack of manly bearing and that weak
ness of character SO manifest among them.
As I have not been able to notice any
destructive physical tribal characteristics
am led to believe that the Mashonas did
not spring from one common ancestral
stock, or, if SO, it was many generations
ago since which time they have been COM
pletely broken up and changed by mixture
with foreign blood.
They are generally of deep black color,
with soft and smooth skin and features
the real negro Their features are quite
regular without the great nasal ridge, very
thick lips and broad nose of the true negro.
Many of them have a face which could
easily be termed handsome. One very often
sees men whose features are perfectly in
compatible with the black color and plainly
show the presence of the blood of foreign
race.
HOW THEY DRESS THEIR HAIR.
The most distinguished mark of the
Mashonas is the manner in which they dress
their hair. 1t would be impossible to
describe or even enumerate the numerous
fantastic fashions of hair-dressing. Some of
the men cultivate heavy growth and work
it into small punches, upon which is be-
slowed plentiful supply of some greasy
substance; others shave the head, save
small part of the crown, where tufts of
every imaginable form are left, into which
grasses of various colors are entwined.
Another fashion less frequently seen is that
of leaving small punches of hair an inch or
so apart either on the top or sides of the
head. The punches are bound tightly with
some thready material, nearly to the ends,
which are left to spread. This fashion gives
the individual very wild and fierce ap-
pearance. Bright red or blue beads are
frequently added as ornaments.
The females seem to be less particular
about hair dressing and generally shave
either the whole head or part of it. The
dress of the Mashonas consists of the
"Ingulo" or small piece of leather
which hangs from cord round the waist in
front and the "Mapa" or similar piece
which hangs behind. Usually, however,
the 'Ingulo" is worn. Since our arrival
many wear calico instead of the leather and
a large number of men and boys have
worked for shirt, an article all are very
anxious to possess and one which consti-
tutes their entire clothing.
WORK A MONTH FOR A SHIRT.
There is generally little difficulty in en-