. British Central Africa; an attempt to give some account of a portion of the territories under British influence north of the Zambezi. Natural history. EXAMPLE OF PELELE IN UPPER LIP 424 BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA much in eating and drinking. Yet it is a fashion not only prevalent amongst all the A-nyanja, but to some extent amongst the Yao, though in this case I think it can only be where the Yao woman is really of A-nyanja origin. It is a custom not peculiar to British Central Africa, but may be met with in widely removed parts of the continent. There are few tribes within the limits of the cou
. British Central Africa; an attempt to give some account of a portion of the territories under British influence north of the Zambezi. Natural history. EXAMPLE OF PELELE IN UPPER LIP 424 BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA much in eating and drinking. Yet it is a fashion not only prevalent amongst all the A-nyanja, but to some extent amongst the Yao, though in this case I think it can only be where the Yao woman is really of A-nyanja origin. It is a custom not peculiar to British Central Africa, but may be met with in widely removed parts of the continent. There are few tribes within the limits of the country under description which deliberately knock out any of the front teeth as is so much the custom with the people dwelling on the Upper Zambezi and within the watershed of the Kafue river ; but I learn that this practice prevails in some tribes of North-West Nyasaland where the two middle lower incisors are knocked out at puberty, and that the A-nyika of the same district chip the upper incisors by means of an axe. The A-lolo to the south-east of Nyasaland file their teeth into sharp points. This is also done sometimes amongst the Awemba Babisa, and tribes on the Upper Luapula. Not even the slave trade devastations and the continual warfare between tribe and tribe for the past two hundred years have succeeded in destroying agriculture amongst the British Central African negroes : though it must be admitted that many tribes have degenerated in the exercise of this industry through their harried existence. Those among whom agricultural skill is best preserved are the Wankonde of North Nyasa (a tribe which until the recent invasion of the Arabs had enjoyed centuries of un- disturbed peace) and the A-nyanja of South-West Nyasaland. As a rule, native agriculture is conducted on a heedless system, ruinous to the future interests of the country. A negro household wishes to start a new plantation. The husband sallies another example out and selects a piece of land in the wilderness,
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booky
