UGANDA JOURNAL.


 All the tribes are described as being pure Bantu, except that the Ochori
had a dash of Arab blood. Each, except the Ngombi, had its own peculiar type
of canoe. Each again had its peculiar facial markings and system of extracting
or filing teeth. Each also had its own dialect, though common to all was Bomongo,
the lingua franca of the river. Incidentally it may be mentioned that Arabic
was the language of the Coast and of Sanders' Houssa troops, and that Swahili
was not without its uses.

 Common characteristics of nearly all the tribes were cannibalism (except
in the case of some Akasava), a low standard of sex morality, the usual beliefs
in witchcraft and ju-jus, and a strong aversion to any prolonged spell of physical
exertion. Most of them were partial to eating dog flesh, and fattened up dogs
for this purpose. Several also were monkey-eaters.

 Finally, though each had its peculiar fetishes, the tribes had several deities
in common, of whom undoubtedly the chief was the Storm God, Mshimba-
Mshamba, 'the swift walker', who spreads devastation in his track when he
goes abroad.
 "You sometimes find his erratic track showing clearly through the forest.
 For a space of twelve yards' width the trees are twisted, broken and uprooted,
 the thick undergrowth swept together in tangled heaps, as though by two
 huge clumsy hands.

 "This way and that goes the path of Mshimba-Mshamba, zig-zag through
 the forest-and woe to the hut or village that stands in its way.

 "For he will leave this hut intact, from this hut he will cut the propped
 verandah of leaves; this he will catch up in his ruthless fingers and tear it
 away swiftly, piece by piece, strewing the wreckage along the village street."

 When resting from his labours he was thought of either (as Caliban thought
of Setebos) as dwelling "i' the cold of the moon", or, alternatively, in the bowels
of the earth. (Io)

 Of the numerous other tribes only two need be mentioned. One of these
 was the Bald men of Ifubi, who had discovered the secret of an infallible depilat-
 ory; and the other the People of the Well, who were thought by Sanders to be,
 possibly, one of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel.(")

 We are told nothing of the tribal systems of land tenure, of puberty cere-
monies, of marriage customs, (other than payment of bride-price in the familiar
African manner), of what happened when twins were born or of other matters
which appear to excite the curiosity of anthropologists, both male and female.

 (1o) For other deities see Appendix B.
 (II) There were no cattle tribes. Cattle were unknown in the Territories, though
 they existed in certain parts of the "Old King's" country.