The Lake Regions of Central Africa: A Picture of Exploration, Vol. 1Burton, Richard Francis, Sir
History
The Lake Regions of Central Africa: A Picture of Exploration, Vol. 1
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir
Africa, Central -- Description and travel
The “industry” of Usaramo will occupy but few sentences. Before the
great rains of the year set in the land must be weeded, and scratches
must be made with a hoe for the reception of seed. The wet season
ushers in the period for copal digging: the proceeds are either
sold to travelling traders, or are carried down to the coast in
mákándá--mat-sacks--of light weight, and are sold to the Banyans.
Bargaining and huckstering, cheapening and chaffering, are ever the
African’s highest intellectual enjoyments, and he does not fail to
stretch them to their utmost limits. After the autumnal rains during the
Azyab, or the north-east monsoon, the grass is fired, when the men
seizing their bows, arrows, and spears, indiscriminately slaughter beast
and bird--an operation which, yearly repeated, accounts in part for the
scarcity of animal life so remarkable in this animal’s paradise. When
all trades fail, the Mzaramo repairs to the coast, where, despite his
bad name, he usually finds employment as a labourer.
Next in order to the maritime Wazaramo are the Wak’hutu, to whom many of
the observations upon the subject of their more powerful neighbours
equally apply. Their territory extends from the Mgeta River to the
mountains of Usagara, and in breadth from the Dut’humi Highlands to the
Rufiji River.
The Wak’hutu are physically and, apparently, mentally a race inferior to
the Wazaramo; they are very dark, and bear other marks of a degradation
effected by pernicious climatory conditions. They have no peculiar
tattoo, although individuals raise complicated patterns in small
cicatrices upon their breasts. The popular head-dress is the
clay-coating of the Wazaramo, of somewhat modified dimensions; and some
of them, who are possibly derived from the Wahiao and other southern
clans, have a practice--exceptional in these latitudes--of chipping
their incisors to sharp points, which imitate well enough the armature
of the reptilia. Their eyes are bleared and red with perpetual
intoxication, and they seem to have no amusements but dancing and
singing through half the night. None but the wealthier can afford to
wear cloth; the substitute is a kilt of the calabash fibre, attached by
a cord of the same material to the waist. In women it often narrows to a
span, and would be inadequate to the purposes of decency were it not
assisted by an underclothing of softened goatskin; this and a square of
leather upon the bosom, which, however, is often omitted, compose the
dress of the multitude. The ornaments are like those of the Wazaramo,
but by no means so numerous. The Wak’hutu live poorly, and, having no
ghee, are contented with the oil of the sesamum and the castor-bean with
their holcus porridge. The rivers supply them with the usual mud-fish;
at times they kill game. Their sheep, goats, and poultry they reserve
for barter on the coast; and, though bees swarm throughout the land, and
even enter the villages, they will not take the trouble to make hives.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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