KABREGA’S GAPITAL. 81 The huts of Kabréga’s capital are grouped in threes and fours, surrounded by straw fences, and hidden away in banana woods and in depressions of the ground; but being scattered about in large groups, they cover a great extent of ground; there may be, perhaps, more than a thousand of them. All are built in the hemispherical form typical of Unyéro; most of them have two rooms and high doors with porches. Only Kabréga and his principal chiefs possess large zeribas. The whole settlement shows signs of incompleteness, but Kabréga has only lived here since the occupation of the station Londi by our soldiers. There are at present no fields in the neighbourhood. Here and there between the filthy huts small markets are established, where flour, salt, coffee-berries—which are very dear—and meat are the current articles, to which are added sheep, goats, cows (rarely), bark cloth, spears, tobacco, beans, and butter neatly wrapped in banana-leaves. Stmbi (cowries) serve aS money. ‘They are strung together, 100 on each string, and 500 are equivalent in value to about three and sixpence. A very small basketful of flour costs ten simdz ; meat is sold by the piece, the slaughterer to whom the beast belonged fixing the price. Sheep, which here are lean, and goats cost 1400 simbi each; an ox 4500 to 5000 simbi.

Some five or six smithies are scattered about the village, each employing four or five workmen. I have described elsewhere the fireplace, bellows, and pipe. A large flat stone, with a smooth even surface, driven into the ground, serves as an anvil; a solid piece of iron, one end of which is beaten into the form of a handle, does service as a hammer. ‘There are, too, gourd-bowls filled with water to temper the iron, some small pitchers for melting copper and brass, and a contrivance made of wood for wire-drawing. Native iron, copper, and brass are worked into spear-heads, knives, razors, arm and lee rings, and necklaces, but the workmanship is by no means superior. Brass and copper come from Zanzibar through Ugdinda. ‘The smithies are also meeting-places for all lovers of gossip. Guns are repaired by Waganda smiths, who come here periodically, but they are very exorbitant, ¢.g., demand a female slave in exchange for a gun-cock.

The preparation of cow-hide for clothing is very simple.

F