The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1910-04-28

Cross TiYer. Ine customs. or course.
vary IN different parts. Those who
live near the Cross river have prac-
tees that are certainly peculiar. For
instance. when a festival is In pros.
pect. the women spend many days be.
forehand in arranging one another's
hair. smearing Il with palm oil and
then p~lsstering Il into singular shapes,
which remain undisturbed for months
at a time. Most men shave their chins.
but the chiefs allow a small fluffy
beard 10 grow. and 10 the end OF this
they not infrequently fasten a small
brass bell or some ornament
Az the English girl wears a ring
when she Is engaged 10 be married, so
the lbo girl wears necklaces In pro
portion to the number OF lovers she
has. The clothing IS not profuse. The
men are content with a straight piece
Of cloth. which falls from their waists
10 their ankles. while the cloth worn
BY the women reaches only half way
20 the knee. on occasions o. festival
the women. like their sex IN other
parts OF the world. love 20 adorn them
selves with gaudy ribbons Of blue and
orange. fastened IN a bow 70 the right
side of their waists. Both sexes paint
their bodies on feto DAYS, while when
they are Ia mourning they mark white
rings round their eyes,
Great pains are taken IN the paint.
ing Of the figure. when a woman
wants 10 look particularly smart she
has a white mask painted over her
own countcnanee. while a long white
daub stretches down her spine. Al.
though the skins OF the lei are aF
black as night they always take the
precaution. when setting out FOR war
fare. 20 paint themselves black When
a girl reaches marriageAble g she
Il painted red all over by the man "a
whom she IL betrothed, which IL q
sign she must receive no more AZ
tcntions from the other young men OF
the district But after this coiorinE
and while she Is being fAttoncd for
the marriage ceremony, she s. invari
ably painted white all over when abe
goes ont visiting her friends. The ma
tive soiEes every opportunity 10 cover
himself with paint Of some sort n
be II sick he plastera himself with
thick green paint made from leaves.
The usual Ibo way Of ssluting .
friend - 20 snap the fingers and shake
the nst The natives at Lokoia. how
ever. salute one another by bobbinl
down 20 the ground aud Roing through
the pantomime 81 spreading dust oyoi
their faces. and taking "a in turns q
make weird noises. Thus, when a mar
passes another ne says "Ough. ough
an. an, va II Oh an" The other MAJ
meanwhile does tho same, alternately
with tho nrst both Of them slowly ant
plcadinKly and with rising intonation
Then suddenly one. changing. hringi
out a new word. which the other re
pcats; "Oh. Oh, an. oh. akoo. ali akoo'
while the other comes IN with "Aboo
aboo, atoo and thus they pass each
other. the plainuve coughs and abs
gradually getting fainter A. the dis
lance Increases.
II Is not surprising that among th'
people who inhabit the fCtid swampI
bordering the Niger and the gioomy
shadows OF the forests there should b,
inuumcrahle secret societies Most o.
these are chiefly Tor the maintenance,
Of tribal order, some are associate,
wi;h suporstiuous religious practices
while there are others which have ter
rorism and plumber as their main oh
iect Youths are initiated into th'
lower grades OF these tribal societies
advance IN knowledge 81 the socreu
as they reach manhood, and then AZ
tain high rank or office in proportion
to their ability or their wealth
Quite apart from these Legitimate
tribal societies are the brigand Eocie
ties Among the lblhios there are so
cioties known az "leopards" and al
ligators- The "leopards" thieve and
murder on land. while the ~"alligators'
take tho rivers and creeks as theiI
province, Tho leopard" society Is u
called because It's members dress
themselves IN leopard skins; they EC
forth az night, make the woods echo