Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 24, 1913.djvu/421

 Reviews. 395

bathi7ig should be made. I have noticed that those who live near streams bathe regularly ; but those living at a considerable distance from streams, who procure their supply of water from a spring issuing from the side of the high hill on which they live, very rarely take a bath, yet they belong to the same tribe as the others. There is no mention of the pulling out of eyelashes under the subject of personal appearance. It would be interesting to put on record at ivhat age is cicatrization begun 1 (p. 25). In one tribe I noticed that the operation took place in very early infancy, during the first year ; and in another tribe not until the fifth or sixth year. In the former case the whole face was scarred, and in the latter only a line down the forehead.

Does each wife ozcn a house for herself and children ? (appropria- tion of houses, p. 34) ; are any relishes or sauces prepared^ such as white ant relish, white-bait sauce, and a relish of red peppers afid peanuts ground together ? (condiments, p. 43) ; 7i>hat is the effect of native wine and beer as compared with that of alcoholic drinks im- ported from Europe? Is old wine put with the nezv to has te?i fer- mentation? (p. 46). These are a few other questions that might be worth a place among the many others in the book.

On p. 51 several kinds of nets are mentioned, but the box net is not among them. This is oblong, with sides, ends, and bottom, but no top or lid, and varying in size up to fifty by twenty feet. One end and two sides are fastened by stakes driven in a suitable place in the river, and the other end is dropped to the bottom. The fishermen make a wide detour, and, beating and kicking the water, they drive the fish before them into the net, and then the loose end is raised and fixed, thus enclosing the fish. The Libinza Lake peo])le were the only folk I saw on the Upper Congo employing a net of this shape.

The question, "What are the favourite colours?" is asked under dyes on page 87 ; but before that is i)ut there should come another question, viz., "What colours are procurable in the locality ? " for I have seen more than once colours that appeared to be favourites pass into disuse on the introduction of a greater variety of colours from outside sources ; and I have seen the bright, gaudy colours of cheap trade cloth left untouched when more sober, and even sombre, colours were imported into the district.