212 NOTES ON THE MONBUTTU.

of elephants’ tusks, drums and kettledrums (the drumsticks covered with caoutchouc), and noisy wicker rattles containing the shells of a fruit serve as musical instruments. The dancers wear girdles and necklaces made of large glittering pods, which produce a good deal of noise.

Having mentioned the ornaments, the mutilations must not be forgotten. It is well known that all Monbuttu, both men and women, cut out a piece of the concha, and are on this account called “‘Garagir” by the Arabs; but it is not so generally known that this custom was first adopted by them, when they occupied this country, in order to assimilate themselves to its aboriginal inhabitants. Another custom much in vogue is filing the upper middle incisor teeth, so as to present a small triangular space; the total removal of teeth, however, 18 never practised. ‘The Monbuttu brought with them from their original home the custom of circumcision, and regard it as a sign of their superiority over other Negro tribes. The rite is performed by men set apart for the purpose, and with special iron knives, when the boys reach their fifth or sixth year. ‘The bleeding is stopped by the application of vegetable ashes, and by dressing the wound with the leaves of an Aroid ; in five or six days the part is quite healed. Poor people do not make much fuss over this rite, and content themselves with offering to their neighbours a jar of beer; but people of position celebrate the event by parties and feasts, often lasting a week or a fortnight. The most curious custom, however, and one which is particularly observed in the ruling families, is bandaging the heads of infants. By means of these bandages a lengthening of the head along its horizontal axis is produced ; and whereas the ordinary Monbuttu people have rather round heads, the form of the head in the better classes shows an extraordinary increase in length, which certainly very well suits their style of hair and of hat. | The household utensils, made of wood or clay, are excellent of their kind. Favoured by a rich and remarkable variety of material in wood, canes, and palm-twigs, the Monbuttu have excelled for ages in woodwork; the elegant benches and benchlets for men, the stools for women, ornamented in fanciful patterns, the dishes and bowls for food, and, more recently, the