of water. The foaming torrents and noisy cascades that dash down the
ravines have inspired them with terror and as they have no notion
whatever of being able to keep afloat, they are afraid to venture near a
stream, however quietly it may flow, unless it is shallow enough for
them to see the bottom.

[Illustration: A Sakai beauty.

_p._ 119]

Not only have they no idea of swimming but they are equally ignorant of
any other means, of remaining on the water's surface. They have no
canoes of any kind and when they want to cross from one shore to the
other they either throw a huge tree into the river to serve as a bridge
or they walk on round the bank until they find a fordable point and can
reach the opposite side by jumping from stone to stone.

I am glad to say that my lectures upon cleanliness have not been
completely fruitless for many of the young people make their ablutions
now from time to time, especially the females, and come to me asking for
soap. Though not a great step towards progress this is always better
than nothing. The old people, of course, do not regard the bathing
innovation with kindly eyes. They are always filthy to a repugnant
degree, begrimed with ashes and earth from lying about round the fire,
day, and night; the smell that emanates from them certainly does not
invite one to approach them.

But their fathers and their grandfathers never washed themselves and so
it is their duty to follow their questionable example.

* * * * *

The five senses with the Sakais are practically reduced to two for
whilst they are very quick in hearing and seeing, the same cannot be
said of smelling, feeling and tasting.

The acuteness of the two first is due to the continual need they have,
in the forest, of keeping the ear and the eye open. To be on their guard
against enemies they must either hear or see them.

The weakness of the smelling faculty may be explained by the bad way the
Sakai men and women treat their noses, boring holes through them large
enough to pass a little bamboo stick, which they wear, partly for
ornament, and partly as a charm, against I do not exactly know what
danger. And not only this, but they are in the habit of playing a sort
of flute with their nose, stopping up the right nostril with leaves, so
it is easy to comprehend what little sensibility this unfortunate
appendix of the face can have.

Owing to their almost complete nudity their skin is