The natives of British Central Africa . pur-pose, and can often be seen growing in the villages. CANOE-MAKING Canoes are made wherever there are trees of suffi-cient size growing where they can be brought down tothe water without too much difficulty. The tree,however, may be chosen far up on the hills, in whichcase it is drawn down by great numbers of men withropes of thick creepers. A great thickness of bottomis left for the purpose, and rollers of bamboo or stickare spread across the path to facilitate the commonest form of canoe is thedug-out,madefrom a single log of mbawa or s
The natives of British Central Africa . pur-pose, and can often be seen growing in the villages. CANOE-MAKING Canoes are made wherever there are trees of suffi-cient size growing where they can be brought down tothe water without too much difficulty. The tree,however, may be chosen far up on the hills, in whichcase it is drawn down by great numbers of men withropes of thick creepers. A great thickness of bottomis left for the purpose, and rollers of bamboo or stickare spread across the path to facilitate the commonest form of canoe is thedug-out,madefrom a single log of mbawa or some other hard wood,but there are some made of a large sheet of bark sewnat the ends. Hewing out a canoe with axe and adzeis slow work, and it is no wonder that it is consideredmatter for rejoicing and brewing of beer when finished. If the vessel is for the chiefs own use, he oftenattends, to see how it is progressing and cheer up hismen with libations of moa. There is not much varietyin the shape; but some have incurved gunwales like. J u To face p. 194 ARTS, INDUSTRIES, ETC. 195 those in the illustration, some straight. The paddlesare short, with oblong blades, about the size and shapeof an ordinary spade. In low water, the canoe is pro-pelled with punting-poles, which are always necessarybecause the level of the river changes very quickly andsand-banks shift their places from season to are kept at the regular crossing-places of riversby men who will ferry passengers over for a considera-tion. When not in use, the paddles and poles arecarefully hidden, to prevent the canoe being summarily borrowed. The largest canoes are, perhaps, thirtyor forty feet long, and have ten or twelve paddlers,who work sitting, and sing in time to their strokes. WEAVING We have already said that spinning, weaving, andsewing are considered emphatically mens work, asthey were by the ancient Egyptians. The materialspun is most frequently cotton, though, in the Chipetacountry, south-west
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