The Fish Are Taken In Wicker Baskets, Or With Small Cotton
Nets; And Are Preserved By Being First Dried In The Sun, And Afterwards
Rubbed With Shea Butter, To Prevent Them From Contracting Fresh Moisture.
Others Of The Natives Employ Themselves In Hunting.
Their weapons are
bows and arrows; but the arrows in common use are not poisoned.[18] They
are very dexterous marksmen, and will hit a lizard on a tree, or any
other small object, at an amazing distance.
They likewise kill
Guinea-fowls, partridges, and pigeons, but never on the wing. While the
men are occupied in these pursuits, the women are very diligent in
manufacturing cotton cloth. They prepare the cotton for spinning, by
laying it in small quantities at a time, upon a smooth stone, or piece of
wood, and rolling the seeds out with a thick iron spindle; and they spin
it with the distaff. The thread is not fine, but well twisted, and makes
a very durable cloth. A woman, with common diligence, will spin from six
to nine garments of this cloth in one year; which, according to its
fineness, will sell for a minkalli and a half, or two minkallies
each.[19] The weaving is performed by the men. The loom is made exactly
upon the same principle as that of Europe; but so small and narrow, that
the web is seldom more than four inches broad. The shuttle is of the
common construction; but as the thread is coarse, the chamber is somewhat
larger than the European.
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