174 UGANDA AND TEE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

as the work proceeds, till the required height is attained. Then sufficient poles are left inside to support the whole, the ends of the ribs are trimmed off, and the doorway is cut out. A bank of earth is afterwards made all round, and consolidated by wetting and stamping it, in order to prevent the water soaking into the house during the heavy rains. Bundles of long grass are now tied on to the ribs to form the thatch, beginning of course from the bottom, and finally a peak formed of a large sheaf of grass very tightly bound together is added, the edges of the thatch over the doorway are trimmed, and the house is complete outside. Porches are generally added, and the floor having been levelled and the partitions, of the same ubiquitous tiger-grass, having been erected, the building is finished. When newly built these houses are remarkably clean and neat-looking, but as there are no windows, and no outlet for the smoke except the doorway, they are very dark, and soon get discoloured with soot.

In making the holes for the supporting pillars, should the ground be hard, water is poured over it, or else the watery tissue of the banana is squeezed on it, to soften it so that the soil can be readily loosened with the spear or pointed stick which is usually employed for this work.

In the houses of the poorer classes a partition is generally made across the centre of the hut,