Each tribe holds the animal from which it derived its name in superstitious fear; nor will a man eat the animal for which his tribe was named, and frequently uses a term signifying hate or dread in referring to it.
Each tribe has its favorite and characteristic dance, and many tribes adopt the custom of naming themselves from the national dance. Hence, it is no uncommon thing to hear the question, "What do you dance?" when the wish is to ascertain to what tribe a man belongs. This custom would seem to indicate that the national dance was a part of the ancient worship in certain sections of Africa.
CHAPTER LXXIV.
CURIOUS MODES.
Livingstone says that among many tribes the mode of salutation was by clapping the hands; and whenever the white man appeared, parties of women came from the several villages, betraying much fear, and clapping the hands with renewed vigor whenever they were addressed.
Near the Zambesi River tribes were met, the women of which were in the habit of piercing the upper lip, and gradually enlarging the orifice until a shell could be inserted. The lip then appeared drawn out beyond the extremity of the nose and gave the face a most ungainly appearance. The chief of another tribe remarked, "These women want to make their mouths like those of ducks." Indeed, it did seem as if their idea of beautiful mouths had been derived from the duck's bill.
In the vicinity of the Falls of the Zambesi, tribes were found where the women had merely a small puncture in the upper lip in which a tin button was inserted. The perforation had been made by degrees; first a ring with an opening in it had been attached to the lip, and then the ends had been gradually squeezed together. The pressure on the flesh between the ends of the ring had caused it to be absorbed, and a hole had resulted from the treatment. Children were frequently seen with the ring attached to the lip which had not yet been punctured.
It was in the vicinity of Zambesi that many of the gardens were built upon stagings, while some of the huts were built in trees, in case any of the natives should become benighted in the forest. This was for protection from the lions and hyenas, which were very abundant, since no attempt was ever made to exterminate them, owing to the belief that the souls of departed chiefs had entered into them. So superstitious were these natives that they even believed a chief could change himself into a lion, kill any one he chose, and then return to his human form. Whenever a lion was met he was greeted with a tremendous clapping of the hands by way of salutation.
Among the Banyai tribes a fair complexion was considered as much a mark of beauty as among civilized races. Many of these natives were of a light coffee-colored complexion and were considered very handsome throughout the country.