ntle, was thrown over the
shoulders. The kaross is now laid aside, and the young men of fashion
wear a monkey-jacket and a skin round the hips; but no trousers,
waistcoat, or shirt. The river and lake tribes are in general very
cleanly, bathing several times a day. The Makololo women use water
rather sparingly, rubbing themselves with melted butter instead: this
keeps off parasites, but gives their clothes a rancid odour. One stage
of civilization often leads of necessity to another--the possession of
clothes creates a demand for soap; give a man a needle, and he is soon
back to you for thread.

This being a time of mourning, on account of the illness of the chief,
the men were negligent of their persons, they did not cut their hair, or
have merry dances, or carry spear and shield when they walked abroad. The
wife of Pitsane was busy making a large hut, while we were in the town:
she informed us that the men left house-building entirely to the women
and servants. A round tower of stakes and reeds, nine or ten feet high,
is raised and plastered; a floor is next made of soft tufa, or ant-hill
material and cowdung. This plaster prevents the poisonous insects,
called tumpans, whose bite causes fever in some, and painful sores in
all, from harbouring in the cracks or soil. The roof, which is much
larger in diameter than the tower, is made on the ground, and then, many
persons assisting, lifted up and placed on the tower, and thatched. A
plastered reed fence is next built up to meet the outer part of the roof,
which still projects a little over this fence, and a space of three feet
remains between it and the tower. We slept in this space, instead of in
the tower, as the inner door of the hut we occupied was uncomfortably
small, being only nineteen inches high, and twenty-two inches wide at the
floor. A foot from the bottom it measured seventeen inches in breadth,
and close to the top only twelve inches, so it was a difficult matter to
get through it. The tower has no light or ventilation, except through
this small door. The reason a lady assigned for having the doors so very
small was to keep out the mice!

The children have merry times, especially in the cool of the evening. One
of their games consists of a little girl being carried on the shoulders
of two others. She sits with outstretched arms, as they walk about with
her, and all the rest clap their hands, and stopping before each hut sing
pretty airs, som