close together so as to touch."[1] It is said that an African princess, who had her arm covered from wrist to shoulder with these curious bracelets, suffered so much from the heat of the sun playing upon these rings, that she was obliged to hire a maid, whose duty it was to attend her constantly and cool them from a watering pot.
Thus the different parts of the body—the neck, arms, and ankles—which Nature has so abundantly provided for the carrying of ornaments are utilized; and, what is still more curious, the savage, not satisfied with this, cuts holes in himself for the purpose of carrying others. The most frequent mutilations are those of the lip, cheek, nose, and ear. Some curious illustrations of this custom are related by Schweinfurth. The upper lip is pierced, and there is inserted a round-headed copper nail or a copper plate. Among the Bongos, the women suffer a hideous mutilation for the purpose of extending the lower lip. A hole is bored in it, and in this a wooden plug is fitted, which is gradually enlarged until the lip is five or six times its original size. In this way, by wearing these plugs, which are an inch in thickness, the lower lip remains extended beyond the upper, though the latter is similarly pierced and fitted with a smaller copper plate or nail or bit of straw. The lips are similarly extended sometimes by the insertion of circular plates of quartz, ivory, or horn the size of a half-dollar. These cause the lips to rest in a horizontal position, and when the wearer is in a fit of anger have their advantages, for these cymbal-like attachments on the lips add noise and effect to the chattering of the individual. It is likely that the wooden or quartz plug which is so often inserted in the lower lip was suggested by the horn of the rhinoceros. Not content with labial adornment, they attack the nose in the same manner, small bits of straw being fitted into each side of the nostrils. Occasionally the cartilage between the nostrils is pierced, and a wooden plug or copper ring is worn. This is a common sight among Indian tribes. The ear is often pierced in many places, sufficient to carry a half dozen rings. The slitting and the stretching of the ear is also a common practice. Mr. Catlin gives a picture of a chief in a Delaware tribe, "Lay-law-she-kaw"—i. e, "He who goes up the river"—who had his ears slit and elongated to the shoulders, through the wearing of heavy weights in them at times. When on parade, he made use of them as quivers, carrying in that way a bunch of quills or arrows for the sake of ornament. Other savages use them for the carrying of snuffboxes or knives; and I have known a Chinaman in these days to make use of his ear as a pocketbook, in which he carried
- ↑ Schweinfurth's The Heart of Africa, vol. i, p. 153.
