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In it you will see a small "brazero," or altar-like fireplace half-a-dozen earthen "ollas," shaped like urns some gourd-shell cups and bowls a tortilla-stone, with its short legs and inclined surface some petates to sit upon some buffalo-robes for a similar purpose a bag of maize some bunches of dried herbs, and strings of red and green chile but no pictures of saints; and perhaps it is the only house in the whole valley where your eye will not be gratified by a sight of these.
Their heads are differently treated from those of the Soneeassees, for both men and women have the crown shaved quite smooth. Both sexes wear a piece of cloth checked like shepherd's plaid. They have great strings of wooden beads, or malâhs, turned out of the stalks of the holy toolsie, round their necks; and they generally collect their rice and cowries in a dried gourd-shell.
Into the end of a long gourd is inserted a cow's horn, bored at the point; through this horn and into the gourd the juice is sucked up by applying the mouth to a hole in the opposite side of the gourd. From the gourd-shell the juice is emptied into a bottle formed from the skin of a hog, which still retains much of the form of the animal.
It had been deposited in a large gourd-shell prepared for the purpose; and this, among other similar chattels, the enraged quadruped had crushed under its feet. Their cured provisions had also been turned out from their place of deposit, and trampled into the dust of the earth. But this, though also a chagrin, was one of less bitterness.
He now stood still, and pushed back from his forehead the superabundant and unkempt brown hair that flowed round his head like a lion's mane; then he approached the well, and as he stooped to draw the water in the large dried gourd-shell which he held, he observed first that the spring was muddy, and then perceived the goats, and at last their sleeping mistress.
Two or three well-prepared ox-hides were spread upon the ground; and he requested Mrs. Baker to sit on his right hand, while I sat upon the left. Thus satisfactorily arranged, he called for some merissa, which his wife immediately brought in an immense gourd-shell, and both my wife and I having drunk, he took a long draught, and finished the gourd.
Here and there the great purple swallows boldly cleft the air, or, poised on wing by the entrance of their gourd-shell dwellings, uttered their cheerful "tweet tweet tweet;" while the fragrant odour of the China-trees and magnolias scented the atmosphere to a long distance around.
He now stood still, and pushed back from his forehead the superabundant and unkempt brown hair that flowed round his head like a lion's mane; then he approached the well, and as he stooped to draw the water in the large dried gourd-shell which he held, he observed first that the spring was muddy, and then perceived the goats, and at last their sleeping mistress.
She received the gourd-shell from his hands, and then went back to the house to bring him the light he had asked for. Presently she reappeared with some red coals upon a small "brazero." On reaching the gate she was surprised to see that the officer had dismounted, and was fastening his horse to a stake.
"Yes," he replied. "Would you like to drink some that you brought from Kabba Rega, this evening?" "Yes, if you have any to spare," replied Umbogo. I ordered Monsoor to fill a gourd-shell that would contain about a quart. This was handed to him, together with a reed. Umbogo began to suck it vigorously through the tube. My wife thought he was shamming. "Drink it off, Umbogo!" I exclaimed.
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