. The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and principal islands. aresaid to have learnt from the Portuguese who hold the Mozambique coast- jto smelt iron ore and, make agricultural implements. They? can also weave reed mats, and make bamboo baskets so skil-fully that they are watertight. They make thread out of bark fibre, and. SOUTH ATBICAN HEADDRESSES. SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICANS. 659 make fishing-nets of it, and can even spin cotton into ya
. The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and principal islands. aresaid to have learnt from the Portuguese who hold the Mozambique coast- jto smelt iron ore and, make agricultural implements. They? can also weave reed mats, and make bamboo baskets so skil-fully that they are watertight. They make thread out of bark fibre, and. SOUTH ATBICAN HEADDRESSES. SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICANS. 659 make fishing-nets of it, and can even spin cotton into yarn and make acoarse kind of cloth. They cross their rivers in canoes of bark sewntooether with cords. Polygamy is customary among them ; and women are regularly soldby their parents, or even offered to strangers by their husbands. Thewomen do all the work that can be got out of them ; only the Burial ->men build the huts. The burial of chiefs is a time of great and licence. The corpse is kept enveloped in cloth and allowedto putrefy, and several months elapse before burial. One of the strangecustoms supposed to show reverence to the dead, is indiscriminate rob-bing and beating of people. The usual loud lamentations and beatings ofdrums attend the funeral. Hisfavourite weapons are buriedwith the chief, and a greatquantity of palm wine is pouredout. Not so long ago it was thecustom to bury the chiefs wiveswith him. Many offerings offood and drink are made
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectcivilization, bookyea
