The uncivilized races of men in all countries of the world - being a comprehensive account of their manners and customs, and of their physical, social, mental, moral and religious characteristics (14586817107)

Identifier: uncivilizedraces00wood (find matches)
Title: The uncivilized races of men in all countries of the world : being a comprehensive account of their manners and customs, and of their physical, social, mental, moral and religious characteristics
Year: 1878 (1870s)
Authors: Wood, J. G. (John George), 1827-1889
Subjects: Ethnology Manners and customs Savages
Publisher: Hartford : J. B. Burr and company
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive



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terns, and contrasting their various hues inquite an artistic manner. Besides this beadcuirass, they wear a vast number of neck-laces and armlets made of the same mate-rials. Their wrists and ankles are loadedwith a profusion of huge copper rings, someof which weigh as nnich as three pounds;and, as a woman will sometimes have twoof these rings on each ankle, it may beimagined that the grace of her deportmentis not at all increased by them. Younggirls, before they are of sufficient conse-quence to obtain these ornaments, and whilethey have to be content with the slight ap-jjarel of their sex, are as graceful as needsbe, but no woman can be expected to lookgraceful or to move lightly when she has tocarry about with her such an absurd weightof ornaments. Moreover, the daily twelvehours work of the women tends greatlytoward the deterioration of their figures.To them belongs, as to all other South Afri-can women, the labor of building the houses. The severity of this labor is indeed great,
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(,an; WOMEXS WOKE. 319 when we take into consideration the dimen-sious of the enclosures. The liouses tlieni-selves do not require nearly so much workas those of the Bechuanas, for, althouglithey are of nearly the same dimensions, i. e.from fourteen to twenty feet in diameter,they are comparatively low pitched, andtherefore need less material and less labor.A number of these houses are placed in eachenclosure, the best being for the master andhis immediate family, and the others for theservants. There are besides grain-stores,houses for cattle, fowl-houses, and even stiesfor pigs, one or two of the animals beinggenerally kept in each homestead, thoughthe herds are rigidly excluded. Within thesame enclosure are often to be seen a num-ber of ordinary Bosjesman huts. Thesebelong to members of that strange tribe,many of whom have taken up their resi-dence with the Orambos, and live in a kindof relationship with them, partly consideredas vassals, partly as servants, and partly askinsfolk.