Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-08-18

husbands being III Idcb tnc HOI 0h VI the family Much attention is paid to the headdress. Married men shave all the upper part of the head except the crown, where they leave little circle of wool, to which they sew ring made of gum and charcoal. As the wool grows the ring rises, sometimes to a height of six inches. Porcupine qullls, long needles and other articles are thrust into this ring, making it useful as well as ornamental.
 The women also shave the head, leav- ing the top knot, to which they add a mixture of red ochre and grease, which they think charming. The men some times wear flowers on the head, one of which. a "love-making posy," is sup posed to enkindle the tender passion in the young Africans inamorata.
 Many of the tribes in East Africa are not altogether savages, as many sup pose, and observe certain ceremonials and rude customs eminently proper ac- cording to the African idea. The sites of the villages are selected with good judgment, in many cases the head man himself planting the trees. The boalo, or spreading place, covers an area of twenty or thirty yards, generally at the end of 8 village near the shade of the favorite banyan tree. Here the men sit and smoke their huge pipes during the day, while on moonlight nights they congregate to sing, dance and drink the native beer made by the women. 1t has pinkish color and is of the con sisteney of gruel with an acid taste. Only through deep and long potations do the natives become intoxicated. Palm wine resembles champagne, but is not intoxicating when fresh, though 1t becomes highly so after standing few hours.
 The natives make good axes, spears, arroWheads, bracelets and anklets for the women; and in the village near Lake Shirwa the inhabitants manufac- ture much pottery. Some find employ ment in basket making, from pieces of split bamboo, and others make fish nets from the f1bers of the buaze. These are exchanged frequently with the fisher men on the Zambezi for dried fish and salt, which are highly prized by the na- fives Of the interior. The women of the tribes cultivate yams, rice, pump kins, cassaya, sweet potatoes, tobacco and hemp. They pound corn in large wooden mortars, using a pestle six feet long which it takes two or three women to handle.
 The Makololo women have small, delicate hands and feet. The mouth. chin, teeth, eyes and general form are almost beautiful, and entrusted with the negro of the west coast she is de- cidedly good looking. Some of the women smoke secretly, as their hus- bands, who indulge the practice them selves, prohibit it in them. They use water sparingly, rubbing themselves with butter instead. Many of the women of the Zambezi country are very partic- Ular about the water they drink, and, in order to filter it, dig holes in the sand banks, beside the streams, and scOoping mp the water secure it as it filters through.
 The native hut has a thatched roof and an entrance not two feet high, so that to enter 1t with dignity would prove difficult feat. The floor is made of tufa, or ant-hil material, beaten hard, and is often as smooth and pol, ished as ebony. The stockade furnishes place of refuge for women and chil- dren in time of danger
 The game laws are an ancient insti; tuition among the Batonga. He who has first drawn blood from a buffalo owns ,a o4as1e,o1 o.vo,, f+ ward kill it, although the latter can claim two legs or one side for his serv, ices.
 The natives have a quaint dry wit, and are not bad at repartee, as is well shown in one of the foIl1-tales trans lated by Heli Chatelaine, of the father. in-law and his son-in-law:
 'One day at night a father-in-law and his son-in-law were outside spending the evening. The darkness grew great and the father-in-law stood up whence he sat, saying: My son-in-law, let US go to sleep. There is darkness like the gloom of blind eye His son-in-law then remained with shame, for he was dead of one eye; but he kept quiet.
 ''Qne day, when moonshines had come, they were both gossiping outside, both the father-iR-law and the son-in- law. The son-in-law then told his ia. ther-in-law: Oh, sir, let us go to sleep, for there is a moonlight of bald-head shine that will do us harm. 5
 The father-in-law, being bald, went into his home, and in the language of the follg-tale will no more wish good by nicely to his son-in-law
 In a few days the father-in-law called aged men, seven, with himself, to ad- judge the case. The son-in-law was brought, and then the father-in-law said; My son-in-law spoke to me with heart to offend me, saying, there is moonlight of ba1d-head shiner There fore, until to-day let him be with my daughter; but l am not his friend, be- cause of insult which he gave me. I am bald-headed, he said, 'bald-head shine. Me, did he not insult me? Therefore, reject the friendship with him.
 Then the son-in-law said: '.I would not have said it if my father-in-law had