363 DICK SANDS, THE BOV CAPTAIM. mud and oil similar to that used for greasing raachînery, and formed it into concs or lumps, into which they inserted a mediey of ïron pins and ivory skcwers ; whiist the greatcst dandies had a glass bead thrcaded upon every single haïr, thc whole being fastened together by a tattooiag- knife driven through the glittering mass. As a gênerai rule, the women preferred dresûng tbeir hair in Uttle tufts about the sïze of a cherry, arran^ng It into the shape of a cap, wtth corkscrew rii^lets oa ouk sîde of the face, Some wore it simply han^ng down theîr tiacks, others in French fashîon, with a fringre acroM thi fordiead ; but every coiffure, without exception, «H daubed and caked «ther with the mixture of mud lid greas«^ or with a bright red extract of sandal-wood called nkala. But it was not only on theîr heads that they made thil extraordinary display of ornaments ; the lobes of their ears were loaded tîll they reacHed their shoulders with a profusion of wooden pegs, open-work copper rings, giaiu of maize, or lictle gourds, which scrved the purpose di snuff-boxes ; their necks, arms, wrists, legs, and ankla were a perfect mass of brass and copper rings, or sometùncs were covered wîth a lot of bright buttons, Rows of red beads, called saims-sames, or talakas, seemed also very popular. As they had no pockets, they attached their knives, pipes and other articles to various parts of their body ; so that altogether, in their holiday attire, the rich men of the district might not înappropriately be compared to walkîng shrines. With their tecth they had ail played the strangest ot -agaries ; thc upper and lowcr încisors had generally bcen extractcd, and the others had bcen fîled to points orcarved into hooks, lîke the fangs of a rattle-snake. Their finger- nails vcrc allowcd to grow to such an immoderate length as to rcndcr the hands well-nîgh useless, and their swarthy skins were tattooed with figures of trees, bird^ crescents and dises, or, not unfrequently, with those zigzag Unes which Livingstone thînks he recognizes as resemblîng tboae observed in ancieat Eg}'ptian drawîngs. The tattooing ii
