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An Introduction to Statistical Methods

and Data Analysis 7th Edition, (Ebook


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vi Contents

3.8 Research Study: Controlling for Student Background


in the Assessment of Teaching   119
3. 9 R Instructions  124
3.10 Summary and Key Formulas   124
3.11 Exercises  125

CHAPTER 4 Probability and Probability Distributions 149


4.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study­­   149
4.2 Finding the Probability of an Event   153
4.3 Basic Event Relations and Probability Laws   155
4.4 Conditional Probability and Independence   158
4.5 Bayes’ Formula  161
4.6 Variables: Discrete and Continuous   164
4.7 Probability Distributions for Discrete Random Variables   166
4.8 Two Discrete Random Variables: The Binomial and the Poisson   167
4.9 Probability Distributions for Continuous Random Variables   177
4.10 A Continuous Probability Distribution: The Normal Distribution   180
4.11 Random Sampling  187
4.12 Sampling Distributions  190
4.13 Normal Approximation to the Binomial   200
4.14 Evaluating Whether or Not a Population Distribution Is Normal   203
4.15 Research Study: Inferences About Performance-Enhancing Drugs
Among Athletes  208
4.16 R Instructions  211
4.17 Summary and Key Formulas   212
4.18 Exercises  214

PART 4  nalyzing THE Data, Interpreting the


A
Analyses, and Communicating THE Results 231

CHAPTER 5 Inferences About Population Central Values 232


5.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study   232
5.2 Estimation of m  235
5.3 Choosing the Sample Size for Estimating m  240
5.4 A Statistical Test for m  242
5.5 Choosing the Sample Size for Testing m  255
5.6 The Level of Significance of a Statistical Test   257
5.7 Inferences About m for a Normal Population, s Unknown  260
5.8 Inferences About m When the Population Is ­Nonnormal and n Is Small:
Bootstrap Methods  269
5.9 Inferences About the Median   275
5.10 Research Study: Percentage of Calories from Fat   280
5.11 Summary and Key Formulas   283
5.12 Exercises  285

CHAPTER 6 Inferences Comparing Two Population Central


Values 300
6.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study   300
6.2 Inferences About m1 2 m2: Independent Samples   303

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Contents vii

6.3 A Nonparametric Alternative:


The Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test   315
6.4 Inferences About m1 2 m2: Paired Data   325
6.5 A Nonparametric Alternative:
The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test   329
6.6 Choosing Sample Sizes for Inferences About m1 2 m2  334
6.7 Research Study: Effects of an Oil Spill on Plant Growth   336
6.8 Summary and Key Formulas   341
6.9 Exercises  344

CHAPTER 7 Inferences About Population Variances 366


7.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study   366
7.2 Estimation and Tests for a Population Variance   368
7.3 Estimation and Tests for Comparing Two Population Variances   376
7.4 Tests for Comparing t . 2 Population Variances    382
7.5 Research Study: Evaluation of Methods for Detecting E. coli   385
7.6 Summary and Key Formulas   390
7.7 Exercises  391

CHAPTER 8 Inferences About More Than Two Population Central


Values 400
8.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study   400
8.2 A Statistical Test About More Than Two Population Means:
An Analysis of Variance    403
8.3 The Model for Observations in a Completely Randomized Design    412
8.4 Checking on the AOV Conditions    414
8.5 An Alternative Analysis: Transformations of the Data    418
8.6 A Nonparametric Alternative: The Kruskal–Wallis Test   425
8.7 Research Study: Effect of Timing on the Treatment
of Port-Wine Stains with Lasers   428
8.8 Summary and Key Formulas   433
8.9 Exercises  435

CHAPTER 9 Multiple Comparisons 445


9.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study   445
9.2 Linear Contrasts    447
9.3 Which Error Rate Is Controlled?    454
9.4 Scheffé’s S Method  456
9.5 Tukey’s W Procedure  458
9.6 Dunnett’s Procedure: Comparison of Treatments to a Control   462
9.7 A Nonparametric Multiple-Comparison Procedure   464
9.8 Research Study: Are Interviewers’ Decisions ­Affected by Different
Handicap Types?  467
9.9 Summary and Key Formulas   474
9.10 Exercises  475

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viii Contents

CHAPTER 10 Categorical Data 482


10.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study   482
10.2 Inferences About a Population Proportion p  483
10.3 Inferences About the Difference Between
Two Population Proportions, p1 2 p2  491
10.4 Inferences About Several Proportions:
Chi-Square Goodness-of-Fit Test    501
10.5 Contingency Tables: Tests for Independence
and Homogeneity  508
10.6 Measuring Strength of Relation    515
10.7 Odds and Odds Ratios    517
10.8 Combining Sets of 2 3 2 Contingency Tables  522
10.9 Research Study: Does Gender Bias Exist in the Selection of Students
for Vocational Education?  525
10.10 Summary and Key Formulas   531
10.11 Exercises  533

CHAPTER 11 Linear Regression and Correlation 555


11.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study   555
11.2 Estimating Model Parameters    564
11.3 Inferences About Regression Parameters    574
11.4 Predicting New y-Values Using Regression   577
11.5 Examining Lack of Fit in Linear Regression    581
11.6 Correlation  587
11.7 Research Study: Two Methods for Detecting E. coli  598
11.8 Summary and Key Formulas   602
11.9 Exercises  604

CHAPTER 12 Multiple Regression and the General Linear Model 625


12.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study    625
12.2 The General Linear Model   635
12.3 Estimating Multiple Regression Coefficients    636
12.4 Inferences in Multiple Regression   644
12.5 Testing a Subset of Regression Coefficients   652
12.6 Forecasting Using Multiple Regression    656
12.7 Comparing the Slopes of Several Regression Lines   658
12.8 Logistic Regression  662
12.9 Some Multiple Regression Theory (Optional)   669
12.10 Research Study: Evaluation of the Performance of an Electric Drill   676
12.11 Summary and Key Formulas   683
12.12 Exercises  685

CHAPTER 13 Further Regression Topics 711


13.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study   711
13.2 Selecting the Variables (Step 1)   712
13.3 Formulating the Model (Step 2)   729
13.4 Checking Model Assumptions (Step 3)   745

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Contents ix

13.5 Research Study: Construction Costs for Nuclear Power Plants   765
13.6 Summary and Key Formulas   772
13.7 Exercises  773

CHAPTER 14 Analysis of Variance for Completely


Randomized Designs 798
14.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study   798
14.2 Completely Randomized Design with a Single Factor   800
14.3 Factorial Treatment Structure  805
14.4 Factorial Treatment Structures with an Unequal Number
of Replications  830
14.5 Estimation of Treatment Differences and Comparisons
of Treatment Means  837
14.6 Determining the Number of Replications    841
14.7 Research Study: Development of a Low-Fat Processed Meat   846
14.8 Summary and Key Formulas   851
14.9 Exercises  852

CHAPTER 15 Analysis of Variance for Blocked Designs 865


15.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study   865
15.2 Randomized Complete Block Design   866
15.3 Latin Square Design   878
15.4 Factorial Treatment Structure in a Randomized Complete
Block Design  889
15.5 A Nonparametric Alternative—Friedman’s Test   893
15.6 Research Study: Control of Leatherjackets   897
15.7 Summary and Key Formulas   902
15.8 Exercises  904

CHAPTER 16 The Analysis of Covariance 917


16.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study   917
16.2 A Completely Randomized Design with One Covariate   920
16.3 The Extrapolation Problem   931
16.4 Multiple Covariates and More Complicated Designs   934
16.5 Research Study: Evaluation of Cool-Season Grasses for Putting
Greens  936
16.6 Summary  942
16.7 Exercises  942

CHAPTER 17 Analysis of Variance for Some Fixed-, Random-,


and Mixed-Effects Models 952
17.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study   952
17.2 A One-Factor Experiment with Random Treatment Effects   955
17.3 Extensions of Random-Effects Models   959
17.4 Mixed-Effects Models  967
17.5 Rules for Obtaining Expected Mean Squares   971

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x Contents

17.6 Nested Factors  981


17.7 Research Study: Factors Affecting Pressure Drops
Across Expansion Joints   986
17.8 Summary  991
17.9 Exercises  992

CHAPTER 18 Split-Plot, Repeated Measures,


and Crossover Designs 1004
18.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study   1004
18.2 Split-Plot Designed Experiments   1008
18.3 Single-Factor Experiments with Repeated Measures   1014
18.4 Two-Factor Experiments with Repeated Measures on
One of the Factors   1018
18.5 Crossover Designs  1025
18.6 Research Study: Effects of an Oil Spill on Plant Growth   1033
18.7 Summary  1035
18.8 Exercises  1035

CHAPTER 19 Analysis of Variance for Some Unbalanced


Designs 1050
19.1 Introduction and Abstract of Research Study   1050
19.2 A Randomized Block Design with One or More
Missing Observations  1052
19.3 A Latin Square Design with Missing Data   1058
19.4 Balanced Incomplete Block (BIB) Designs   1063
19.5 Research Study: Evaluation of the Consistency
of Property Assessors  1070
19.6 Summary and Key Formulas   1074
19.7 Exercises  1075

Appendix: Statistical Tables 1085


Answers to Selected Exercises 1125
References 1151
Index 1157

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PREFACE
INDEX

Intended Audience
An Introduction to Statistical Methods and Data Analysis, Seventh Edition, provides
a broad overview of statistical methods for advanced undergraduate and graduate
students from a variety of disciplines. This book is intended to prepare students to
solve problems encountered in research projects, to make decisions based on data
in general settings both within and beyond the university setting, and finally to
become critical readers of statistical analyses in research papers and in news reports.
The book presumes that the students have a minimal mathematical background
(high school algebra) and no prior course work in statistics. The first 11 chapters
of the textbook present the material typically covered in an introductory statistics
course. However, this book provides research studies and examples that connect
the statistical concepts to data analysis problems that are often encountered in
undergraduate capstone courses. The remaining chapters of the book cover regres-
sion modeling and design of experiments. We develop and illustrate the statistical
techniques and thought processes needed to design a research study or experiment
and then analyze the data collected using an intuitive and proven four-step approach.
This should be especially helpful to graduate students conducting their MS thesis
and PhD dissertation research.

Major Features of Textbook


Learning from Data
In this text, we approach the study of statistics by considering a four-step process
by which we can learn from data:
1. Defining the Problem
2. Collecting the Data
3. Summarizing the Data
4. Analyzing the Data, Interpreting the Analyses, and Communicating
the ­Results

Case Studies
In order to demonstrate the relevance and critical nature of statistics in solving real-
world problems, we introduce the major topic of each chapter using a case study.
The case studies were selected from many sources to illustrate the broad applica-
bility of statistical methodology. The four-step learning from data process is illus-
trated through the case studies. This approach will hopefully assist in overcoming

 xi

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xii Preface

the natural initial perception held by many people that statistics is just another
“math course.’’ The introduction of major topics through the use of case studies
provides a focus on the central nature of applied statistics in a wide variety of
research and business-related studies. These case studies will hopefully provide the
reader with an enthusiasm for the broad applicability of statistics and the statistical
thought process that the authors have found and used through their many years
of teaching, consulting, and R & D management. The following research studies
­illustrate the types of studies we have used throughout the text.
●● Exit Polls Versus Election Results: A study of why the exit polls
from 9 of 11 states in the 2004 presidential election predicted John
Kerry as the winner when in fact President Bush won 6 of the 11
states.
●● Evaluation of the Consistency of Property Assessors:   A study to
determine if county property assessors differ systematically in their
determination of property values.
●● Effect of Timing of the Treatment of Port-Wine Stains with Lasers:  
A prospective study that investigated whether treatment at a younger
age would yield better results than treatment at an older age.
●● Controlling for Student Background in the Assessment of Teaching:  
An examination of data used to support possible improvements to
the No Child Left Behind program while maintaining the important
concepts of performance standards and accountability.
Each of the research studies includes a discussion of the whys and hows of the
study. We illustrate the use of the four-step learning from data process with each
case study. A discussion of sample size determination, graphical displays of the
data, and a summary of the necessary ingredients for a complete report of the sta-
tistical findings of the study are provided with many of the case studies.

Examples and Exercises


We have further enhanced the practical nature of statistics by using examples and
exercises from journal articles, newspapers, and the authors’ many consulting
experiences. These will provide the students with further evidence of the practical
usages of statistics in solving problems that are relevant to their everyday lives.
Many new exercises and examples have been included in this edition of the book.
The number and variety of exercises will be a great asset to both the instructor and
students in their study of statistics.

Topics Covered
This book can be used for either a one-semester or a two-semester course. Chapters
1 through 11 would constitute a one-semester course. The topics covered would
­include
Chapter 1—Statistics and the scientific method
Chapter 2—Using surveys and experimental studies to gather data
Chapters 3 & 4—Summarizing data and probability distributions
Chapters 5–7—Analyzing data: inferences about central values and
­variances
Chapters 8 & 9—One-way analysis of variance and multiple
comparisons

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Preface xiii

Chapter 10—Analyzing data involving proportions


Chapter 11—Linear regression and correlation
The second semester of a two-semester course would then include model building
and inferences in multiple regression analysis, logistic regression, design of experi-
ments, and analysis of variance:
Chapters 11–13—Regression methods and model building: multiple re-
gression and the general linear model, logistic regression, and building
­regression models with diagnostics
Chapters 14–19—Design of experiments and analysis of variance: design
concepts, analysis of variance for standard designs, analysis of covari-
ance, random and mixed effects models, split-plot designs, repeated
measures ­designs, crossover designs, and unbalanced designs

Emphasis on Interpretation, not Computation


In the book are examples and exercises that allow the student to study how to
­calculate the value of statistical estimators and test statistics using the definitional
form of the procedure. After the student becomes comfortable with the aspects of
the data the statistical procedure is reflecting, we then emphasize the use of com-
puter software in making computations in the analysis of larger data sets. We provide
output from three major statistical packages: SAS, Minitab, and SPSS. We find that
this approach provides the student with the experience of computing the value of the
procedure using the definition; hence, the student learns the basics b­ ehind each pro-
cedure. In most situations beyond the statistics course, the student should be using
computer software in making the computations for both e­ xpedience and quality of
calculation. In many exercises and examples, the use of the computer allows for more
time to emphasize the interpretation of the ­results of the computations without hav-
ing to expend enormous amounts of time and effort in the ­actual computations.
In numerous examples and exercises, the importance of the following aspects
of hypothesis testing are demonstrated:
1. The statement of the research hypothesis through the summarization
of the researcher’s goals into a statement about population
parameters.
2. The selection of the most appropriate test statistic, including sample
size computations for many procedures.
3. The necessity of considering both Type I and Type II error
rates (a and b) when discussing the results of a statistical test of
hypotheses.
4. The importance of considering both the statistical significance and
the practical significance of a test result. Thus, we illustrate the
importance of estimating effect sizes and the construction of confi-
dence intervals for population parameters.
5. The statement of the results of the statistical test in nonstatistical
jargon that goes beyond the statement ‘‘reject H0’’ or ‘‘fail to
reject H0.’’

New to the Seventh Edition


●● There are instructions on the use of R code. R is a free software package
that can be downloaded from http:/ /lib.stat.cmu.edu/R/CRAN.

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
xiv Preface

Click your choice of platform (Linux, MacOS X, or Windows) for the


precompiled binary distribution. Note the FAQs link to the left for
additional information. Follow the instructions for installing the base
system software (which is all you will need).
●● New examples illustrate the breadth of applications of statistics to
real-world problems.
●● An alternative to the standard deviation, MAD, is provided as a
measure of dispersion in a population/sample.
●● The use of bootstrapping in obtaining confidence intervals and
p-values is discussed.
●● Instructions are included on how to use R code to obtain percentiles
and probabilities from the following distributions: normal, binomial,
Poisson, chi-squared, F, and t.
●● A nonparametric alternative to the Pearson correlation coefficient:
Spearman’s rank correlation, is provided.
●● The binomial test for small sample tests of proportions is presented.
●● The McNemar test for paired count data has been added.
●● The Akaike information criterion and Bayesian information criterion
for variable selection are discussed.

Additional Features Retained from Previous Editions


●● Many practical applications of statistical methods and data analysis
from agriculture, business, economics, education, engineering, medi-
cine, law, political science, psychology, environmental studies, and
sociology have been included.
●● The seventh edition contains over 1,000 exercises, with nearly 400 of
the exercises new.
●● Computer output from Minitab, SAS, and SPSS is provided in
numerous examples. The use of computers greatly facilitates the use
of more sophisticated graphical illustrations of statistical results.
●● Attention is paid to the underlying assumptions. Graphical
procedures and test procedures are provided to determine if assump-
tions have been violated. Furthermore, in many settings, we provide
alternative procedures when the conditions are not met.
●● The first chapter provides a discussion of “What Is Statistics?” We
provide a discussion of why students should study statistics along with
a discussion of several major studies that illustrate the use of statistics
in the solution of real-life problems.

Ancillaries
l Student Solutions Manual (ISBN-10: 1-305-26948-9;
ISBN-13: 978-1-305-26948-4), containing select worked solutions
for problems in the textbook.
l A Companion Website at www.cengage.com/statistics/ott, containing
downloadable data sets for Excel, Minitab, SAS, SPSS, and others,
plus additional resources for students and faculty.

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Preface xv

Acknowledgments
There are many people who have made valuable, constructive suggestions for
the development of the original manuscript and during the preparation of the
subsequent editions. We are very appreciative of the insightful and constructive
comments from the following reviewers:
Naveen Bansal, Marquette University
Kameryn Denaro, San Diego State University
Mary Gray, American University
Craig Leth-Steensen, Carleton University
Jing Qian, University of Massachusetts
Mark Riggs, Abilene Christian University
Elaine Spiller, Marquette University
We are also appreciate of the preparation assistance received from Molly Taylor
and Jay Campbell; the scheduling of the revisions by Mary Tindle, the Senior
Project Manager at Cenveo Publisher Services, who made sure that the book
was completed in a timely manner. The authors of the solutions manual, Soma
Roy, California Polytechnic State University, and John Draper, The Ohio State
University, provided me with excellent input which resulted in an improved set of
exercises for the seventh edition. The person who assisted me the greatest degree
in the preparation of the seventh edition, was Sherry Goldbecker, the copy editor.
Sherry not only corrected my many grammatical errors but also provided rephras-
ing of many sentences which made for a more straight forward explanation of sta-
tistical concepts. The students, who use this book in their statistics classes, will be
most appreciative of Sherry’s many contributions.

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PART 1

Introduction

Chapter 1 St atistic s a nd the Sc ientific Method

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1.1 Introduction

CHAPTER 1 1.2
1.3
Why Study Statistics?
Some Current
Applications of Statistics
1.4 A Note to the Student

Statistics and
1.5 Summary
1.6 Exercises

the Scientific
Method

1.1 Introduction
Statistics is the science of designing studies or experiments, collecting data, and
modeling/analyzing data for the purpose of decision making and scientific discov-
ery when the available information is both limited and variable. That is, statistics is
the science of Learning from Data.
Almost everyone, including social scientists, medical researchers, superin-
tendents of public schools, corporate executives, market researchers, engineers,
government employees, and consumers, deals with data. These data could be in the
form of quarterly sales figures, percent increase in juvenile crime, contamination
levels in water samples, survival rates for patients undergoing medical therapy,
census figures, or information that helps determine which brand of car to purchase.
In this text, we approach the study of statistics by considering the four-step process
in Learning from Data: (1) defining the problem, (2) collecting the data, (3) sum-
marizing the data, and (4) analyzing the data, interpreting the analyses, and com-
municating the results. Through the use of these four steps in Learning from Data,
our study of statistics closely parallels the Scientific Method, which is a set of prin-
ciples and procedures used by successful scientists in their p ­ ursuit of knowledge.
The method involves the formulation of research goals, the design of observational
studies and/or experiments, the collection of data, the modeling/analysis of the
data in the context of research goals, and the testing of hypotheses. The conclusion
of these steps is often the formulation of new research goals for a­ nother study.
These steps are illustrated in the schematic given in Figure 1.1.
This book is divided into sections corresponding to the four-step process in
Learning from Data. The relationship among these steps and the chapters of the
book is shown in Table 1.1. As you can see from this table, much time is spent dis-
cussing how to analyze data using the basic methods presented in Chapters 5–19.

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1.1 Introduction 3

FIGURE 1.1
Scientific Method
Formulate research goal:
Schematic
research hypotheses, models

Formulate new
Make decisions:
research goals:
written conclusions,
new models,
oral presentations
new hypotheses

Design study: Draw inferences:


sample size, variables, Collect data: graphs, estimation,
experimental units, data management hypotheses testing,
sampling mechanism model assessment

TABLE 1.1
Organization of the text The Four-Step Process Chapters

1 Defining the Problem 1 Statistics and the Scientific Method


2 Collecting the Data 2 Using Surveys and Experimental Studies to Gather Data
3 Summarizing the Data 3 Data Description
4 Probability and Probability Distributions
4 Analyzing the Data, 5 Inferences about Population Central Values
Interpreting the Analyses, 6 Inferences Comparing Two Population Central Values
and Communicating 7 Inferences about Population Variances
the Results 8 Inferences about More Than Two Population Central Values
9 Multiple Comparisons
10 Categorical Data
11 Linear Regression and Correlation
12 Multiple Regression and the General Linear Model
13 Further Regression Topics
14 Analysis of Variance for Completely Randomized Designs
15 Analysis of Variance for Blocked Designs
16 The Analysis of Covariance
17 Analysis of Variance for Some Fixed-, Random-, and
Mixed-Effects Models
18 Split-Plot, Repeated Measures, and Crossover Designs
19 Analysis of Variance for Some Unbalanced Designs

However, you must remember that for each data set requiring analysis, someone
has defined the problem to be examined (Step 1), developed a plan for collecting
data to address the problem (Step 2), and summarized the data and prepared the
data for analysis (Step 3). Then following the analysis of the data, the results of the
analysis must be interpreted and communicated either verbally or in written form
to the intended audience (Step 4).
All four steps are important in Learning from Data; in fact, unless the prob-
lem to be addressed is clearly defined and the data collection carried out properly,
the interpretation of the results of the analyses may convey misleading informa-
tion because the analyses were based on a data set that did not address the problem
or that was incomplete and contained improper information. Throughout the text,

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4 Chapter 1 Statistics and the Scientific Method

we will try to keep you focused on the bigger picture of Learning from Data
through the four-step process. Most chapters will end with a summary section
that emphasizes how the material of the chapter fits into the study of statistics—
Learning from Data.
To illustrate some of the above concepts, we will consider four situations
in which the four steps in Learning from Data could assist in solving a real-world
problem.

1. Problem: Inspection of ground beef in a large beef-processing facility.


A beef-processing plant produces approximately half a million pack-
ages of ground beef per week. The government inspects packages
for possible improper labeling of the packages with respect to the
percent fat in the meat. The inspectors must open the ground beef
package in order to determine the fat content of the ground beef.
The inspection of every package would be prohibitively costly and
time consuming. An alternative approach is to select 250 packages
for inspection from the daily production of 100,000 packages. The
fraction of packages with improper labeling in the sample of 250
packages would then be used to estimate the fraction of packages
improperly labeled in the complete day’s production. If this fraction
exceeds a set specification, action is then taken against the meat
processor. In later chapters, a procedure will be formulated to deter-
mine how well the sample fraction of improperly labeled packages
approximates the fraction of improperly labeled packages for the
whole day’s output.
2. Problem: Is there a relationship between quitting smoking and
gaining weight? To investigate the claim that people who quit
smoking often ­experience a subsequent weight gain, researchers
selected a random sample of 400 participants who had successfully
participated in programs to quit smoking. The individuals were
weighed at the beginning of the program and again 1 year later.
The average change in weight of the participants was an increase of
5 pounds. The investigators concluded that there was evidence that
the claim was valid. We will develop techniques in later chapters to
assess when changes are truly significant changes and not changes
due to random chance.
3. Problem: What effect does nitrogen fertilizer have on wheat production?
For a study of the effects of nitrogen fertilizer on wheat production,
a total of 15 fields was available to the researcher. She randomly
assigned three fields to each of the five nitrogen rates under inves-
tigation. The same variety of wheat was planted in all 15 fields. The
fields were cultivated in the same manner until harvest, and the
number of pounds of wheat per acre was then recorded for each of
the 15 fields. The experimenter wanted to determine the optimal
level of nitrogen to apply to any wheat field, but, of course, she was
limited to running experiments on a limited number of fields. After
determining the amount of nitrogen that yielded the largest produc-
tion of wheat in the study fields, the ­experimenter then concluded
that similar results would hold for wheat fields possessing charac-
teristics somewhat the same as the study fields. Is the experimenter
justified in reaching this conclusion?

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1.1 Introduction 5

4. Problem: Determining public opinion toward a question, issue,


product, or candidate. Similar applications of statistics are brought
to mind by the frequent use of the New York Times/CBS News,
Washington Post/ABC News, Wall Street Journal/NBC News, Harris,
Gallup/Newsweek, and CNN/Time polls. How can these pollsters
determine the opinions of more than 195 million Americans who are
of voting age? They certainly do not contact every potential voter in
the United States. Rather, they sample the opinions of a small num-
ber of potential voters, perhaps as few as 1,500, to estimate the reac-
tion of every person of voting age in the country. The amazing result
of this process is that if the selection of the voters is done in an unbi-
ased way and voters are asked unambiguous, nonleading questions,
the fraction of those persons contacted who hold a particular opinion
will closely match the fraction in the total population holding that
opinion at a ­particular time. We will supply convincing supportive
evidence of this assertion in subsequent chapters.

These problems illustrate the four-step process in Learning from Data.


First, there was a problem or question to be addressed. Next, for each prob-
lem a study or experiment was proposed to collect meaningful data to solve the
problem. The government meat inspection agency had to decide both how many
packages to inspect per day and how to select the sample of packages from the
total daily output in order to obtain a valid prediction. The polling groups had to
decide how many voters to sample and how to select these individuals in order
to obtain information that is representative of the population of all voters. Simi-
larly, it was necessary to carefully plan how many participants in the weight-gain
study were needed and how they were to be selected from the list of all such
participants. Furthermore, what variables did the researchers have to measure
on each participant? Was it necessary to know each participant’s age, sex, physi-
cal fitness, and other health-related variables, or was weight the only important
variable? The results of the study may not be relevant to the general population
if many of the participants in the study had a particular health condition. In the
wheat experiment, it was important to measure both the soil characteristics of
the fields and the environmental conditions, such as temperature and rainfall, to
obtain results that could be generalized to fields not included in the study. The
design of a study or experiment is crucial to obtaining results that can be general-
ized beyond the study.
Finally, having collected, summarized, and analyzed the data, it is important
to report the results in unambiguous terms to interested people. For the meat
inspection example, the government inspection agency and the personnel in the
beef-processing plant would need to know the distribution of fat content in the
daily production of ground beef. Based on this distribution, the agency could then
impose fines or take other remedial actions against the production facility. Also,
knowledge of this distribution would enable company production personnel to
make adjustments to the process in order to obtain acceptable fat content in their
ground beef packages. Therefore, the results of the statistical analyses cannot
be presented in ambiguous terms; decisions must be made from a well-defined
knowledge base. The results of the weight-gain study would be of vital interest to
physicians who have patients participating in the smoking-cessation program. If
a significant increase in weight was recorded for those individuals who had quit
smoking, physicians would have to recommend diets so that the former smokers

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6 Chapter 1 Statistics and the Scientific Method

FIGURE 1.2
Population and sample Set of all measurements:
the population

Set of measurements
selected from the
population:
the sample

would not go from one health problem (smoking) to another (elevated blood
pressure due to being overweight). It is crucial that a careful description of the
participants—that is, age, sex, and other health-related information—be included
in the report. In the wheat study, the experiment would provide farmers with
information that would allow them to economically select the optimum amount of
nitrogen required for their fields. Therefore, the report must contain ­information
concerning the amount of moisture and types of soils present on the study fields.
Otherwise, the conclusions about optimal wheat production may not pertain to
farmers growing wheat under considerably different conditions.
To infer validly that the results of a study are applicable to a larger group
population than just the participants in the study, we must carefully define the population
(see Definition 1.1) to which inferences are sought and design a study in which the
sample sample (see Definition 1.2) has been appropriately selected from the designated
population. We will discuss these issues in Chapter 2.

DEFINITION 1.1 A population is the set of all measurements of interest to the sample collector.
(See Figure 1.2.)

DEFINITION 1.2 A sample is any subset of measurements selected from the population.
(See Figure 1.2.)

1.2 Why Study Statistics?


We can think of many reasons for taking an introductory course in statistics. One
reason is that you need to know how to evaluate published numerical facts. Every
person is exposed to manufacturers’ claims for products; to the results of socio-
logical, consumer, and political polls; and to the published results of scientific
research. Many of these results are inferences based on sampling. Some infer-
ences are valid; others are invalid. Some are based on samples of adequate size;
others are not. Yet all these published results bear the ring of truth. Some peo-
ple (particularly statisticians) say that statistics can be made to support almost

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1.2 Why Study Statistics? 7

anything. Others say it is easy to lie with statistics. Both statements are true. It
is easy, ­purposely or unwittingly, to distort the truth by using statistics when
presenting the results of sampling to the uninformed. It is thus crucial that you
become an ­informed and critical reader of data-based reports and articles.
A second reason for studying statistics is that your profession or employment
may require you to interpret the results of sampling (surveys or experimentation)
or to employ statistical methods of analysis to make inferences in your work. For
example, practicing physicians receive large amounts of advertising describing
the benefits of new drugs. These advertisements frequently display the numerical
­results of experiments that compare a new drug with an older one. Do such data
­really imply that the new drug is more effective, or is the observed difference in
­results due simply to random variation in the experimental measurements?
Recent trends in the conduct of court trials indicate an increasing use of
probability and statistical inference in evaluating the quality of evidence. The use
of statistics in the social, biological, and physical sciences is essential because all
these sciences make use of observations of natural phenomena, through sample
surveys or experimentation, to develop and test new theories. Statistical methods
are employed in business when sample data are used to forecast sales and profit.
In addition, they are used in engineering and manufacturing to monitor product
quality. The sampling of accounts is a useful tool to assist accountants in conduct-
ing audits. Thus, statistics plays an important role in almost all areas of science,
business, and industry; persons employed in these areas need to know the basic
concepts, strengths, and limitations of statistics.
The article “What Educated Citizens Should Know About Statistics and Prob-
ability,” by J. Utts (2003), contains a number of statistical ideas that need to be
understood by users of statistical methodology in order to avoid confusion in the
use of their research findings. Misunderstandings of statistical results can lead to
major errors by government policymakers, medical workers, and consumers of this
information. The article selected a number of topics for discussion. We will sum-
marize some of the findings in the article. A complete discussion of all these topics
will be given throughout the book.
1. One of the most frequent misinterpretations of statistical findings
is when a statistically significant relationship is established between
two variables and it is then concluded that a change in the explana-
tory ­variable causes a change in the response variable. As will be
discussed in the book, this conclusion can be reached only under
very restrictive constraints on the experimental setting. Utts exam-
ined a recent Newsweek article discussing the relationship between
the strength of religious beliefs and physical healing. Utts’ article
discussed the ­problems in reaching the conclusion that the stronger
a patient’s religious beliefs, the more likely the patient would be
cured of his or her ailment. Utts showed that there are ­numerous
other factors involved in a patient’s health and the conclusion that
religious beliefs cause a cure cannot be validly reached.
2. A common confusion in many studies is the difference between
(statistically) significant findings in a study and (practically) signifi-
cant findings. This problem often occurs when large data sets are
involved in a study or experiment. This type of problem will be dis-
cussed in detail throughout the book. We will use a number of exam-
ples that will illustrate how this type of confusion can be avoided by
researchers when reporting the findings of their experimental results.

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8 Chapter 1 Statistics and the Scientific Method

Utts’ article illustrated this problem with a discussion of a study that


found a statistically significant difference in the average heights of
military recruits born in the spring and in the fall. There were 507,125
recruits in the study and the difference in average height was about
1/4 inch. So, even though there may be a difference in the actual aver-
age heights of recruits in the spring and the fall, the difference is so
small (1/4 inch) that it is of no practical ­importance.
3. The size of the sample also may be a determining factor in studies
in which statistical significance is not found. A study may not have
­selected a sample size large enough to discover a difference between
the several populations under study. In many government-sponsored
studies, the researchers do not receive funding unless they are able
to demonstrate that the sample sizes selected for their study are of
an ­appropriate size to ­detect specified differences in populations if
in fact they exist. Methods to determine appropriate sample sizes
will be provided in the chapters on hypotheses testing and experi-
mental ­design.
4. Surveys are ubiquitous, especially during the years in which national
elections are held. In fact, market surveys are nearly as widespread
as political polls. There are many sources of bias that can creep
into the most reliable of surveys. The manner in which people are
selected for ­inclusion in the survey, the way in which questions are
phrased, and even the manner in which questions are posed to the
subject may affect the conclusions ­obtained from the survey. We will
discuss these issues in Chapter 2.
5. Many students find the topic of probability to be very confusing. One
of these confusions involves conditional probability where the prob-
ability of an event occurring is computed under the condition that a
second event has occurred with certainty. For example, a new diag-
nostic test for the pathogen Escherichia coli in meat is proposed to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA evaluates
the test and determines that the test has both a low false positive rate
and a low false negative rate. That is, it is very unlikely that the test
will declare the meat contains E. coli when in fact it does not contain
E. coli. Also, it is very unlikely that the test will ­declare the meat does
not contain E. coli when in fact it does contain E. coli. ­Although the
diagnostic test has a very low false positive rate and a very low false
negative rate, the probability that E. coli is in fact present in the meat
when the test yields a positive test result is very low for those situa-
tions in which a particular strain of E. coli occurs very infrequently.
In Chapter 4, we will demonstrate how this probability can be com-
puted in order to provide a true assessment of the performance of a
diagnostic test.
6. Another concept that is often misunderstood is the role of the degree
of variability in interpreting what is a “normal” occurrence of some
naturally occurring event. Utts’ article provided the following exam-
ple. A company was having an odor problem with its wastewater
treatment plant. It attributed the problem to “abnormal” rainfall dur-
ing the ­period in which the odor problem was occurring. A company
official stated that the facility experienced 170% to 180% of its
“normal” rainfall during this period, which resulted in the water in

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1.3 Some Current Applications of Statistics 9

the holding ponds t­ aking longer to exit for irrigation. Thus, there was
more time for the pond to develop an odor. The company official did
not point out that yearly rainfall in this region is extremely variable.
In fact, the historical range for rainfall is between 6.1 and 37.4 inches
with a median rainfall of 16.7 inches. The rainfall for the year of the
odor problem was 29.7 inches, which was well within the “normal”
range for rainfall. There was a confusion between the terms “aver-
age” and “normal” rainfall. The concept of natural variability is cru-
cial to correct interpretation of statistical ­results. In this example, the
company official should have evaluated the percentile for an annual
rainfall of 29.7 inches in order to demonstrate the abnormality of
such a rainfall. We will discuss the ideas of data summaries and per-
centiles in Chapter 3.
The types of problems expressed above and in Utts’ article represent common
and important misunderstandings that can occur when researchers use statistics in
­interpreting the results of their studies. We will attempt throughout the book to dis-
cuss possible misinterpretations of statistical results and how to avoid them in your
data analyses. More importantly, we want the reader of this book to become a dis-
criminating reader of statistical findings, the results of surveys, and ­project ­reports.

1.3 Some Current Applications of Statistics

Defining the Problem: Obtaining Information


from Massive Data Sets
Data mining is defined to be a process by which useful information is obtained
from large sets of data. Data mining uses statistical techniques to discover patterns
and trends that are present in a large data set. In most data sets, important patterns
would not be discovered by using traditional data exploration techniques because
the types of relationships between the many variables in the data set are either too
complex or because the data sets are so large that they mask the relationships.
The patterns and trends discovered in the analysis of the data are defined
as data mining models. These models can be applied to many different situations,
such as:
●● Forecasting: Estimating future sales, predicting demands on a power
grid, or estimating server downtime
●● Assessing risk: Choosing the rates for insurance premiums, selecting
best customers for a new sales campaign, determining which medical
therapy is most appropriate given the physiological characteristics of
the patient
●● Identifying sequences: Determining customer preferences in online
purchases, predicting weather events
●● Grouping: Placing customers or events into cluster of related items,
analyzing and predicting relationships between demographic char-
acteristics and purchasing patterns, identifying fraud in credit card
purchases
A new medical procedure referred to as gene editing has the potential to
assist thousands of people suffering many different diseases. An article in the
Houston Chronicle (2013 ), describes how data mining techniques are used to

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10 Chapter 1 Statistics and the Scientific Method

explore massive genomic data bases to interpret millions of bits of data in a per-
son’s DNA. This information is then used to identify a single defective gene,
which is cut out, and splice in a correction. This area of research is referred to as
biomedical informatics and is based on the premise that the human body is a data
bank of incredible depth and complexity. It is predicted that by 2015, the average
hospital will have approximately 450 terabytes of patient data consisting of large,
complex images from CT scans, MRIs, and other imaging techniques. However,
only a small fraction of the current medical data has been analyzed, thus opening
huge opportunities for persons trained in data mining. In a case described in the
article, a 7-year-old boy tormented by scabs, blisters, and scars was given a new
lease on life by using data mining techniques to discover a single letter in his faulty
genome.

Defining the Problem: Determining the Effectiveness


of a New Drug Product
The development and testing of the Salk vaccine for protection against poliomy-
elitis (polio) provide an excellent example of how statistics can be used in solving
practical problems. Most parents and children growing up before 1954 can recall
the panic brought on by the outbreak of polio cases during the summer months.
Although relatively few children fell victim to the disease each year, the pattern
of outbreak of polio was unpredictable and caused great concern because of the
possibility of paralysis or death. The fact that very few of today’s youth have even
heard of polio demonstrates the great success of the vaccine and the testing pro-
gram that preceded its release on the market.
It is standard practice in establishing the effectiveness of a particular drug prod-
uct to conduct an experiment (often called a clinical trial) with human partici­pants.
For some clinical trials, assignments of participants are made at random, with half
receiving the drug product and the other half receiving a solution or tablet that does
not contain the medication (called a placebo). One statistical problem concerns the
determination of the total number of participants to be included in the clinical trial.
This problem was particularly important in the testing of the Salk vaccine because
data from previous years suggested that the incidence rate for polio might be less
than 50 cases for every 100,000 children. Hence, a large number of participants had
to be included in the clinical trial in order to detect a difference in the incidence rates
for those treated with the vaccine and those receiving the placebo.
With the assistance of statisticians, it was decided that a total of 400,000
children should be included in the Salk clinical trial begun in 1954, with half of them
randomly assigned the vaccine and the remaining children assigned the placebo. No
other clinical trial had ever been attempted on such a large group of participants.
Through a public school inoculation program, the 400,000 participants were treated
and then observed over the summer to determine the number of ­children contract-
ing polio. Although fewer than 200 cases of polio were reported for the 400,000
participants in the clinical trial, more than three times as many cases appeared in
the group receiving the placebo. These results, together with some statistical cal-
culations, were sufficient to indicate the effectiveness of the Salk polio vaccine.
However, these conclusions would not have been possible if the statisticians and
scientists had not planned for and conducted such a large ­clinical trial.
The development of the Salk vaccine is not an isolated example of the use
of statistics in the testing and development of drug products. In recent years,

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1.3 Some Current Applications of Statistics 11

the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed stringent requirements
on pharmaceutical firms wanting to establish the effectiveness of proposed new
drug products. Thus, statistics has played an important role in the development
and testing of birth control pills, rubella vaccines, chemotherapeutic agents in the
treatment of cancer, and many other preparations.

Defining the Problem: lmproving the Reliability


of Evidence in Criminal Investigations
The National Academy of Sciences released a report (National Research Council,
2009) in which one of the more important findings was the need for applying sta-
tistical methods in the design of studies used to evaluate inferences from evidence
gathered by forensic technicians. The following statement is central to the report:
“Over the last two decades, advances in some forensic science disciplines, espe-
cially the use of DNA technology, have demonstrated that some areas of foren-
sic science have great additional potential to help law enforcement identify
criminals. . . . Those advances, however, also have revealed that, in some cases,
substantive information and testimony based on faulty forensic science analy-
ses may have contributed to wrongful convictions of innocent people. This fact
has demonstrated the potential danger of giving undue weight to evidence and
testimony derived from imperfect testing and analysis.”

There are many sources that may impact the accuracy of conclusions inferred
from the crime scene evidence and presented to a jury by a forensic investigator.
Statistics can play a role in improving forensic analyses. Statistical principles can
be used to identify sources of variation and quantify the size of the impact that
these sources of variation can have on the conclusions reached by the forensic
investigator.
An illustration of the impact of an inappropriately designed study and
statistical analysis on the conclusions reached from the evidence obtained at
a crime scene can be found in Spiegelman et al. (2007). They demonstrate that
the evidence used by the FBI crime lab to support the claim that there was not
a second assassin of President John F. Kennedy was based on a faulty analysis
of the data and an overstatement of the results of a method of forensic testing
called Comparative Bullet Lead Analysis (CBLA). This method applies a chemi-
cal analysis to link a bullet found at a crime scene to the gun that had discharged
the bullet. Based on evidence from chemical analyses of the recovered bullet frag-
ments, the 1979 U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded that all
the bullets striking President Kennedy were fired from Lee Oswald’s rifle. A new
analysis of the bullets using more appropriate statistical analyses demonstrated
that the evidence presented in 1979 was overstated. A case is presented for a new
analysis of the assassination bullet fragments, which may shed light on whether the
five bullet fragments found in the Kennedy assassination are derived from three or
more bullets and not just two bullets, as was presented as the definitive evidence
that Oswald was the sole shooter in the assassination of President Kennedy.

Defining the Problem: Estimating Bowhead Whale


Population Size
Raftery and Zeh (1998) discuss the estimation of the population size and rate of
­increase in bowhead whales, Balaena mysticetus. The importance of such a study
­derives from the fact that bowheads were the first species of great whale for

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12 Chapter 1 Statistics and the Scientific Method

which commercial whaling was stopped; thus, their status indicates the recovery
prospects of other great whales. Also, the International Whaling Commission
uses these estimates to determine the aboriginal subsistence whaling quota for
Alaskan Eskimos. To obtain the necessary data, researchers conducted a visual
and acoustic census off Point Barrow, Alaska. The researchers then applied sta-
tistical models and estimation techniques to the data obtained in the census to
determine whether the bowhead population had increased or decreased since
commercial whaling was stopped. The statistical estimates showed that the
­bowhead popu­lation was increasing at a healthy rate, indicating that stocks of
great whales that have been decimated by commercial hunting can recover after
hunting is ­discontinued.

Defining the Problem: Ozone Exposure


and Population Density
Ambient ozone pollution in urban areas is one of the nation’s most pervasive envi-
ronmental problems. Whereas the decreasing stratospheric ozone layer may lead
to increased instances of skin cancer, high ambient ozone intensity has been shown
to cause damage to the human respiratory system as well as to agricultural crops
and trees. The Houston, Texas, area has ozone concentrations and are rated sec-
ond only to those of Los Angeles. that exceed the National Ambient Air Quality
Standard. Carroll et al. (1997) describe how to analyze the hourly ozone meas-
urements collected in ­Houston from 1980 to 1993 by 9 to 12 monitoring stations.
Besides the ozone level, each station recorded three meteorological variables:
temperature, wind speed, and wind direction.
The statistical aspect of the project had three major goals:
1. Provide information (and/or tools to obtain such information)
about the amount and pattern of missing data as well as about the
quality of the ozone and the meteorological measurements.
2. Build a model of ozone intensity to predict the ozone concentration
at any given location within Houston at any given time between 1980
and 1993.
3. Apply this model to estimate exposure indices that account for
either a long-term exposure or a short-term high-concentration
exposure; also, relate census information to different exposure
indices to achieve population exposure indices.
The spatial–temporal model the researchers built provided estimates dem-
onstrating that the highest ozone levels occurred at locations with relatively small
populations of young children. Also, the model estimated that the exposure of
young children to ozone decreased by approximately 20% from 1980 to 1993. An
examination of the distribution of population exposure had several policy impli-
cations. In particular, it was concluded that the current placement of monitors
is not ideal if one is concerned with assessing population exposure. This project
involved all four components of Learning from Data: planning where the moni-
toring stations should be placed within the city, how often the data should be
collected, and what variables should be recorded; conducting spatial–temporal
graphing of the data; creating spatial–temporal models of the ozone data, mete-
orological data, and demographic data; and, finally, writing a report that could
assist local and federal officials in formulating policy with respect to decreasing
ozone levels.

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1.5 Summary 13

Defining the Problem: Assessing Public Opinion


Public opinion, consumer preference, and election polls are commonly used to
­assess the opinions or preferences of a segment of the public regarding issues,
products, or candidates of interest. We, the American public, are exposed to the
results of these polls daily in newspapers, in magazines, on the internet, on the
radio, and on television. For example, the results of polls related to the following
subjects were printed in local newspapers:
●● Public confidence in the potential for job growth in the coming year
●● Reactions of Texas residents to the state legislature’s failure to expand
Medicaid coverage
●● Voters’ preferences for tea party candidates in the fall congressional
elections
●● Attitudes toward increasing the gasoline tax in order to increase
funding for road construction and maintenance
●● Product preference polls related to specific products (Toyota vs. Ford,
DirecTV vs. Comcast, Dell vs. Apple, Subway vs. McDonald’s)
●● Public opinion on a national immigration policy
A number of questions can be raised about polls. Suppose we consider a poll
on the public’s opinion on a proposed income tax increase in the state of Michigan.
What was the population of interest to the pollster? Was the pollster i­nterested in
all residents of Michigan or just those citizens who currently pay income taxes?
Was the sample in fact selected from this population? If the population of interest
was all persons currently paying income taxes, did the pollster make sure that all
the individuals sampled were current taxpayers? What questions were asked and
how were the questions phrased? Was each person asked the same question? Were
the questions phrased in such a manner as to bias the responses? Can we believe
the results of these polls? Do these results “represent’’ how the general public
currently feels about the issues raised in the polls?
Opinion and preference polls are an important, visible application of statis-
tics for the consumer. We will discuss this topic in more detail in Chapters 2 and
10. We hope that after studying this material you will have a better understanding
of how to interpret the results of these polls.

1.4 A Note to the Student


We think with words and concepts. A study of the discipline of statistics requires
us to memorize new terms and concepts (as does the study of a foreign language).
Commit these definitions, theorems, and concepts to memory.
Also, focus on the broader concept of making sense of data. Do not let details
obscure these broader characteristics of the subject. The teaching objective of this
text is to identify and amplify these broader concepts of statistics.

1.5 Summary
The discipline of statistics and those who apply the tools of that discipline deal
with Learning from Data. Medical researchers, social scientists, accountants,
agronomists, consumers, government leaders, and professional statisticians are all
involved with data collection, data summarization, data analysis, and the effective
communication of the results of data analysis.

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
14 Chapter 1 Statistics and the Scientific Method

1.6 Exercises
1.1 Introduction
Bio. 1.1 H ­ ansen (2006) describes a study to assess the migration and survival of salmon released
from fish farms located in Norway. The mingling of escaped farmed salmon with wild salmon
raises several concerns. First, the assessment of the abundance of wild salmon stocks will be
biased if there is a presence of large numbers of farmed salmon. Second, potential interbreed-
ing between farmed and wild salmon may result in a reduction in the health of the wild stocks.
Third, diseases present in farmed salmon may be transferred to wild salmon. Two batches of
farmed salmon were tagged and released in two locations, one batch of 1,996 fish in northern
Norway and a second batch of 2,499 fish in southern Norway. The researchers recorded the
time and location at which the fish were captured by either commercial fisherman or anglers
in fresh water. Two of the most important pieces of information to be determined by the
study were the distance from the point of the fish’s release to the point of its capture and the
length of time it took for the fish to be captured.
a. Identify the population that is of interest to the researchers.
b. Describe the sample.
c. What characteristics of the population are of interest to the researchers?
d. If the sample measurements are used to make inferences about the population
characteristics, why is a measure of reliability of the inferences important?
Env. 1.2 During 2012, Texas had listed on FracFocus, an industry fracking disclosure site, nearly
6,000 oil and gas wells in which the fracking methodology was used to extract natural gas.
Fontenot et al. (2013 ) reports on a study of 100 private water wells in or near the Barnett Shale
in Texas. There were 91 private wells located within 5 km of an active gas well using fracking, 4
private wells with no gas wells located within a 14 km radius, and 5 wells outside of the Barnett
Shale with no gas well located with a 60 km radius. They found that there were elevated levels
of potential contaminants such as arsenic and selenium in the 91 wells closest to natural gas
extraction sites compared to the 9 wells that were at least 14 km away from an active gas well
using the £racking technique to extract natural gas.
a. Identify the population that is of interest to the researchers.
b. Describe the sample.
c. What characteristics of the population are of interest to the researchers?
d. If the sample measurements are used to make inferences about the population
characteristics, why is a measure of reliability of the inferences important?
Soc. 1.3 In 2014, Congress cut $8.7 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP), more commonly referred to as food stamps. The rationale for the decrease is that
providing assistance to people will result in the next generation of citizens being more depend-
ent on the government for support. Hoynes (2012) describes a study to evaluate this claim. The
study examines 60,782 families over the time period of 1968 to 2009 which is subsequent to the
introduction of the Food Stamp Program in 1961. This study examines the impact of a posi-
tive and policy-driven change in economic resources available in utero and during childhood
on the economic health of individuals in adulthood. The study assembled data linking family
background in early childhood to adult health and economic outcomes. The study concluded
that the Food Stamp Program has effects decades after initial exposure. Specifically, access
to food stamps in childhood leads to a significant reduction in the incidence of metabolic
syndrome (obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes) and, for women, an increase in eco-
nomic self-sufficiency. Overall, the results suggest substantial internal and external benefits
of SNAP.
a. Identify the population that is of interest to the researchers.
b. Describe the sample.
c. What characteristics of the population are of interest to the researchers?
d. If the sample measurements are used to make inferences about the population
characteristics, why is a measure of reliability of the inferences important?

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1.6 Exercises 15

Med. 1.4 Of all sports, football accounts for the highest incidence of concussion in the United States
due to the large number of athletes participating and the nature of the sport. While there is gen-
eral agreement that concussion incidence can be reduced by making rule changes and teaching
proper tackling technique, there remains debate as to whether helmet design may also reduce the
incidence of concussion. Rowson et al. (2014) report on a retrospective analysis of head impact
data collected between 2005 and 2010 from eight collegiate football teams. Concussion rates for
players wearing two types of helmets, Riddell VSR4 and Riddell Revolution, were compared. A
total of 1,281,444 head impacts were recorded, from which 64 concussions were diagnosed. The
relative risk of sustaining a concussion in a Revolution helmet compared with a VSR4 helmet
was 46.1%. This study illustrates that differences in the ability to reduce concussion risk exist
between helmet models in football. Although helmet design may never prevent all concussions
from occurring in football, evidence illustrates that it can reduce the incidence of this injury.
a. Identify the population that is of interest to the researchers.
b. Describe the sample.
c. What characteristics of the population are of interest to the researchers?
d. If the sample measurements are used to make inferences about the population
characteristics, why is a measure of reliability of the inferences important?
Pol. Sci. 1.5 During the 2004 senatorial campaign in a large southwestern state, illegal immigration was
a major issue. One of the candidates argued that illegal immigrants made use of educational
and social services without having to pay property taxes. The other candidate pointed out that
the cost of new homes in their state was 20–30% less than the national average due to the low
wages received by the large number of illegal immigrants working on new home construction. A
random sample of 5,500 registered voters was asked the question, “Are illegal immigrants gen-
erally a benefit or a liability to the state’s economy?” The results were as follows: 3,500 people
responded “liability,” 1,500 people responded “benefit,” and 500 people responded “uncertain.”
a. What is the population of interest?
b. What is the population from which the sample was selected?
c. Does the sample adequately represent the population?
d. If a second random sample of 5,000 registered voters was selected, would the
results be nearly the same as the results obtained from the initial sample of
5,000 voters? Explain your answer.
Edu. 1.6 An American history professor at a major university was interested in knowing the history
literacy of college freshmen. In particular, he wanted to find what proportion of college freshmen
at the university knew which country controlled the original 13 colonies prior to the American
Revolution. The professor sent a questionnaire to all freshman students enrolled in HIST 101 and
received responses from 318 students out of the 7,500 students who were sent the questionnaire.
One of the questions was “What country controlled the original 13 colonies prior to the American
Revolution?”
a. What is the population of interest to the professor?
b. What is the sampled population?
c. Is there a major difference in the two populations. Explain your answer.
d. Suppose that several lectures on the American Revolution had been given in
HIST 101 prior to the students receiving the questionnaire. What possible source
of bias has the professor introduced into the study relative to the population of
interest?

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PART 2

Collecting Data

U sing
Chapter 2  Surveys and Ex perim ental Studi es
to G ather Data

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DANCE ON STILTS AT THE GIRLS’ UNYAGO, NIUCHI

Newala, too, suffers from the distance of its water-supply—at least


the Newala of to-day does; there was once another Newala in a lovely
valley at the foot of the plateau. I visited it and found scarcely a trace
of houses, only a Christian cemetery, with the graves of several
missionaries and their converts, remaining as a monument of its
former glories. But the surroundings are wonderfully beautiful. A
thick grove of splendid mango-trees closes in the weather-worn
crosses and headstones; behind them, combining the useful and the
agreeable, is a whole plantation of lemon-trees covered with ripe
fruit; not the small African kind, but a much larger and also juicier
imported variety, which drops into the hands of the passing traveller,
without calling for any exertion on his part. Old Newala is now under
the jurisdiction of the native pastor, Daudi, at Chingulungulu, who,
as I am on very friendly terms with him, allows me, as a matter of
course, the use of this lemon-grove during my stay at Newala.
FEET MUTILATED BY THE RAVAGES OF THE “JIGGER”
(Sarcopsylla penetrans)

The water-supply of New Newala is in the bottom of the valley,


some 1,600 feet lower down. The way is not only long and fatiguing,
but the water, when we get it, is thoroughly bad. We are suffering not
only from this, but from the fact that the arrangements at Newala are
nothing short of luxurious. We have a separate kitchen—a hut built
against the boma palisade on the right of the baraza, the interior of
which is not visible from our usual position. Our two cooks were not
long in finding this out, and they consequently do—or rather neglect
to do—what they please. In any case they do not seem to be very
particular about the boiling of our drinking-water—at least I can
attribute to no other cause certain attacks of a dysenteric nature,
from which both Knudsen and I have suffered for some time. If a
man like Omari has to be left unwatched for a moment, he is capable
of anything. Besides this complaint, we are inconvenienced by the
state of our nails, which have become as hard as glass, and crack on
the slightest provocation, and I have the additional infliction of
pimples all over me. As if all this were not enough, we have also, for
the last week been waging war against the jigger, who has found his
Eldorado in the hot sand of the Makonde plateau. Our men are seen
all day long—whenever their chronic colds and the dysentery likewise
raging among them permit—occupied in removing this scourge of
Africa from their feet and trying to prevent the disastrous
consequences of its presence. It is quite common to see natives of
this place with one or two toes missing; many have lost all their toes,
or even the whole front part of the foot, so that a well-formed leg
ends in a shapeless stump. These ravages are caused by the female of
Sarcopsylla penetrans, which bores its way under the skin and there
develops an egg-sac the size of a pea. In all books on the subject, it is
stated that one’s attention is called to the presence of this parasite by
an intolerable itching. This agrees very well with my experience, so
far as the softer parts of the sole, the spaces between and under the
toes, and the side of the foot are concerned, but if the creature
penetrates through the harder parts of the heel or ball of the foot, it
may escape even the most careful search till it has reached maturity.
Then there is no time to be lost, if the horrible ulceration, of which
we see cases by the dozen every day, is to be prevented. It is much
easier, by the way, to discover the insect on the white skin of a
European than on that of a native, on which the dark speck scarcely
shows. The four or five jiggers which, in spite of the fact that I
constantly wore high laced boots, chose my feet to settle in, were
taken out for me by the all-accomplished Knudsen, after which I
thought it advisable to wash out the cavities with corrosive
sublimate. The natives have a different sort of disinfectant—they fill
the hole with scraped roots. In a tiny Makua village on the slope of
the plateau south of Newala, we saw an old woman who had filled all
the spaces under her toe-nails with powdered roots by way of
prophylactic treatment. What will be the result, if any, who can say?
The rest of the many trifling ills which trouble our existence are
really more comic than serious. In the absence of anything else to
smoke, Knudsen and I at last opened a box of cigars procured from
the Indian store-keeper at Lindi, and tried them, with the most
distressing results. Whether they contain opium or some other
narcotic, neither of us can say, but after the tenth puff we were both
“off,” three-quarters stupefied and unspeakably wretched. Slowly we
recovered—and what happened next? Half-an-hour later we were
once more smoking these poisonous concoctions—so insatiable is the
craving for tobacco in the tropics.
Even my present attacks of fever scarcely deserve to be taken
seriously. I have had no less than three here at Newala, all of which
have run their course in an incredibly short time. In the early
afternoon, I am busy with my old natives, asking questions and
making notes. The strong midday coffee has stimulated my spirits to
an extraordinary degree, the brain is active and vigorous, and work
progresses rapidly, while a pleasant warmth pervades the whole
body. Suddenly this gives place to a violent chill, forcing me to put on
my overcoat, though it is only half-past three and the afternoon sun
is at its hottest. Now the brain no longer works with such acuteness
and logical precision; more especially does it fail me in trying to
establish the syntax of the difficult Makua language on which I have
ventured, as if I had not enough to do without it. Under the
circumstances it seems advisable to take my temperature, and I do
so, to save trouble, without leaving my seat, and while going on with
my work. On examination, I find it to be 101·48°. My tutors are
abruptly dismissed and my bed set up in the baraza; a few minutes
later I am in it and treating myself internally with hot water and
lemon-juice.
Three hours later, the thermometer marks nearly 104°, and I make
them carry me back into the tent, bed and all, as I am now perspiring
heavily, and exposure to the cold wind just beginning to blow might
mean a fatal chill. I lie still for a little while, and then find, to my
great relief, that the temperature is not rising, but rather falling. This
is about 7.30 p.m. At 8 p.m. I find, to my unbounded astonishment,
that it has fallen below 98·6°, and I feel perfectly well. I read for an
hour or two, and could very well enjoy a smoke, if I had the
wherewithal—Indian cigars being out of the question.
Having no medical training, I am at a loss to account for this state
of things. It is impossible that these transitory attacks of high fever
should be malarial; it seems more probable that they are due to a
kind of sunstroke. On consulting my note-book, I become more and
more inclined to think this is the case, for these attacks regularly
follow extreme fatigue and long exposure to strong sunshine. They at
least have the advantage of being only short interruptions to my
work, as on the following morning I am always quite fresh and fit.
My treasure of a cook is suffering from an enormous hydrocele which
makes it difficult for him to get up, and Moritz is obliged to keep in
the dark on account of his inflamed eyes. Knudsen’s cook, a raw boy
from somewhere in the bush, knows still less of cooking than Omari;
consequently Nils Knudsen himself has been promoted to the vacant
post. Finding that we had come to the end of our supplies, he began
by sending to Chingulungulu for the four sucking-pigs which we had
bought from Matola and temporarily left in his charge; and when
they came up, neatly packed in a large crate, he callously slaughtered
the biggest of them. The first joint we were thoughtless enough to
entrust for roasting to Knudsen’s mshenzi cook, and it was
consequently uneatable; but we made the rest of the animal into a
jelly which we ate with great relish after weeks of underfeeding,
consuming incredible helpings of it at both midday and evening
meals. The only drawback is a certain want of variety in the tinned
vegetables. Dr. Jäger, to whom the Geographical Commission
entrusted the provisioning of the expeditions—mine as well as his
own—because he had more time on his hands than the rest of us,
seems to have laid in a huge stock of Teltow turnips,[46] an article of
food which is all very well for occasional use, but which quickly palls
when set before one every day; and we seem to have no other tins
left. There is no help for it—we must put up with the turnips; but I
am certain that, once I am home again, I shall not touch them for ten
years to come.
Amid all these minor evils, which, after all, go to make up the
genuine flavour of Africa, there is at least one cheering touch:
Knudsen has, with the dexterity of a skilled mechanic, repaired my 9
× 12 cm. camera, at least so far that I can use it with a little care.
How, in the absence of finger-nails, he was able to accomplish such a
ticklish piece of work, having no tool but a clumsy screw-driver for
taking to pieces and putting together again the complicated
mechanism of the instantaneous shutter, is still a mystery to me; but
he did it successfully. The loss of his finger-nails shows him in a light
contrasting curiously enough with the intelligence evinced by the
above operation; though, after all, it is scarcely surprising after his
ten years’ residence in the bush. One day, at Lindi, he had occasion
to wash a dog, which must have been in need of very thorough
cleansing, for the bottle handed to our friend for the purpose had an
extremely strong smell. Having performed his task in the most
conscientious manner, he perceived with some surprise that the dog
did not appear much the better for it, and was further surprised by
finding his own nails ulcerating away in the course of the next few
days. “How was I to know that carbolic acid has to be diluted?” he
mutters indignantly, from time to time, with a troubled gaze at his
mutilated finger-tips.
Since we came to Newala we have been making excursions in all
directions through the surrounding country, in accordance with old
habit, and also because the akida Sefu did not get together the tribal
elders from whom I wanted information so speedily as he had
promised. There is, however, no harm done, as, even if seen only
from the outside, the country and people are interesting enough.
The Makonde plateau is like a large rectangular table rounded off
at the corners. Measured from the Indian Ocean to Newala, it is
about seventy-five miles long, and between the Rovuma and the
Lukuledi it averages fifty miles in breadth, so that its superficial area
is about two-thirds of that of the kingdom of Saxony. The surface,
however, is not level, but uniformly inclined from its south-western
edge to the ocean. From the upper edge, on which Newala lies, the
eye ranges for many miles east and north-east, without encountering
any obstacle, over the Makonde bush. It is a green sea, from which
here and there thick clouds of smoke rise, to show that it, too, is
inhabited by men who carry on their tillage like so many other
primitive peoples, by cutting down and burning the bush, and
manuring with the ashes. Even in the radiant light of a tropical day
such a fire is a grand sight.
Much less effective is the impression produced just now by the
great western plain as seen from the edge of the plateau. As often as
time permits, I stroll along this edge, sometimes in one direction,
sometimes in another, in the hope of finding the air clear enough to
let me enjoy the view; but I have always been disappointed.
Wherever one looks, clouds of smoke rise from the burning bush,
and the air is full of smoke and vapour. It is a pity, for under more
favourable circumstances the panorama of the whole country up to
the distant Majeje hills must be truly magnificent. It is of little use
taking photographs now, and an outline sketch gives a very poor idea
of the scenery. In one of these excursions I went out of my way to
make a personal attempt on the Makonde bush. The present edge of
the plateau is the result of a far-reaching process of destruction
through erosion and denudation. The Makonde strata are
everywhere cut into by ravines, which, though short, are hundreds of
yards in depth. In consequence of the loose stratification of these
beds, not only are the walls of these ravines nearly vertical, but their
upper end is closed by an equally steep escarpment, so that the
western edge of the Makonde plateau is hemmed in by a series of
deep, basin-like valleys. In order to get from one side of such a ravine
to the other, I cut my way through the bush with a dozen of my men.
It was a very open part, with more grass than scrub, but even so the
short stretch of less than two hundred yards was very hard work; at
the end of it the men’s calicoes were in rags and they themselves
bleeding from hundreds of scratches, while even our strong khaki
suits had not escaped scatheless.

NATIVE PATH THROUGH THE MAKONDE BUSH, NEAR


MAHUTA

I see increasing reason to believe that the view formed some time
back as to the origin of the Makonde bush is the correct one. I have
no doubt that it is not a natural product, but the result of human
occupation. Those parts of the high country where man—as a very
slight amount of practice enables the eye to perceive at once—has not
yet penetrated with axe and hoe, are still occupied by a splendid
timber forest quite able to sustain a comparison with our mixed
forests in Germany. But wherever man has once built his hut or tilled
his field, this horrible bush springs up. Every phase of this process
may be seen in the course of a couple of hours’ walk along the main
road. From the bush to right or left, one hears the sound of the axe—
not from one spot only, but from several directions at once. A few
steps further on, we can see what is taking place. The brush has been
cut down and piled up in heaps to the height of a yard or more,
between which the trunks of the large trees stand up like the last
pillars of a magnificent ruined building. These, too, present a
melancholy spectacle: the destructive Makonde have ringed them—
cut a broad strip of bark all round to ensure their dying off—and also
piled up pyramids of brush round them. Father and son, mother and
son-in-law, are chopping away perseveringly in the background—too
busy, almost, to look round at the white stranger, who usually excites
so much interest. If you pass by the same place a week later, the piles
of brushwood have disappeared and a thick layer of ashes has taken
the place of the green forest. The large trees stretch their
smouldering trunks and branches in dumb accusation to heaven—if
they have not already fallen and been more or less reduced to ashes,
perhaps only showing as a white stripe on the dark ground.
This work of destruction is carried out by the Makonde alike on the
virgin forest and on the bush which has sprung up on sites already
cultivated and deserted. In the second case they are saved the trouble
of burning the large trees, these being entirely absent in the
secondary bush.
After burning this piece of forest ground and loosening it with the
hoe, the native sows his corn and plants his vegetables. All over the
country, he goes in for bed-culture, which requires, and, in fact,
receives, the most careful attention. Weeds are nowhere tolerated in
the south of German East Africa. The crops may fail on the plains,
where droughts are frequent, but never on the plateau with its
abundant rains and heavy dews. Its fortunate inhabitants even have
the satisfaction of seeing the proud Wayao and Wamakua working
for them as labourers, driven by hunger to serve where they were
accustomed to rule.
But the light, sandy soil is soon exhausted, and would yield no
harvest the second year if cultivated twice running. This fact has
been familiar to the native for ages; consequently he provides in
time, and, while his crop is growing, prepares the next plot with axe
and firebrand. Next year he plants this with his various crops and
lets the first piece lie fallow. For a short time it remains waste and
desolate; then nature steps in to repair the destruction wrought by
man; a thousand new growths spring out of the exhausted soil, and
even the old stumps put forth fresh shoots. Next year the new growth
is up to one’s knees, and in a few years more it is that terrible,
impenetrable bush, which maintains its position till the black
occupier of the land has made the round of all the available sites and
come back to his starting point.
The Makonde are, body and soul, so to speak, one with this bush.
According to my Yao informants, indeed, their name means nothing
else but “bush people.” Their own tradition says that they have been
settled up here for a very long time, but to my surprise they laid great
stress on an original immigration. Their old homes were in the
south-east, near Mikindani and the mouth of the Rovuma, whence
their peaceful forefathers were driven by the continual raids of the
Sakalavas from Madagascar and the warlike Shirazis[47] of the coast,
to take refuge on the almost inaccessible plateau. I have studied
African ethnology for twenty years, but the fact that changes of
population in this apparently quiet and peaceable corner of the earth
could have been occasioned by outside enterprises taking place on
the high seas, was completely new to me. It is, no doubt, however,
correct.
The charming tribal legend of the Makonde—besides informing us
of other interesting matters—explains why they have to live in the
thickest of the bush and a long way from the edge of the plateau,
instead of making their permanent homes beside the purling brooks
and springs of the low country.
“The place where the tribe originated is Mahuta, on the southern
side of the plateau towards the Rovuma, where of old time there was
nothing but thick bush. Out of this bush came a man who never
washed himself or shaved his head, and who ate and drank but little.
He went out and made a human figure from the wood of a tree
growing in the open country, which he took home to his abode in the
bush and there set it upright. In the night this image came to life and
was a woman. The man and woman went down together to the
Rovuma to wash themselves. Here the woman gave birth to a still-
born child. They left that place and passed over the high land into the
valley of the Mbemkuru, where the woman had another child, which
was also born dead. Then they returned to the high bush country of
Mahuta, where the third child was born, which lived and grew up. In
course of time, the couple had many more children, and called
themselves Wamatanda. These were the ancestral stock of the
Makonde, also called Wamakonde,[48] i.e., aborigines. Their
forefather, the man from the bush, gave his children the command to
bury their dead upright, in memory of the mother of their race who
was cut out of wood and awoke to life when standing upright. He also
warned them against settling in the valleys and near large streams,
for sickness and death dwelt there. They were to make it a rule to
have their huts at least an hour’s walk from the nearest watering-
place; then their children would thrive and escape illness.”
The explanation of the name Makonde given by my informants is
somewhat different from that contained in the above legend, which I
extract from a little book (small, but packed with information), by
Pater Adams, entitled Lindi und sein Hinterland. Otherwise, my
results agree exactly with the statements of the legend. Washing?
Hapana—there is no such thing. Why should they do so? As it is, the
supply of water scarcely suffices for cooking and drinking; other
people do not wash, so why should the Makonde distinguish himself
by such needless eccentricity? As for shaving the head, the short,
woolly crop scarcely needs it,[49] so the second ancestral precept is
likewise easy enough to follow. Beyond this, however, there is
nothing ridiculous in the ancestor’s advice. I have obtained from
various local artists a fairly large number of figures carved in wood,
ranging from fifteen to twenty-three inches in height, and
representing women belonging to the great group of the Mavia,
Makonde, and Matambwe tribes. The carving is remarkably well
done and renders the female type with great accuracy, especially the
keloid ornamentation, to be described later on. As to the object and
meaning of their works the sculptors either could or (more probably)
would tell me nothing, and I was forced to content myself with the
scanty information vouchsafed by one man, who said that the figures
were merely intended to represent the nembo—the artificial
deformations of pelele, ear-discs, and keloids. The legend recorded
by Pater Adams places these figures in a new light. They must surely
be more than mere dolls; and we may even venture to assume that
they are—though the majority of present-day Makonde are probably
unaware of the fact—representations of the tribal ancestress.
The references in the legend to the descent from Mahuta to the
Rovuma, and to a journey across the highlands into the Mbekuru
valley, undoubtedly indicate the previous history of the tribe, the
travels of the ancestral pair typifying the migrations of their
descendants. The descent to the neighbouring Rovuma valley, with
its extraordinary fertility and great abundance of game, is intelligible
at a glance—but the crossing of the Lukuledi depression, the ascent
to the Rondo Plateau and the descent to the Mbemkuru, also lie
within the bounds of probability, for all these districts have exactly
the same character as the extreme south. Now, however, comes a
point of especial interest for our bacteriological age. The primitive
Makonde did not enjoy their lives in the marshy river-valleys.
Disease raged among them, and many died. It was only after they
had returned to their original home near Mahuta, that the health
conditions of these people improved. We are very apt to think of the
African as a stupid person whose ignorance of nature is only equalled
by his fear of it, and who looks on all mishaps as caused by evil
spirits and malignant natural powers. It is much more correct to
assume in this case that the people very early learnt to distinguish
districts infested with malaria from those where it is absent.
This knowledge is crystallized in the
ancestral warning against settling in the
valleys and near the great waters, the
dwelling-places of disease and death. At the
same time, for security against the hostile
Mavia south of the Rovuma, it was enacted
that every settlement must be not less than a
certain distance from the southern edge of the
plateau. Such in fact is their mode of life at the
present day. It is not such a bad one, and
certainly they are both safer and more
comfortable than the Makua, the recent
intruders from the south, who have made USUAL METHOD OF
good their footing on the western edge of the CLOSING HUT-DOOR
plateau, extending over a fairly wide belt of
country. Neither Makua nor Makonde show in their dwellings
anything of the size and comeliness of the Yao houses in the plain,
especially at Masasi, Chingulungulu and Zuza’s. Jumbe Chauro, a
Makonde hamlet not far from Newala, on the road to Mahuta, is the
most important settlement of the tribe I have yet seen, and has fairly
spacious huts. But how slovenly is their construction compared with
the palatial residences of the elephant-hunters living in the plain.
The roofs are still more untidy than in the general run of huts during
the dry season, the walls show here and there the scanty beginnings
or the lamentable remains of the mud plastering, and the interior is a
veritable dog-kennel; dirt, dust and disorder everywhere. A few huts
only show any attempt at division into rooms, and this consists
merely of very roughly-made bamboo partitions. In one point alone
have I noticed any indication of progress—in the method of fastening
the door. Houses all over the south are secured in a simple but
ingenious manner. The door consists of a set of stout pieces of wood
or bamboo, tied with bark-string to two cross-pieces, and moving in
two grooves round one of the door-posts, so as to open inwards. If
the owner wishes to leave home, he takes two logs as thick as a man’s
upper arm and about a yard long. One of these is placed obliquely
against the middle of the door from the inside, so as to form an angle
of from 60° to 75° with the ground. He then places the second piece
horizontally across the first, pressing it downward with all his might.
It is kept in place by two strong posts planted in the ground a few
inches inside the door. This fastening is absolutely safe, but of course
cannot be applied to both doors at once, otherwise how could the
owner leave or enter his house? I have not yet succeeded in finding
out how the back door is fastened.

MAKONDE LOCK AND KEY AT JUMBE CHAURO


This is the general way of closing a house. The Makonde at Jumbe
Chauro, however, have a much more complicated, solid and original
one. Here, too, the door is as already described, except that there is
only one post on the inside, standing by itself about six inches from
one side of the doorway. Opposite this post is a hole in the wall just
large enough to admit a man’s arm. The door is closed inside by a
large wooden bolt passing through a hole in this post and pressing
with its free end against the door. The other end has three holes into
which fit three pegs running in vertical grooves inside the post. The
door is opened with a wooden key about a foot long, somewhat
curved and sloped off at the butt; the other end has three pegs
corresponding to the holes, in the bolt, so that, when it is thrust
through the hole in the wall and inserted into the rectangular
opening in the post, the pegs can be lifted and the bolt drawn out.[50]

MODE OF INSERTING THE KEY

With no small pride first one householder and then a second


showed me on the spot the action of this greatest invention of the
Makonde Highlands. To both with an admiring exclamation of
“Vizuri sana!” (“Very fine!”). I expressed the wish to take back these
marvels with me to Ulaya, to show the Wazungu what clever fellows
the Makonde are. Scarcely five minutes after my return to camp at
Newala, the two men came up sweating under the weight of two
heavy logs which they laid down at my feet, handing over at the same
time the keys of the fallen fortress. Arguing, logically enough, that if
the key was wanted, the lock would be wanted with it, they had taken
their axes and chopped down the posts—as it never occurred to them
to dig them out of the ground and so bring them intact. Thus I have
two badly damaged specimens, and the owners, instead of praise,
come in for a blowing-up.
The Makua huts in the environs of Newala are especially
miserable; their more than slovenly construction reminds one of the
temporary erections of the Makua at Hatia’s, though the people here
have not been concerned in a war. It must therefore be due to
congenital idleness, or else to the absence of a powerful chief. Even
the baraza at Mlipa’s, a short hour’s walk south-east of Newala,
shares in this general neglect. While public buildings in this country
are usually looked after more or less carefully, this is in evident
danger of being blown over by the first strong easterly gale. The only
attractive object in this whole district is the grave of the late chief
Mlipa. I visited it in the morning, while the sun was still trying with
partial success to break through the rolling mists, and the circular
grove of tall euphorbias, which, with a broken pot, is all that marks
the old king’s resting-place, impressed one with a touch of pathos.
Even my very materially-minded carriers seemed to feel something
of the sort, for instead of their usual ribald songs, they chanted
solemnly, as we marched on through the dense green of the Makonde
bush:—
“We shall arrive with the great master; we stand in a row and have
no fear about getting our food and our money from the Serkali (the
Government). We are not afraid; we are going along with the great
master, the lion; we are going down to the coast and back.”
With regard to the characteristic features of the various tribes here
on the western edge of the plateau, I can arrive at no other
conclusion than the one already come to in the plain, viz., that it is
impossible for anyone but a trained anthropologist to assign any
given individual at once to his proper tribe. In fact, I think that even
an anthropological specialist, after the most careful examination,
might find it a difficult task to decide. The whole congeries of peoples
collected in the region bounded on the west by the great Central
African rift, Tanganyika and Nyasa, and on the east by the Indian
Ocean, are closely related to each other—some of their languages are
only distinguished from one another as dialects of the same speech,
and no doubt all the tribes present the same shape of skull and
structure of skeleton. Thus, surely, there can be no very striking
differences in outward appearance.
Even did such exist, I should have no time
to concern myself with them, for day after day,
I have to see or hear, as the case may be—in
any case to grasp and record—an
extraordinary number of ethnographic
phenomena. I am almost disposed to think it
fortunate that some departments of inquiry, at
least, are barred by external circumstances.
Chief among these is the subject of iron-
working. We are apt to think of Africa as a
country where iron ore is everywhere, so to
speak, to be picked up by the roadside, and
where it would be quite surprising if the
inhabitants had not learnt to smelt the
material ready to their hand. In fact, the
knowledge of this art ranges all over the
continent, from the Kabyles in the north to the
Kafirs in the south. Here between the Rovuma
and the Lukuledi the conditions are not so
favourable. According to the statements of the
Makonde, neither ironstone nor any other
form of iron ore is known to them. They have
not therefore advanced to the art of smelting
the metal, but have hitherto bought all their
THE ANCESTRESS OF
THE MAKONDE
iron implements from neighbouring tribes.
Even in the plain the inhabitants are not much
better off. Only one man now living is said to
understand the art of smelting iron. This old fundi lives close to
Huwe, that isolated, steep-sided block of granite which rises out of
the green solitude between Masasi and Chingulungulu, and whose
jagged and splintered top meets the traveller’s eye everywhere. While
still at Masasi I wished to see this man at work, but was told that,
frightened by the rising, he had retired across the Rovuma, though
he would soon return. All subsequent inquiries as to whether the
fundi had come back met with the genuine African answer, “Bado”
(“Not yet”).
BRAZIER

Some consolation was afforded me by a brassfounder, whom I


came across in the bush near Akundonde’s. This man is the favourite
of women, and therefore no doubt of the gods; he welds the glittering
brass rods purchased at the coast into those massive, heavy rings
which, on the wrists and ankles of the local fair ones, continually give
me fresh food for admiration. Like every decent master-craftsman he
had all his tools with him, consisting of a pair of bellows, three
crucibles and a hammer—nothing more, apparently. He was quite
willing to show his skill, and in a twinkling had fixed his bellows on
the ground. They are simply two goat-skins, taken off whole, the four
legs being closed by knots, while the upper opening, intended to
admit the air, is kept stretched by two pieces of wood. At the lower
end of the skin a smaller opening is left into which a wooden tube is
stuck. The fundi has quickly borrowed a heap of wood-embers from
the nearest hut; he then fixes the free ends of the two tubes into an
earthen pipe, and clamps them to the ground by means of a bent
piece of wood. Now he fills one of his small clay crucibles, the dross
on which shows that they have been long in use, with the yellow
material, places it in the midst of the embers, which, at present are
only faintly glimmering, and begins his work. In quick alternation
the smith’s two hands move up and down with the open ends of the
bellows; as he raises his hand he holds the slit wide open, so as to let
the air enter the skin bag unhindered. In pressing it down he closes
the bag, and the air puffs through the bamboo tube and clay pipe into
the fire, which quickly burns up. The smith, however, does not keep
on with this work, but beckons to another man, who relieves him at
the bellows, while he takes some more tools out of a large skin pouch
carried on his back. I look on in wonder as, with a smooth round
stick about the thickness of a finger, he bores a few vertical holes into
the clean sand of the soil. This should not be difficult, yet the man
seems to be taking great pains over it. Then he fastens down to the
ground, with a couple of wooden clamps, a neat little trough made by
splitting a joint of bamboo in half, so that the ends are closed by the
two knots. At last the yellow metal has attained the right consistency,
and the fundi lifts the crucible from the fire by means of two sticks
split at the end to serve as tongs. A short swift turn to the left—a
tilting of the crucible—and the molten brass, hissing and giving forth
clouds of smoke, flows first into the bamboo mould and then into the
holes in the ground.
The technique of this backwoods craftsman may not be very far
advanced, but it cannot be denied that he knows how to obtain an
adequate result by the simplest means. The ladies of highest rank in
this country—that is to say, those who can afford it, wear two kinds
of these massive brass rings, one cylindrical, the other semicircular
in section. The latter are cast in the most ingenious way in the
bamboo mould, the former in the circular hole in the sand. It is quite
a simple matter for the fundi to fit these bars to the limbs of his fair
customers; with a few light strokes of his hammer he bends the
pliable brass round arm or ankle without further inconvenience to
the wearer.
SHAPING THE POT

SMOOTHING WITH MAIZE-COB

CUTTING THE EDGE


FINISHING THE BOTTOM

LAST SMOOTHING BEFORE


BURNING

FIRING THE BRUSH-PILE


LIGHTING THE FARTHER SIDE OF
THE PILE

TURNING THE RED-HOT VESSEL

NYASA WOMAN MAKING POTS AT MASASI


Pottery is an art which must always and everywhere excite the
interest of the student, just because it is so intimately connected with
the development of human culture, and because its relics are one of
the principal factors in the reconstruction of our own condition in
prehistoric times. I shall always remember with pleasure the two or
three afternoons at Masasi when Salim Matola’s mother, a slightly-
built, graceful, pleasant-looking woman, explained to me with
touching patience, by means of concrete illustrations, the ceramic art
of her people. The only implements for this primitive process were a
lump of clay in her left hand, and in the right a calabash containing
the following valuables: the fragment of a maize-cob stripped of all
its grains, a smooth, oval pebble, about the size of a pigeon’s egg, a
few chips of gourd-shell, a bamboo splinter about the length of one’s
hand, a small shell, and a bunch of some herb resembling spinach.
Nothing more. The woman scraped with the
shell a round, shallow hole in the soft, fine
sand of the soil, and, when an active young
girl had filled the calabash with water for her,
she began to knead the clay. As if by magic it
gradually assumed the shape of a rough but
already well-shaped vessel, which only wanted
a little touching up with the instruments
before mentioned. I looked out with the
MAKUA WOMAN closest attention for any indication of the use
MAKING A POT. of the potter’s wheel, in however rudimentary
SHOWS THE a form, but no—hapana (there is none). The
BEGINNINGS OF THE embryo pot stood firmly in its little
POTTER’S WHEEL
depression, and the woman walked round it in
a stooping posture, whether she was removing
small stones or similar foreign bodies with the maize-cob, smoothing
the inner or outer surface with the splinter of bamboo, or later, after
letting it dry for a day, pricking in the ornamentation with a pointed
bit of gourd-shell, or working out the bottom, or cutting the edge
with a sharp bamboo knife, or giving the last touches to the finished
vessel. This occupation of the women is infinitely toilsome, but it is
without doubt an accurate reproduction of the process in use among
our ancestors of the Neolithic and Bronze ages.
There is no doubt that the invention of pottery, an item in human
progress whose importance cannot be over-estimated, is due to
women. Rough, coarse and unfeeling, the men of the horde range
over the countryside. When the united cunning of the hunters has
succeeded in killing the game; not one of them thinks of carrying
home the spoil. A bright fire, kindled by a vigorous wielding of the
drill, is crackling beside them; the animal has been cleaned and cut
up secundum artem, and, after a slight singeing, will soon disappear
under their sharp teeth; no one all this time giving a single thought
to wife or child.
To what shifts, on the other hand, the primitive wife, and still more
the primitive mother, was put! Not even prehistoric stomachs could
endure an unvarying diet of raw food. Something or other suggested
the beneficial effect of hot water on the majority of approved but
indigestible dishes. Perhaps a neighbour had tried holding the hard
roots or tubers over the fire in a calabash filled with water—or maybe
an ostrich-egg-shell, or a hastily improvised vessel of bark. They
became much softer and more palatable than they had previously
been; but, unfortunately, the vessel could not stand the fire and got
charred on the outside. That can be remedied, thought our
ancestress, and plastered a layer of wet clay round a similar vessel.
This is an improvement; the cooking utensil remains uninjured, but
the heat of the fire has shrunk it, so that it is loose in its shell. The
next step is to detach it, so, with a firm grip and a jerk, shell and
kernel are separated, and pottery is invented. Perhaps, however, the
discovery which led to an intelligent use of the burnt-clay shell, was
made in a slightly different way. Ostrich-eggs and calabashes are not
to be found in every part of the world, but everywhere mankind has
arrived at the art of making baskets out of pliant materials, such as
bark, bast, strips of palm-leaf, supple twigs, etc. Our inventor has no
water-tight vessel provided by nature. “Never mind, let us line the
basket with clay.” This answers the purpose, but alas! the basket gets
burnt over the blazing fire, the woman watches the process of
cooking with increasing uneasiness, fearing a leak, but no leak
appears. The food, done to a turn, is eaten with peculiar relish; and
the cooking-vessel is examined, half in curiosity, half in satisfaction
at the result. The plastic clay is now hard as stone, and at the same
time looks exceedingly well, for the neat plaiting of the burnt basket
is traced all over it in a pretty pattern. Thus, simultaneously with
pottery, its ornamentation was invented.
Primitive woman has another claim to respect. It was the man,
roving abroad, who invented the art of producing fire at will, but the
woman, unable to imitate him in this, has been a Vestal from the
earliest times. Nothing gives so much trouble as the keeping alight of
the smouldering brand, and, above all, when all the men are absent
from the camp. Heavy rain-clouds gather, already the first large
drops are falling, the first gusts of the storm rage over the plain. The
little flame, a greater anxiety to the woman than her own children,
flickers unsteadily in the blast. What is to be done? A sudden thought
occurs to her, and in an instant she has constructed a primitive hut
out of strips of bark, to protect the flame against rain and wind.
This, or something very like it, was the way in which the principle
of the house was discovered; and even the most hardened misogynist
cannot fairly refuse a woman the credit of it. The protection of the
hearth-fire from the weather is the germ from which the human
dwelling was evolved. Men had little, if any share, in this forward
step, and that only at a late stage. Even at the present day, the
plastering of the housewall with clay and the manufacture of pottery
are exclusively the women’s business. These are two very significant
survivals. Our European kitchen-garden, too, is originally a woman’s
invention, and the hoe, the primitive instrument of agriculture, is,
characteristically enough, still used in this department. But the
noblest achievement which we owe to the other sex is unquestionably
the art of cookery. Roasting alone—the oldest process—is one for
which men took the hint (a very obvious one) from nature. It must
have been suggested by the scorched carcase of some animal
overtaken by the destructive forest-fires. But boiling—the process of
improving organic substances by the help of water heated to boiling-
point—is a much later discovery. It is so recent that it has not even
yet penetrated to all parts of the world. The Polynesians understand
how to steam food, that is, to cook it, neatly wrapped in leaves, in a
hole in the earth between hot stones, the air being excluded, and
(sometimes) a few drops of water sprinkled on the stones; but they
do not understand boiling.
To come back from this digression, we find that the slender Nyasa
woman has, after once more carefully examining the finished pot,
put it aside in the shade to dry. On the following day she sends me
word by her son, Salim Matola, who is always on hand, that she is
going to do the burning, and, on coming out of my house, I find her
already hard at work. She has spread on the ground a layer of very
dry sticks, about as thick as one’s thumb, has laid the pot (now of a
yellowish-grey colour) on them, and is piling brushwood round it.
My faithful Pesa mbili, the mnyampara, who has been standing by,
most obligingly, with a lighted stick, now hands it to her. Both of
them, blowing steadily, light the pile on the lee side, and, when the
flame begins to catch, on the weather side also. Soon the whole is in a
blaze, but the dry fuel is quickly consumed and the fire dies down, so
that we see the red-hot vessel rising from the ashes. The woman
turns it continually with a long stick, sometimes one way and
sometimes another, so that it may be evenly heated all over. In
twenty minutes she rolls it out of the ash-heap, takes up the bundle
of spinach, which has been lying for two days in a jar of water, and
sprinkles the red-hot clay with it. The places where the drops fall are
marked by black spots on the uniform reddish-brown surface. With a
sigh of relief, and with visible satisfaction, the woman rises to an
erect position; she is standing just in a line between me and the fire,
from which a cloud of smoke is just rising: I press the ball of my
camera, the shutter clicks—the apotheosis is achieved! Like a
priestess, representative of her inventive sex, the graceful woman
stands: at her feet the hearth-fire she has given us beside her the
invention she has devised for us, in the background the home she has
built for us.
At Newala, also, I have had the manufacture of pottery carried on
in my presence. Technically the process is better than that already
described, for here we find the beginnings of the potter’s wheel,
which does not seem to exist in the plains; at least I have seen
nothing of the sort. The artist, a frightfully stupid Makua woman, did
not make a depression in the ground to receive the pot she was about
to shape, but used instead a large potsherd. Otherwise, she went to
work in much the same way as Salim’s mother, except that she saved
herself the trouble of walking round and round her work by squatting
at her ease and letting the pot and potsherd rotate round her; this is
surely the first step towards a machine. But it does not follow that
the pot was improved by the process. It is true that it was beautifully
rounded and presented a very creditable appearance when finished,
but the numerous large and small vessels which I have seen, and, in
part, collected, in the “less advanced” districts, are no less so. We
moderns imagine that instruments of precision are necessary to
produce excellent results. Go to the prehistoric collections of our
museums and look at the pots, urns and bowls of our ancestors in the
dim ages of the past, and you will at once perceive your error.
MAKING LONGITUDINAL CUT IN
BARK

DRAWING THE BARK OFF THE LOG

REMOVING THE OUTER BARK


BEATING THE BARK

WORKING THE BARK-CLOTH AFTER BEATING, TO MAKE IT


SOFT

MANUFACTURE OF BARK-CLOTH AT NEWALA


To-day, nearly the whole population of German East Africa is
clothed in imported calico. This was not always the case; even now in
some parts of the north dressed skins are still the prevailing wear,
and in the north-western districts—east and north of Lake
Tanganyika—lies a zone where bark-cloth has not yet been
superseded. Probably not many generations have passed since such
bark fabrics and kilts of skins were the only clothing even in the
south. Even to-day, large quantities of this bright-red or drab
material are still to be found; but if we wish to see it, we must look in
the granaries and on the drying stages inside the native huts, where
it serves less ambitious uses as wrappings for those seeds and fruits
which require to be packed with special care. The salt produced at
Masasi, too, is packed for transport to a distance in large sheets of
bark-cloth. Wherever I found it in any degree possible, I studied the
process of making this cloth. The native requisitioned for the
purpose arrived, carrying a log between two and three yards long and
as thick as his thigh, and nothing else except a curiously-shaped
mallet and the usual long, sharp and pointed knife which all men and
boys wear in a belt at their backs without a sheath—horribile dictu!
[51]
Silently he squats down before me, and with two rapid cuts has
drawn a couple of circles round the log some two yards apart, and
slits the bark lengthwise between them with the point of his knife.
With evident care, he then scrapes off the outer rind all round the
log, so that in a quarter of an hour the inner red layer of the bark
shows up brightly-coloured between the two untouched ends. With
some trouble and much caution, he now loosens the bark at one end,
and opens the cylinder. He then stands up, takes hold of the free
edge with both hands, and turning it inside out, slowly but steadily
pulls it off in one piece. Now comes the troublesome work of
scraping all superfluous particles of outer bark from the outside of
the long, narrow piece of material, while the inner side is carefully
scrutinised for defective spots. At last it is ready for beating. Having
signalled to a friend, who immediately places a bowl of water beside
him, the artificer damps his sheet of bark all over, seizes his mallet,
lays one end of the stuff on the smoothest spot of the log, and
hammers away slowly but continuously. “Very simple!” I think to
myself. “Why, I could do that, too!”—but I am forced to change my
opinions a little later on; for the beating is quite an art, if the fabric is
not to be beaten to pieces. To prevent the breaking of the fibres, the
stuff is several times folded across, so as to interpose several
thicknesses between the mallet and the block. At last the required
state is reached, and the fundi seizes the sheet, still folded, by both
ends, and wrings it out, or calls an assistant to take one end while he
holds the other. The cloth produced in this way is not nearly so fine
and uniform in texture as the famous Uganda bark-cloth, but it is
quite soft, and, above all, cheap.
Now, too, I examine the mallet. My craftsman has been using the
simpler but better form of this implement, a conical block of some
hard wood, its base—the striking surface—being scored across and
across with more or less deeply-cut grooves, and the handle stuck
into a hole in the middle. The other and earlier form of mallet is
shaped in the same way, but the head is fastened by an ingenious
network of bark strips into the split bamboo serving as a handle. The
observation so often made, that ancient customs persist longest in
connection with religious ceremonies and in the life of children, here
finds confirmation. As we shall soon see, bark-cloth is still worn
during the unyago,[52] having been prepared with special solemn
ceremonies; and many a mother, if she has no other garment handy,
will still put her little one into a kilt of bark-cloth, which, after all,
looks better, besides being more in keeping with its African
surroundings, than the ridiculous bit of print from Ulaya.
MAKUA WOMEN

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