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the lower end. Those with the closed end are about three feet high and stand on a carved pedestal cut out of the solid wood. Those with the open end are about four feet high. A flute of special design is used for giving the preliminary summons to religious rites. It is about fifteen long and is surmounted by a carved representation of a human head, thus:
Women and children always hide in their huts when they hear this flute blown.
As regards dress Mambila wear cloth loin coverings of the same type as those of the Yungur.1 The women are completely nude. In the Southern group, however, women occasionally wear a loin covering of plaited strings, like the women of the Verre tribe. Both sexes chip to a point the two upper and lower incisor teeth.
It may be noted in conclusion that the Mambila have a ten-day week based on the local market system. Thus in the Northern area the days of the week are known as follows: 1, Jimini (i.e. Kuma market day); 2, Sambiri (Yiru); 3, Nderi (Tem); Yoi (Basso); 5, Biga (Yana); 6, Suri; 7, Bagiri (Jeke); 8, Bara (Ngabin); 9, Ndakha; and 10, Jire. Of these Suri, Bagin, Ndakha, and Jire have now ceased to exist as markets. On the other hand markets are held at a number of villages the names of which are not included in the market week.
There are two small groups of people occupying the villages of Kamkam and Magu who live in close association with the Mambila, but clearly belong to a different stock. Their language
1See Vol. II, ch. xiv.