136 OVAMPO DENTISTS.. [CHAP. VII.
are circular, five and a half feet across, and three feet high, with a conical thatched roof above all ; the door is two feet high, and one and a half broad. Nangoro sleeps in the open air under a shed, as he is too fat to creep into one of these houses. Each hut is occupied by an entire family: a husband, a wife, and a few small children; and when the door is closed by the mat, and a cozy fire made in the middle of the hut, they must find the atmosphere particularly genial and sweet. Their utensils are remarkably neat ; they have wooden cups, beer ladles, spoons, and so forth. I regretted much that I had not enough
OVAMPO WEAPONS, UTENSILS, ETC.
things of exchange to buy some of these which took my fancy. Their dagger-knives were creditably made, and very pretty. The knife was set into a wooden handle, and fitted into a wooden sheath ; but both handle and sheath were in part covered with copper plating, and in part wound round with copper wire beaten square. There is plenty of copper in this country. The Bushmen brought us quantities of ore at Otchikoto.
Tippoo took me to see a blacksmith ; but his bellows were scarcely larger than an accordion, and were worked in a similar manner. He
