Auditing & Assurance Services

(Auditing and Assurance Services) 7th

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Courtesy Jerry R. Strawser
Courtesy Bentley University
Meet the Authors vii
Professor Sinason has taught in the areas of accounting information systems, auditing
and assurance services, and financial accounting. He has received teaching awards at each
of the universities where he has taught including the 2002–2003 Department of Accoun-
tancy and Northern Illinois University Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.
Jerry R. Strawser is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at
Texas A&M University and holds the KPMG Chair in Accounting.
Prior to his current appointment, Professor Strawser served as dean of Mays Business
School at Texas A&M University, interim executive vice president and provost at Texas
A&M University, interim dean of the C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University
of Houston, and Arthur Andersen & Co. Alumni Professor of Accounting.
Professor Strawser has coauthored three textbooks and more than 60 journal articles.
In addition to his academic experience, he had prior public accounting experience at two
Big Five accounting firms. He has also developed and delivered numerous executive devel-
opment programs to organizations such as AT&T, Centerpoint Energy, Continental Airlines,
ConocoPhillips, Halliburton, KBR, KPMG, Minute Maid, PricewaterhouseCoopers,
McDermott International, Shell, Southwest Bank of Texas, and the Texas Society of Certi-
fied Public Accountants. Professor Strawser is a certified public accountant in the state of
Texas and earned his BBA and PhD in Accounting from Texas A&M University.
Jay C. Thibodeau is the Rae D. Anderson Professor of Accounting at Bentley
University.
Professor Thibodeau is a certified public accountant and a former auditor. He received
his bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut in 1987 and his PhD from the
University of Connecticut in 1996. He joined the faculty at Bentley in 1996 and has
remained there. At Bentley, he serves as the coordinator for all audit and assurance cur-
riculum matters. His off-campus commitments include consulting with the Audit Learn-
ing and Development group at KPMG.
Professor Thibodeau’s scholarship focuses on audit judgment and decision making
and audit education. He is a coauthor of two textbooks and has written more than 40 book
chapters and articles for academics and practitioners in journals such as Auditing: A Jour-
nal of Practice & Theory, Accounting Horizons, and Issues in Accounting Education.
Professor Thibodeau served as the President of the Auditing Section of the American
Accounting Association for the 2014/2015 academic year. He served on the Executive Com-
mittee for the Auditing Section from 2008 to 2010. He has received national recognition for
his work five times. First, for his thesis, winning the 1996 Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation
Award presented by the ABO section of the AAA. Three other times, for curriculum inno-
vation, winning the 2001 Joint AICPA/AAA Collaboration Award, the 2003 Innovation
in Assurance Education Award, and the 2016 Forensic Accounting Teaching Innova-
tion Award. Finally, for outstanding service, receiving a Special Service Award from
the Auditing Section for his work in helping to create the “Access to Auditors” program
sponsored by the Center for Audit Quality.
Look Beneath the Surface . . .

As auditors, we are trained to investigate beyond appearances to determine the underlying

facts—in other words, to look beneath the surface. From the Enron and WorldCom
scandals of the early 2000s to the financial crisis of 2007–2008 to present-day issues
and challenges related to significant estimation uncertainty, understanding the auditor’s
responsibility related to fraud, maintaining a clear perspective, probing for details, and
understanding the big picture are indispensable to effective auditing. With the avail-
ability of greater levels of qualitative and quantitative information (“big data”), the need
for technical skills and challenges facing today’s auditor is greater than ever. The author
team of Louwers, Blay, Sinason, Strawser, and Thibodeau has dedicated years of expe-
rience in the auditing field to this new edition of Auditing & Assurance Services, sup-
plying the necessary investigative tools for future auditors.

Cutting-Edge Coverage
The seventh edition of Auditing & Assurance Services continues its tradition as the most
up-to-date auditing text on the market. All chapters and modules have been revised to
incorporate the latest professional standards, recodifications, and proposals from the Inter-
national Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, Auditing Standards Board, and Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board. To acquaint students with the professional stan-
dards, each chapter or module begins with a list of the relevant professional standards that
are covered in that chapter. Importantly, this text incorporates the reorganized PCAOB
standards effective December 31, 2016.
As a team, we use a variety of contacts and resources to stay informed of ongoing
developments that affect learning objectives in the financial statement auditing
course(s). In fact, changes to key learning goals and objectives are usually prompted by
interactions with colleagues from practice.
In that spirit, since the publication of our sixth edition, we have been working hard
to stay in touch with developments in practice so we can always respond to your needs
in the financial statement auditing classroom. Among our many observations, one trend
has emerged as a potential sea change in the financial statement auditing process, the
“big data” challenge.
Indeed, based on our collective observations, we believe that students should be
prepared to make the best use possible of relevant data using state-of-the art analytical
tools. In fact, the terms big data and data analytics are frequently being used to describe
a growing movement among audit professionals. Our collective view is that students
must be prepared to meet the “big data” challenge.
To help students be prepared, the seventh edition of Auditing & Assurance Services
has been revised deliberately to help students critically think about the use of increased
data and analytical tools in the financial statement audit. In addition, we would like to
help students learn how to effectively document their conclusions in the current “big
data” environment.
In a recent white paper, PwC (2015)1 lists five “new” skills that will be required of
auditors moving forward. Although many of these skills require special statistical or
programming knowledge, the first listed skill is one that is applicable to all auditors:
“Research and identify anomalies and risk factors in underlying data.” Although

1
“Data Driven: What Students Need to Succeed in a Rapidly Changing Business World.” Available at:
http://www.pwc.com/us/en/faculty-resource/assets/PwC-Data-driven-paper-Feb2015.pdf.

viii
extraction and analysis from client accounting data are critical skills for newly minted
auditors, we are unaware of sufficient materials to assist professors in integrating data
analytics into the auditing classroom. Thus, an important goal of the seventh edition is
to provide a clear and implementable method to fully integrate a leading data analysis
tool, the IDEA data analysis software, into the auditing class.
To start, McGraw-Hill Education is excited to announce a partnership with the developers
of the IDEA software. We believe that IDEA provides an outstanding platform to illustrate
the steps that auditors need to take related to data and data analysis while completing the
financial statement audit. Leading auditing professionals have confirmed that using IDEA
is an outstanding way for an entry-level auditing professional to begin the journey into the
world of “big data” and “data analytics.” Simply stated, big data is manifested in the finan-
cial statement auditing process through the use of tools like IDEA.
Overall, our revisions related to the big data challenge were designed to provide
instructors a set of tools and mechanisms to bring data and analytics into the classroom
in a meaningful way. Through the use of these tools, students can be sure they are pre-
pared to enter practice with an appreciation for and knowledge of the increasing impor-
tance of data and analytics in the auditing profession. We hope that everyone enjoys our
attempts to help students get ready for the big data challenge.
Of course, and perhaps most importantly, the seventh edition of Auditing & Assurance
Services also continues to be the most up-to-date auditing text on the market. The book
has fully integrated the reorganized PCAOB Auditing Standards. In addition,
all chapters and modules in the seventh edition have been revised to incorporate the
two new standards (AS 2701 and AS 2410) adopted by the PCAOB that relate to the
auditor’s work on supplementary information provided in the financial statements and
related parties. In addition, all chapters and modules have been revised to incorporate
the latest updates from the international standards of auditing (ISAs) and the Auditing
Standards Board (ASB). With Auditing & Assurance Services, seventh edition, students
are prepared to take on auditing’s latest challenges.
The Louwers author team uses a conversational, yet professional tone­—hailed by
reviewers as a key strength of the book.

Flexible Organization “The format allows you to integrate the

modules into the chapter material in
Auditing & Assurance Services teaches students auditing
any way you would find useful.”
concepts by emphasizing real-life contexts when describing
—Frank J. Beil, University of Minnesota
the auditing process. The authors use chapters and modules to

Chapters
The 12 chapters cover the auditing
process extensively with a multitude of
cases designed to give students a better
understanding of how a best-practice
concept developed from real-world
situations.
Modules
Modules A–H provide instructors
additional material that can be used
throughout the course. Topics such as
fraud, ethics, sampling, and technology
are covered in the modules, which are
designed to be taught whenever instruc-
tors want to introduce the topic in their
course.

ix
achieve this goal. Although the chapters follow a logical sequence that we recommend
professors consider for their classes, the modules have been written to be used on a
stand-alone basis. In essence, the modules have been deliberately prepared for entirely
flexible implementation of these topics without excessive reliance on chapter sequenc-
ing. We encourage you to integrate these modules into your syllabi in a manner that best
suits your approach to the auditing course.

Engage Your Students with Real “The tone of the textbook is

Examples in a conversational manner
that allows for more student-
An effective accounting textbook integrates real-world scenarios friendly reading material.”
with theoretical discussion. Auditing & Assurance Services places the —Aretha Hill, Florida A&M
student in the role of a decision maker, by illustrating the application University
of auditing concepts using actual situations experienced by account-
ing firms and companies such as:
Each chapter or module opens with a “real-world” example that draws upon concepts
discussed within that chapter or module. Finally, a series of mini-cases have been devel-
oped for use by instructors to further bring text material to life. These mini-cases feature
real situations experienced by the following companies, individuals, or accounting firms
[new cases to the seventh edition are noted with an asterisk (*)].
∙ Arthur Andersen (failure of auditors to detect fraud at Enron)
∙ Bernie Madoff Investment Securities (failure of auditors and regulators to detect fraud)*
∙ Crazy Eddie’s (failure of auditors to detect fraud)*
∙ Daily Journal Corporation (auditor changes and reporting on internal control)*
∙ General Electric (audit fees and services provided by auditors)
∙ General Motors (going-concern report by auditors)
∙ HealthSouth Corporation (failure of auditors to detect fraud)
∙ KPMG (competition in the audit marketplace)
∙ Lehman Brothers (estimation uncertainties in the audit and disclosure concerns)*
∙ Parmalat (failure of auditors to detect fraud)
∙ Satyam Computer Services Ltd. (failure of auditors to detect fraud)
∙ Scott London, KPMG partner (failure of auditor to follow the AICPA Code of Conduct)*
Confirming Pages

Fraud Awareness CHAPTER 4

The fraud coverage in Auditing & Assurance Services Management Fraud

is the most extensive available and is complemented by and Audit Risk
real-world examples chosen to engage students through
the following tools:
∙ Auditing Insights integrated throughout the text.
Profit is the result of risks wisely selected.
Frederick Barnard Hawley, American economist (1843–1929)

∙ Mini-cases that may be assigned to supplement Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.

text chapters and modules that expose students to Warren Buffett, widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in
the world

Professional Standards References

x AU-C/ISA
Topic Section AS Section
Overall Objectives of the Independent Auditor 200 1001, 1005, 1010, 1015
Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit 240 2401
Consideration of Laws and Regulations 250 2405
Communications with Audit Committees 260 1301
Consideration of Internal Control in an Integrated Audit 265 2201
 landmark fraud cases at Bernie Madoff Investment Securities, Enron, HealthSouth,
Parmalat, PTL Club, and Satyam Computer Services.
∙ Specific discussion of management fraud (Chapter 4), employee fraud (Chapter 6),
and the Certified Fraud Examiner Exam (Module D).
∙ Apollo Shoes Case, the only stand-alone fraud audit case on the market (available
online).

Create a State-of-the-Art Learning Environment:

Instructor Resources
The author team and McGraw-Hill are dedicated to providing instructors with the
best teaching resources available. In addition to the solutions manual, test bank, and
PowerPoint Presentations, and the Apollo Shoe Case, the following resources are also
available.

The Updated Auditor

The author team scrutinizes leading business and academic publications for relevant
issues and research that sheds light on auditing and the audit process. Recent findings
from academic research and discussions from professional literature are drawn from the
following publications:
∙ Accounting Horizons
∙ Accounting Today
∙ Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory
∙ Behavioral Research in Accounting
∙ Bloomberg Businessweek
∙ CFO.com
∙ CPA Journal
∙ Journal of Accountancy
∙ Journal of Accounting and Economics
∙ The Accounting Review
∙ The Wall Street Journal
These excerpts are highlighted throughout the text as Auditing Insights to allow for
easy identification and review by instructors and students.
In addition to the use of Auditing Insights, on a monthly basis, the author team pro-
vides an Updated Auditor briefing, which summarizes the content of relevant business
and academic publications on a chapter-by-chapter basis, to allow students to apply cur-
rent developments in the profession with material discussed in class. The Updated Audi-
tor briefing is available in Connect. With the Updated Auditor, instructors will always
be at the cutting edge of auditing practice!

xi
IDEA Software and Workbook
With the availability of unprecedented amounts of quantitative and qualitative infor-
mation and tools available to access and process that information, it is imperative that
students learn and utilize the latest technologies used by auditing professionals. As
previously stated, McGraw-Hill Education has forged a partnership with Caseware
Analytics for the use of the IDEA data analysis tool. Chapters 3 (audit planning), 4 (risk
assessment), 5 (internal control), 7–9 (operating cycle chapters), Module F (attributes
sampling), and Module G (variables sampling) have been revised to reference the use of
IDEA within the chapter or module.
In addition, the seventh edition includes end-of-chapter exercises utilizing author-
developed databases exclusively for use with Auditing & Assurance Services as well
as supplemental materials available in Connect to complement the IDEA workbook and
provide hands-on instructions on using the IDEA software. The authors also provide
implementation guidance to instructors and detailed solutions and explanations on this
new content. Overall, the author team has provided significant resources to prepare stu-
dents for the auditing environment in 2017 and beyond.

Roger CPA Review

McGraw-Hill Education has partnered with Roger CPA Review, a global leader in CPA
Exam preparation, to provide students a smooth transition from the accounting class-
room to successful completion of the CPA Exam. While many aspiring accountants
wait until they have completed their academic studies to begin preparing for the CPA
Exam, research shows that those who become familiar with exam content earlier in the
process have a stronger chance of successfully passing the CPA Exam. Accordingly,
students using these McGraw-Hill materials will have access to sample CPA Exam
Multiple-Choice questions and Task-based Simulations from Roger CPA Review, with
expert-written explanations and solutions. All questions are either directly from the
AICPA or are modeled on AICPA questions that appear in the exam. Task-based Simu-
lations are delivered via the Roger CPA Review platform, which mirrors the look, feel
and functionality of the actual exam. McGraw-Hill Education and Roger CPA Review
are dedicated to supporting every accounting student along their journey, ultimately
helping them achieve career success in the accounting profession. For more information
about the full Roger CPA Review program, exam requirements and exam content, visit
www.rogercpareview.com.

TestGen
TestGen is a complete, state-of-the-art test generator and editing application software
that allows instructors to quickly and easily select test items from McGraw Hill’s Test-
Gen testbank content and to organize, edit and customize the questions and answers to
rapidly generate paper tests. Questions can include stylized text, symbols, graphics, and
equations that are inserted directly into questions using built-in mathematical templates.
With both quick-and-simple test creation and flexible and robust editing tools, TestGen
is a test generator system for today’s educators.

xii
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of
Business (AACSB) Statement
McGraw-Hill Education is a proud corporate member of AACSB International. Under-
standing the importance and value of AACSB accreditation, Auditing & Assurance
Services, 7e, recognizes the curricula guidelines detailed in the AACSB standards for
business accreditation by connecting selected questions in the text and test bank to the
eight general knowledge and skill guidelines in the AACSB standards. The statements
contained in Auditing & Assurance Services, 7e, are provided only as a guide for the
users of this textbook. The AACSB leaves content coverage and assessment within the
purview of individual schools, their mission, and their faculty. Although Auditing &
Assurance Services, 7e, and the teaching package make no claim of any specific
AACSB qualification or evaluation, we have within Auditing & Assurance Services, 7e,
labeled selected questions according to the eight general knowledge and skills areas.

MCGRAW-HILL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE GROUP

CONTACT INFORMATION
At McGraw-Hill Education, we understand that getting the most from new technology
can be challenging. That's why our services don't stop after you purchase our products.
You can contact our Product Specialists 24 hours a day to get product training online.
Or you can search the knowledge bank of Frequently Asked Questions on our support
website. For Customer Support, call 800-331-5094 or visit www.mhhe.com/support.
One of our Technical Support Analysts will be able to assist you in a timely fashion.

xiii
New to the Seventh Edition of
In response to feedback and guidance from numerous auditing accounting faculty, the authors have made many
important changes to the seventh edition of Auditing & Assurance Services, including the following:
Highlights of Auditing &
Assurance Services, 7e
∙ The seventh edition of Auditing & Assurance Ser-
vices features Connect and SmartBook.
∙ All chapter and modules have been revised to incorpo-
rate professional standards adopted through May 2016.
In addition, the reorganized PCAOB framework (which
becomes effective December 31, 2016) has been utilized
throughout the text.
∙ Auditing Insight boxes have been added and updated
throughout the textbook to place issues discussed within
the text into a real-world context. These boxes incorporate
numerous examples from business and academic publica-
tions as well as actual company annual reports and audit
reports.
∙ Examples using the Caseware IDEA software have been
added in Chapters 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, Module F, and Module
G. In addition, end-of-chapter exercises using author-
developed databases exclusively for use with Auditing &
Part I: The Contemporary Auditing Environment
CHAPTER 1: Auditing and Assurance Services
∙ Our discussion about the CPA exam has been revised to
fully reflect the substantial changes being made to the
exam as of April 1, 2017. Due primarily to the outsourc-
ing of routine tasks and significant advances in informa-
tion technology, the job of a newly licensed CPA has
changed. The AICPA responded with a revised exam
that has an increased emphasis on higher-order skills like
problem solving, critical thinking, and analytical ability.
The changes are fully described in the text.
∙ Increased our emphasis about the importance of audit qual-
ity in the current environment and added an Auditing Insight
that describes the audit quality indicators project recently
completed by the PCAOB in 2015.
∙ Added a new exhibit that provides an example of the
2014/2015 Sustainability Report for the Coca-Cola Com-
pany. We also added a new exhibit that features Mickey
Mantle’s baseball card from 1961.
∙ Increased our emphasis on the emergence of big data in
the auditing environment and added an Auditing Insight
that describes what students need to succeed in a world
characterized by big data.
xiv
Assurance Services as well as supplemental materials to
complement the IDEA workbook are provided.
∙ Coverage in the cycle chapters has been standardized to focus
on the risk assessment process for each relevant assertion.
In addition, the chapters provide a consistent focus on how
auditors respond to assessed risk of material misstatement,
through the incorporation of easy-to-read tables throughout
Chapters 6 through 10 to highlight the key issues and risks
faced by auditors in the examination of different accounts.
These tables take the students through the risk assessment
process for each cycle on a step-by-step basis to mirror the
methodology used in current audit practice.
∙ Five new Mini-cases have been added that feature
Bernie Madoff Investment Securities (failure of auditors
and regulators to detect fraud); Crazy Eddie’s (failure of
auditors to detect fraud); Daily Journal Corporation (audi-
tor changes and internal control reporting); Lehman Broth-
ers (estimation uncertainties in the audit and failure to
make informative disclosures); and Scott London, KPMG
Partner (failure of auditor to follow the AICPA Code of
Conduct).
CHAPTER 2: Professional Standards
∙ Summarized recent academic research related to the
impact of PCAOB inspections and results of inspec-
tions on audit quality, client attraction and reten-
tion, and audit fee growth rates (including research
specifically related to the Deloitte vignette in the intro-
duction of this chapter).
∙ Summarized recent independence issues encountered by
EY and KPMG.
∙ McDonald’s 2016 audit report, which demonstrates the
contents of an actual audit report and how this report
reflects the guidance in the reporting principle.
∙ Included an Auditing Insight regarding controversy over
PCAOB inspection of audits of Alibaba Group Holding
Limited, which have been impacted by China’s ban of
PCAOB inspections.
∙ Summarized PCAOB inspections of 2012, 2013, and 2014
audits conducted by Big Four firms and expanded analysis
to summarize the number of audits in which the client’s
report on internal control was revised as a result of the
inspection.
Auditing & Assurance Services
Part II: The Financial Statement Audit
CHAPTER 3: Engagement Planning
∙ Added a discussion to emphasize the importance of iden-
tifying all of the significant accounts and each of the rele-
vant financial statement assertions during the engagement
planning process.
∙ Included a new table to help facilitate the understanding
of significant accounts and relevant financial statement
assertions and to show how this might be documented in
the audit work papers.
∙ Added an Auditing Insight to describe the importance
of audit quality and why planning is such an important
aspect in helping to ensure that the engagement plan has
been developed to achieve quality outcomes on the audit.
∙ Added a discussion about the availability of big data on
the audit and included a demonstration problem of how to
access a client’s data using IDEA.
CHAPTER 4: Management Fraud and Audit Risk
∙ Increased focus on the importance of assessing the risk of mate-
rial misstatement for each relevant financial statement assertion
for each significant account and disclosure. This focus is entirely
consistent with the audit approaches of each of the largest audit
firms in the world. This focus will be very helpful in preparing
students to enter the auditing environment in 2017 and beyond.
∙ Added a new easy-to-read table to highlight the impor-
tance of identifying “what can go wrong” for each relevant
assertion identified in the planning process. This process is
instrumental for assessing the risk of material misstatement
for each relevant assertion.
∙ Moved our discussion of an audit client’s risk manage-
ment system to Chapter 5, where it is incorporated into
our discussion of the risk assessment component of an
effective internal control system as defined by COSO. By
moving this section, students are able to better focus on
inherent risk assessment in this chapter.
∙ Added an Auditing Insight to illustrate the potential dangers
of analyst expectations at Bankrate and an Auditing Insight
to illustrate the difficulty involved in auditing percentage of
completion estimates at Toshiba. These examples are used to
emphasize the importance of considering a client’s business
and operating environment during the risk assessment process.
∙ Incorporated newly released PCAOB Auditing Standard
2410 about Related Parties into the chapter.
CHAPTER 5: Risk Assessment: Internal Control
Evaluation
∙ Fully integrated the specifics of the COSO 2013 update to
its internal control framework. The update adds 17 explicit
principles that are associated with the five components of
internal control (i.e., control environment, risk assessment,
control activities, information and communication, and
monitoring). The chapter now includes five new exhibits to
help clarify and make these principles salient to students.
∙ Added a new easy-to-read table to reinforce the impor-
tance of identifying “what can go wrong” to help assess
the risk of material misstatement for each relevant asser-
tion that provides a foundation to help identify control
activities that might mitigate that risk. This is an impor-
tant aspect of the audit process employed by each of the
large audit firms, and the table is designed to help stu-
dents better understand that process.
∙ Added a section on internal control testing alternatives
with a focus on how auditors can use a tool such as IDEA
to test the entire population of control instances in today’s
environment. We also added two new problems where
students can complete exception tests using IDEA.
CHAPTER 6: Employee Fraud and the Audit of Cash
∙ Added two easy-to-read tables to allow for a focus on the
risk assessment process for each relevant assertion related
to cash. For each relevant assertion, students can see how
the risk of material misstatement was assessed and how
the auditors might respond to the assessed risks with tests
of control and substantive tests. The step-by-step process
mirrors the methodology used in current audit practice.
∙ Improved the flow and organization of the chapter by
integrating the section on controls designed to mitigate
the risk of employee fraud into the section on internal
control testing for the cash account. In addition, the sec-
tion on proof of cash has been moved to the extended
fraud procedures section to better align the chapter with
current audit practice.
∙ Added an Auditing Insight describing the fraud perpetrated
by a controller at a Pepsi-Cola Bottler and how he escaped
to the Appalachian trail for an extended period of time.
CHAPTER 7: Revenue and Collection Cycle
∙ Revised format tracking the audit process beginning with
identification of significant accounts and relevant assertions.
∙ Added four new tables outlining risks and tracking them
through the audit process, including tests of controls and
substantive procedures.
∙ Updated discussion of revenue recognition restatements.
∙ Increased discussion of risks related to data breaches, includ-
ing an Auditing Insight on the Target Corp. data breach.
∙ Added a discussion of the new revenue recognition standards,
including examples from financial statements of Apple Inc.
xv
∙ Updated PCAOB inspection findings through the latest
inspection reports.
∙ Includes a focus on data and analytics that inte-
grates several IDEA exercises, including new author-
created content and end-of-chapter materials.
CHAPTER 8: Acquisition and Expenditure Cycle
∙ Revised format tracking the audit process beginning with
identification of significant accounts and relevant assertions.
∙ Added five new tables outlining risks and tracking them
through the audit process, including tests of controls and
substantive procedures.
∙ Increased discussion of risks related to accounts payable.
∙ Updated PCAOB inspection findings through the latest
inspection reports.
∙ Includes a focus on data and analytics that inte-
grates several IDEA exercises, including new author-
created content and end-of-chapter materials.
CHAPTER 9: Production Cycle
∙ Revised format tracking the audit process beginning
with identification of significant accounts and relevant
assertions.
∙ Added six new tables outlining risks and tracking them
through the audit process, including tests of controls and
substantive procedures.
∙ Extensive discussion of the production process and key
reports of interest to the auditors.
∙ Updated PCAOB inspection findings through the latest
inspection reports.
∙ Includes a focus on data and analytics that integrates sev-
eral IDEA exercises, including new author-created con-
tent and end-of-chapter materials.
CHAPTER 10: Finance and Investment Cycle
∙ Revised format tracking the audit process beginning with
identification of significant accounts and relevant assertions.
∙ Added five new tables outlining risks and tracking them
through the audit process, including tests of controls and
substantive procedures.
Part III: Stand-Alone Modules
MODULE A: Other Public Accounting Services
∙ New section added on PCAOB broker–dealer standards,
including an Auditing Insight describing compliance
issues that led to the new standards.
xvi
∙ Added a new Auditing Insight regarding Verizon’s pur-
chases, including the recent proposed purchase of Yahoo!
∙ Added a new Auditing Insight describing off-
balance-sheet risk for Citigroup.
∙ Expanded discussion of auditing accounting estimates and
fair values, with discussion of extreme estimation uncertainty
and an Auditing Insight on the Lehman Brothers collapse.
∙ Added a discussion of blockchain technology and Bitcoin
transactions.
∙ Updated PCAOB inspection findings through the latest
inspection reports.
CHAPTER 11: Completing the Audit
∙ New introductory vignette discusses Valeant’s year-end
financial troubles and the effect on the auditors trying to
complete the company’s audit. Added discussion of AS
16’s increased responsibilities to communicate with those
charged with governance.
CHAPTER 12: Reports on Audited Financial
Statements
∙ New introductory vignette discusses KPMG’s report on
the audit of Rolls-Royce and the identification of critical
audit matters in this report.
∙ Discuss recently approved and proposed standards of
audit report disclosures and practices related to critical
audit matters, naming of the engagement partner, and
audits of group financial statements.
∙ Summarize recent academic research related to the dis-
closure of critical audit matters, disclosure of engagement
partner identity, receipt and issuance of going concern
reports, and inclusion of explanatory paragraphs in other-
wise unmodified audit opinions.
∙ Included examples from recent auditors’ reports of Abbott
Laboratories, Alaska Air, Best Buy Co. Inc., Caesars Enter-
tainment Corporation, The Coca-Cola Company, General
Electric, Harris Teeter Supermarkets Inc., The Kroger Co.,
Penske Automotive Group, and Softbank Corp. to illustrate
how auditors modify their reports for situations encountered
in practice.
∙ Include results of an Audit Analytics research report sum-
marizing 15 years of data regarding going-concern reports.
∙ Updated for the revised standards on accounting and review
services, including a section on preparation engagements.
∙ A new table clarifies the differences between prepara-
tion engagements and services that are not preparation
engagements.
MODULE B: Professional Ethics
∙ Opened the module with the story of disgraced former
KPMG partner Scott London who sacrificed his career to
share confidential client information with a friend.
∙ Added a discussion of Aristotelian virtue ethics to already
existing discussions of Kantian categorical imperatives
and utilitarianism.
∙ Added a discussion of the role of the PCAOB’s Division
of Enforcement and Investigations.
MODULE C: Legal Liability
∙ Updated the introductory vignette on litigation involving
BDO Seidman for its audits of E.S. Bankest to include the
ultimate resolution of this litigation.
∙ Updated the summary of major settlements involving Big
Four accounting firms to include settlements occurring
since 2008.
∙ Expanded the discussion of academic research examining
auditor litigation to include recent studies that investigated
the factors affecting the litigation risk faced by audit firms.
MODULE D: Internal Audits, Governmental Audits,
and Fraud Examinations
∙ Updated the coverage of the reliance of Congress on the
GAO.
∙ Discussed the variety of services provided by internal
auditors.
∙ Added Benford’s law to the fraud investigation discussion.
MODULE E: Overview of Sampling
∙ New introductory vignette involve the recent U.S.
Supreme Court ruling on use of sampling methods to
determine monetary damages against Tyson Foods in an
employment dispute.
∙ Revised walk-through example of the use of sampling to
address a nonauditing issue.
∙ Auditing Insight addresse how sampling risk affected pre-
dictions in the 2015 United Kingdom general elections for
David Cameron and the Conservative Party.
∙ Included a brief example of sampling in the evaluation of
internal control to illustrate the major steps and decisions
made in the sampling process.
MODULE F: Attributes Sampling
∙ Introductory section provide an overview of the audit
engagement, the use of the audit risk model, and the role
of attributes sampling in the audit engagement to place
the attributes sampling process in context.
∙ IDEA is used in the determination of sample size, selec-
tion of sample items, and evaluation of sample results to
supplement the use of AICPA sampling tables.
∙ Additional end-of-chapter items provide students with the
opportunity to use IDEA in various stages of the attributes
sampling process.
∙ Summarized a recent academic study that surveyed the
sampling practices of six international accounting firms
with respect to establishing parameters and selecting sam-
ple items.
MODULE G: Variables Sampling
∙ Introductory section provides an overview of the audit
engagement, the use of the audit risk model, and the role
of variables sampling in the audit engagement to place the
variables sampling process in context.
∙ IDEA is used in the determination of sample size, selec-
tion of sample items, and evaluation of sample results to
supplement the use of formulae in MUS.
∙ Additional end-of-chapter items to provide students with
the opportunity to use IDEA in various stages of MUS
applications.
∙ Auditing Insight summarize the results of a recent aca-
demic study that surveyed the sampling practices of six
international accounting firms.
∙ Previous content on classical variables sampling and
nonstatistical sampling has been expanded and relocated
into appendixes to provide instructors with flexibility in
addressing these topics.
MODULE H: Auditing and Information Technology
∙ Significantly revised (and simplified) the module
throughout to reinforce how the client’s use of auto-
mated transaction processing systems affects the major
stages of the audit team’s study and evaluation of inter-
nal control.
∙ Provided an example of how students encounter IT gen-
eral and app controls when using a smartphone.
∙ Added additional end-of-chapter material that requires
students to identify tests of controls that would be used to
evaluate the operating effectiveness of general and auto-
mated application controls.
xvii
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Acknowledgments
OUR SINCEREST THANKS . . .
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) has generously given
permission for liberal quotations from official pronouncements and other AICPA publi-
cations, all of which lend authoritative sources to the text. In addition, several publish-
ing houses, professional associations, and accounting firms have granted permission to
quote and extract from their copyrighted material. Their cooperation is much appreci-
ated because a great amount of significant auditing thought exists in this wide variety
of sources.
A special acknowledgment is due to the Association for Certified Fraud Examiners
(ACFE). It has been a generous contributor to the fraud auditing material in this text. The
authors also acknowledge the valuable inclusion of the educational version of IDEA software
in the seventh edition, which significantly enhances the practical application of the book.
Also, the authors are particularly grateful to Meghann Cefaratti (Northern Illinois
University), Brad Roof (James Madison University), and Yigal Rechtman (Pace University)
for their many insightful comments over the past several years. The feedback they con-
tributed while teaching from our text has contributed greatly to the clarity and accuracy
of subsequent editions. A special thanks to Michael K. Shaub for his valuable critique of
Chapter 5 and to Steven Dwyer, Suzanne McLaughlin, and Frank Wimer for the example
developed to help explain the difference between general and application controls in
Module H. Thanks to Helen Roybark for her help with the preparation of the instructor
PowerPoint presentations.
We are sincerely grateful for the valuable input of all those who helped guide our
developmental decisions for the past seven editions of Auditing & Assurance Services:

Dawn P. Addington, LuAnn Bean,

Central New Mexico Community College Florida Institute of Technology
Michael D. Akers, Frank J. Beil,
Marquette University University of Minnesota
Fatima Alali, Marie Blouin,
California State University–Fullerton Penn State University–Harrisburg
Sylvia Anderson, David Blum,
University of Maryland University Moraine Park Technical College
College Russell F. Briner,
Jeffrey J. Archambault, University of Texas at San Antonio
Marshall University Alexander K. Buchholz,
Jack Armitage, Brooklyn College of the City University
University of Nebraska–Omaha of New York
MaryAnne Atkinson, Suzanne M. Busch,
Central Washington University California State University–East Bay
Dereck D. Barr, Eric Carlsen,
The University of Mississippi Kean University

xx
 Acknowledgments xxi

Meghann Cefaratti, Keith Jones,

Northern Illinois University George Mason University
John Critchett Bonita K. Peterson Kramer,
Madonna University Montana State University–Bozeman
Karl Dahlberg, Joseph M. Larkin,
Rutgers University St. Joseph’s University
John E. Delaney, Rose Layton,
Southwestern Texas University University of Southern California
Marcus Mason Doxey, Pamela Legner,
University of Kentucky College of DuPage
Raymond Elson, Philip Levine,
Valdosta State University Berkeley College
Tom English, R. D. Licastro,
Boise State University Penn State University–University Park
Patricia Feller, Maureen Mascha,
Nashville State Community College Marquette University
Marilyn Fisher, Dorothy McMullen,
Corinthian Colleges Rider University
Diana R. Franz, Heidi H. Meier,
University of Toledo Cleveland State University
John Gabelman, Bharat Merchant,
Columbus State Community College Baruch College
Clyde Galbraith, Eddie Metrejean,
West Chester University Georgia Southern University
Andy Garcia, Charles Miller,
Bowling Green State University California Polytech University
David Gelb, Perry Moore,
Seton Hall University Lipscomb University
Earl Godfrey, Fowler A. Murrell,
Gardner-Webb University Lehman College
Judith G. Grant, Ramesh Narasimhan,
Northern Virginia Community Montclair State University
College at Annandale Vincent Owhoso,
Emily Elaine Griffith, Northern Kentucky University
The University of Georgia Dwight M. Owsen
Richard Hale, Long Island University Brooklyn
Midway College Gary Peters,
James Hansen, University of Arkansas
University of Illinois at Chicago Byron Pike,
Aretha Hill, Minnesota State University–Mankato
Florida A&M University Marshall Pitman,
Steven C. Hunt, University of Texas–San Antonio
Western Illinois University Sharon Polansky,
Venkataraman Iyer, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi
The University of
North Carolina at Greensboro
xxii Acknowledgments

Kathy Pollock, Jaysinha Shinde,

Indiana University–Purdue University Eastern Illinois University
Fort Wayne Adrianne Slaymaker,
Duane Ponko, Metropolitan State University
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Duane Smith,
Dwayne Powell, Brescia University
Arkansas State University Beverly Strachan,
Abdul Qastin, Troy University at Montgomery
North Carolina A&T State Iris Stuart,
Linda Quick, California State University
University of South Carolina Christine N. Todd,
Hema Rao, Colorado State University–Pueblo
SUNY–Oswego John Trussel,
Jason T. Rasso, Penn State University–Harrisburg
University of South Florida Jerry L. Turner,
Yigal Rechtman, University of Memphis
Pace University Frank Venezia,
Barbara Reider, State University at Albany
University of Montana Barbara Vinciguerra,
Raymond Reisig, Moravian College
Pace University Bobby Waldrup,
John Rigsby, University of North Florida
Mississippi State University Rick Warne,
Pamela Roush, University of Cincinnati
University of Central Florida J. Donald Warren Jr.,
Maria Sanchez, Rutgers University
Rider University Christian Wurst,
Kristen Kelli Saunders, Temple University
University of South Carolina Tu Xu,
Tammi Schaefer, Georgia State University
University of South Carolina Xu Zhaohui,
Bunney L. Schmidt, University of Houston–Clear Lake
Utah Valley State College Lin Zheng,
Timothy Andrew Seidel, Northeastern Illinois University
University of Arkansas Douglas Ziegenfuss,
Carol Shaver, Old Dominion University
Louisiana Tech University

In addition, we would like to recognize our outstanding staff at McGraw-Hill: Man-

aging Director, Tim Vertovec; Brand Manager, Pat Plumb; Marketing Manager, Cheryl
Osgood; Product Developers, Rebecca Mann and Randall Edwards; Senior Content
Project Managers, Dana Pauley and Angela Norris; Buyer, Laura Fuller; and Designer,
Matt Diamond. For their encouragement, assistance, and guidance in the production of
this book, we are grateful.
 Acknowledgments xxiii

Few understand the enormous commitment of time and energy that it takes to put
together a textbook. As authors, we are constantly scanning The Wall Street Journal and
other news outlets for real-world examples to illustrate theoretical discussions, reread-
ing and rewriting each other’s work to make sure that key concepts are understandable,
and double-checking our solutions to end-of-chapter problems. Among the few who do
understand the time and energy commitment are our family members (Barbara Louwers;
Kristin, Jackson, Elijah, Jonah, Ansley, and Laney Grace Blay; Karen, Matthew, Joshua,
and Adam Sinason; Susan and Meghan Strawser; and Ellen, Jenny, Eric, and Jessica
Thibodeau) who uncomplainingly endured endless refrains of, “I just need a couple more
minutes to finish this section.” Words cannot express our gratitude to each of them for
their patience and unending support.
Tim Louwers
Allen Blay
Dave Sinason
Jerry Strawser
Jay Thibodeau
Brief Contents
PART ONE
The Contemporary Auditing Environment
1. Auditing and Assurance Services
2. Professional Standards 40
PART TWO
The Financial Statement Audit
3. Engagement Planning 75
4. Management Fraud and Audit Risk
PART THREE
Stand-Alone Modules
1 Please refer to pages xviii–xxiii for guidance
on when to best integrate these modules.
A. Other Public Accounting Services 583
B. Professional Ethics 628
C. Legal Liability 676
D. Internal Audits, Governmental Audits, and
117 Fraud Examinations 720

5. Risk Assessment: Internal Control E. Overview of Sampling 762

Evaluation 173 F. Attributes Sampling 795
6. Employee Fraud and the Audit of Cash 227 G. Variables Sampling 835
7. Revenue and Collection Cycle 279 H. Auditing and Information Technology 883
8. Acquisition and Expenditure Cycle 336
9. Production Cycle 394 CASES C1
10. Finance and Investment Cycle 443 INDEX I1
11. Completing the Audit 500
12. Reports on Audited Financial Statements 540

xxiv
Contents
PART ONE
THE CONTEMPORARY AUDITING
ENVIRONMENT
Chapter 1
Auditing and Assurance Services 1
User Demand for Reliable Information 2
Information Risk in a Big Data World 3 Practices 56
Auditing, Attestation, and Assurance
Services 4
Definition of Financial Statement Auditing
Auditing in a Big Data Environment 6
Attestation Engagements 7
Assurance Services 9
Examples of Assurance Services 10
Management’s Financial Statement Assertions 12
Existence or Occurrence (Existence, Occurrence)
Rights and Obligations
(Rights and Obligations) 14
Completeness (Completeness, Cutoff) 15
Valuation and Allocation (Accuracy or
Valuation) 15
Presentation and Disclosure (Classification,
Understandability) 15
Importance of Assertions 17
Professional Skepticism 18
Public Accounting 21
Assurance Services 21
Tax Services 23
Consulting and Advisory Services 23
Other Kinds of Engagements and Information
Professionals 24
Internal Auditing 24
Governmental Auditing 25
Regulatory Auditors 26
Become a Professional and Get Certified! 26
Education 27
Examination 27
Experience 28
State Certificate and License 29
Skill Sets and Your Education 30
Summary 31
Key Terms 31
Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and
Review 32
Exercises and Problems 37
Chapter 2
Professional Standards 40
Introduction 41
Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS) 42
Fundamental Principle: Responsibilities 45
Fundamental Principle: Performance 48
Fundamental Principle: Reporting 54
Evaluating the Quality of Public Accounting Firms’
System of Quality Control 56
PCAOB Inspection of Firms 58
5 Summary 60
Key Terms 61
Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and
Review 63
Exercises and Problems 66
Appendix 2A
13
Referencing Professional Standards 73
PART TWO
THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT
Chapter 3
Engagement Planning 75
Introduction 76
Pre-Engagement Activities (AU-C 300, AS 2101) 77
Client Acceptance or Continuance 77
Compliance with Independence and Ethical
Requirements 79
Engagement Letters 80
Audit Plan (AU-C 300, AS 2101) 82
Staffing the Audit Engagement 83
Considering the Work of Internal Auditors
(AU-C 610, AS 2605) 84
Using the Work of an Audit Specialist
(AU-C 620, AS 1210) 85
Use of IT Auditors 85
Time Budget 85
Materiality (AU-C 320, AS 2105) 87
Materiality Calculation 89
Audit Procedures for Obtaining Audit
Evidence (AU-C 500, AS 1105) 90
1. Inspection of Records and Documents 93
2. Inspection of Tangible Assets 96
xxv
xxvi Contents

3. Observation 96 Inquiry of Audit Committee, Management, and Others

4. Inquiry 96 within the Company 145
5. Confirmation 97 Overall Assessment and Documentation of Inherent Risk
6. Recalculation 97 Assessment (AU 500, AS 1105, AU 265,
7. Reperformance 97 AS 2201) 146
8. Analytical Procedures 98 Document Risk Assessment 147
Planning in a Computerized Environment 99 Fraud and Other Significant Risks (AU 330,
Effect of Client’s Computerized Processing AS 2301) 147
on Audit Planning 100 Communication of Fraud Risks 148
Computer-Assisted Audit Techniques (CAATs) 102 Auditors’ Responsibilities for Noncompliance with
Audit Documentation (AU-C 230, AS 1215) 104 Laws and Regulations (AU 250, AS 2405) 149
Permanent Files 104 Audit Strategy Memorandum 151
Current Files 105 Summary 152
Audit Documentation Arrangement and Indexing 106 Key Terms 152
Summary 108 Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and
Key Terms 109 Review 154
Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and Exercises and Problems 158
Review 110 Appendix 4A
Exercises and Problems 114 Selected Financial Ratios 169

Chapter 4 Appendix 4B
Sample Audit Memorandum 170
Management Fraud and Audit Risk 117
Introduction 118
Audit Risk (AU 320, AS 1101) 119 Chapter 5
Audit Risk 119
Risk Assessment: Internal Control
Inherent Risk 120
Control Risk 120
Evaluation 173
Detection Risk 120 Introduction 174
Audit Risk Model 120 Internal Control Defined 175
Fraud Risk (AU-C 240, AS 2401) 124 Management Versus Auditors’ Responsibility for
Fraud 126 Internal Control 176
Types of Fraud 128 Auditors’ Internal Control Responsibilities 176
128
Other Definitions Related to Fraud Components of Internal Control 179
Inherent Risk Assessment—“What Could Go Control Environment 180
Wrong?” (AU 315, AS 2110) 130 Risk Assessment 181
Understanding the Client’s Business and Control Activities 183
Its Environment 132 Information and Communication 187
Industry, Regulatory, and Other External Factors 132 Monitoring 188
The Nature of the Company 133 Limitations of Internal Control 190
Related Parties 133 Internal Control Evaluation 191
Selection and Application of Accounting Principles, Phase 1: Understand and Document the Client’s Internal
Including Related Disclosures 134 Control 192
Company Objectives, Strategies, and Related Business Phase 2: Assess the Control Risk (Preliminary) 197
Risks 135 Phase 3: Identify Controls to Test and Perform Tests of
Company Performance Measures 137 Controls 199
Gathering Information and Preliminary Analytical Responsibilities in Public Company Audits Required
Procedures 137 by PCAOB Auditing Standard No. 2201 203
General Business Sources 137 Requirements 204
Company Sources 138 Internal Control Communications 207
Information from Client Acceptance or Continuance Summary 208
Evaluation, Audit Planning, Past Audits, and Other Key Terms 209
Engagements 138 Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and
Preliminary Analytical Procedures Review 210
(AU 520, AS 2110) 138 Exercises and Problems 214
Audit Team Brainstorming Discussions 144 Appendix 5A
 Contents xxvii

Audit Plan 220 Significant Accounts and Relevant Assertions 285

Appendix 5B Risk of Material Misstatement 287
Revenue Recognition 287
Auditor Reports on Internal Control over Collectability of Accounts Receivable 290
Financial Reporting 220 Customer Returns and Allowances 290
Internal Control Activities and Design Evaluation 290
Chapter 6 Entity-Level Controls in the Revenue and
Collections Cycle 291
Employee Fraud and the Audit Control Considerations at the Account and
of Cash 227 Assertion Level 291
Introduction 228 Tests of Operating Effectiveness of Internal
Employee Fraud Overview 229 Control 293
Employee Fraud Red Flags 230 Summary: Control Risk Assessment 296
Characteristics of Fraudsters 230 Substantive Analytical Procedures and Tests of
The Fraud Triangle (AU-C 315, AS 2401) 232 Details 297
Incentive/Pressure 233 Analytical Procedures 300
Opportunity 233 Confirmation of Accounts and Notes Receivable 301
Attitude/Rationalization 234 Alternative Procedures 305
Fraud Prevention 235 Additional Notes about Confirmations 306
Managing People and Pressures in the Workplace 235 Dual-Purpose Nature of Accounts Receivable
Internal Control Activities and Employee Confirmations 306
Monitoring 236 Review for Collectability 306
Tone at the Top 238 Cutoff and Sales Returns 307
The Audit of Cash 239 Audit Risk Model Applied 309
Audit Evidence Used to Test Cash 239 Application in the Field 309
Significant Accounts and Relevant Assertions 243 Audit Cases: Extended Audit Procedures
Risk of Material Misstatement 244 (AS 2301) 310
Evaluating the Design and Operating Effectiveness of Summary 317
Internal Controls 244 Key Terms 317
Substantive Procedures 250 Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and
“Extended Procedures” to Detect Fraud 257 Review 318
Summary 260 Exercises and Problems 322
Key Terms 261 Appendix 7A
Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and Internal Control Questionnaires 332
Review 262
Exercises and Problems 265 Appendix 7B
Appendix 6A Audit Plan 334
Internal Control Questionnaires 276
Appendix 6B Chapter 8
Audit Plans 278 Acquisition and Expenditure Cycle 336
Introduction 337
Chapter 7 Acquisition and Expenditure Cycle: Typical
Activities 338
Revenue and Collection Cycle 279 Purchasing Goods and Services 338
Introduction 280 Receiving the Goods or Services 340
Revenue and Collection Cycle: Typical Recording the Asset or Expense and Related
Activities 280 Liability 341
Receiving and Processing Customer Orders, Including Significant Accounts and Relevant Assertions 341
Credit Granting 281 Accounts Payable 342
Delivering Goods and Services to Customers 282 Expenses 343
Billing Customers and Accounting for Accounts Risk of Material Misstatement 344
Receivable 282 Internal Control Activities and Design Evaluation 346
Management Reports and Data Files in the Revenue and Entity-Level Controls 346
Collection Cycle 283 Control Considerations 346
xxviii Contents

Custody 348 Chapter 10

Periodic Reconciliation 348
Testing of Operating Effectiveness of Internal Finance and Investment Cycle 443
Control 349 Introduction 444
Tests of Controls 349 Finance and Investment Cycle: Typical
Substantive Analytical Procedures and Tests of Activities 445
Details 351 Financing the Entity through Debt and
Open Purchase Orders 351 Stockholder Equity 446
Audit Risk Model Applied 359 Financial Planning (1) 447
Fraud Cases: Extended Audit Procedures (ISA/AS Raising Capital (2) 447
2301) 361 Investing Transactions: Investments and
Audit Issues in the Expense and Acquisition Intangibles (3) 449
Cycle 364 Significant Accounts and Relevant Assertions 452
Summary 365 Risk of Material Misstatement 453
Key Terms 365 Fair Market Value 454
Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and Related-Party Transactions 455
Review 366 Lease Accounting 455
Exercises and Problems 369 Loan Covenants 456
Appendix 8A Impairments 457
Internal Control Questionnaires 377 Presentation and Disclosure 457
Internal Control Activities and Design
Appendix 8B Evaluation 458
Audit Plans 380 Control Considerations 460
Appendix 8C Tests of Operating Effectiveness of Internal Control 460
Control over Accounting Estimates 463
The Payroll Cycle 382 Authorization 464
Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and Record Keeping 464
Review 390 Custody 465
Exercises and Problems 392 Summary: Control Risk Assessment 465
Substantive Analytical Procedures and Tests of
Chapter 9 Details 466
Auditing Fair Value Measurements (AS 2502) 472
Production Cycle 394 Derivative Instruments, Hedging Activities, and
Phar-Mor Inc. 395 Investments in Securities (AS 2503) 473
Production Cycle: Typical Activities 396 Long-Term Liabilities and Related Accounts 474
Significant Accounts and Relevant Assertions 400 Stockholders’ Equity: Substantive Procedures 476
Risk of Material Misstatement 402 Auditing Stock-Based Compensation Plans 476
Internal Control Activities and Design Fraud Cases: Extended Audit Procedures
Evaluation 404 (AS 2301) 477
Testing of Operating Effectiveness of Internal Summary 482
Control 408 Key Terms 484
Substantive Analytical Procedures and Tests of Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and
Details 411 Review 484
Inventory Circumstances 416 Exercises and Problems 488
Audit Risk Model Applied 421 Appendix 10A
Fraud Case: Extended Audit Procedures (AS 2301) 421 Internal Control Questionnaires 496
Summary 423
Key Terms 425 Appendix 10B
Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and Substantive Audit Plans 497
Review 426
Exercises and Problems 429 Chapter 11
Appendix 9A
Completing the Audit 500
Internal Control Questionnaires 439
Introduction 501
Appendix 9B Audit Timeline 502
Audit Plans 441 Procedures Performed During Fieldwork 504

Completing Substantive Procedures 504
Attorney Letters 505
Written Representations 509
Ability to Continue as a Going Concern 512
Adjusting Entries and Financial Statement
Disclosure 513
Audit Documentation Review 516
Subsequent Events and Subsequently
Discovered Facts 517
Subsequent Events 517
Subsequently Discovered Facts 519
Responsibilities Following the Audit
Report Release Date 521
Omitted Procedures 521
Communications with Individuals Charged with
Governance 521
Management Letter 523
Summary of Audit Communications 523
Summary 524
Key Terms 524
Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and
Review 525
Exercises and Problems 528
Chapter 12
Reports on Audited Financial
Statements 540
Introduction 541
Overview of Auditors’ Reports 542
The Standard Report 543
Auditors’ Reports for Public Entities 544
Types of Opinions 546
Conditions That Require Modifications to
the Auditors’ Standard (Unmodified)
Report 547
Departures from GAAP 547
Scope Limitations 549
Audits of Group Financial Statements 553
Auditors’ Reports Referencing Other Matters
Encountered During the Audit 556
Consistency 556
“Going-Concern” Uncertainties 556
Other Information Accompanying Audited
Financial Statements 557
Required Supplementary Information 558
Other Modifications 559
Summary: Emphasis-of-Matter and Other-
Matter Paragraphs 559
Other Reporting Topics 560
Comparative Financial Statements 560
Summary Financial Statements 562
Supplementary Information 563
Disclaimers of Opinion 563
Summary 564
Key Terms 566
Contents xxix
Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and Review 567
Exercises and Problems 569
PART THREE
STAND-ALONE MODULES
Module A
Other Public Accounting Services 583
Introduction 585
Attestation Engagements 585
Introduction to Attestation Engagements 585
Applying Agreed-Upon Procedures 588
Prospective Financial Information and Pro Forma
Financial Information 588
An Examination of an Entity’s Internal Control over
Financial Reporting That Is Integrated with an Audit
of Its Financial Statements (AT 501) 590
Compliance Attestation 591
Broker–Dealer Compliance 592
Management’s Discussion and Analysis 594
Service Organizations 594
Unaudited Financial Statements: Reviews,
Compilations, and Preparation Engagements 598
Review Services 598
Compilation Services 602
Preparation of Financial Statements 603
Summary of Audits, Reviews, and Compilations 604
Responsibilities Related to Reporting on Interim
Financial Information 604
Other Topics: Special and Restricted-Use
Reports 606
Specified Elements, Accounts, or Items 606
Special-Purpose Frameworks 607
Reports on Application of Requirements of an Appropriate
Financial Reporting Framework 609
Assurance Services 611
Why Develop New Assurance Services? 611
Definition: Assurance Services 612
eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) 613
Enhanced Business Reporting 613
Integrated Reporting 613
Trust Services 614
Sustainability Reporting 615
Summary 616
Key Terms 617
Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and
Review 618
Exercises and Problems 621
Module B
Professional Ethics 628
Introduction 629
General Ethics 630
xxx Contents
An Ethical Decision Process 631
Philosophical Principles in Ethics 632
The Imperative Principle 632
The Principle of Utilitarianism (or
Consequentialism) 634
The Generalization Argument 634
Virtue Ethics 634
Ethical Codes of Conduct 635
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) 636
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
(PCAOB) 636
The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) 636
The Professional Ethics Executive Committee (PEEC) of
the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) 637
An Emphasis on Independence 639
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants 639
SEC and PCAOB Independence Rules 646
Other Effects of Sarbanes–Oxley on Auditor
Independence 648
Government Accountability Office (GAO) Independence
Requirements 649
AICPA Rules of Conduct: Integrity and
Objectivity, Responsibilities to Clients, and Other
Responsibilities 650
Integrity and Objectivity Rule 650
General Standards Rule 652
Compliance with Standards Rule 651
Accounting Principles Rule 652
Confidential Client Information Rule 652
Fees and Other Types of Remuneration 654
Acts Discreditable Rule 656
Advertising and Other Forms of Solicitation Rule
Form of Organization and Name Rule 658
The International Ethics Standards Board for
Accountants (IESBA) Code 659
Consequences of Violating the Code of
Professional Conduct 659
Self-Regulatory Discipline 659
Public Regulation Discipline 660
Summary 662
Key Terms 663
Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and
Review 663
Exercises and Problems 667
Module C
Legal Liability 676
The Legal Environment 678
Liability Under Common Law 680
Liability to Clients 680
Liability to Third Parties 681
Liability for Compilation and Review Services 686
Liability Under Statutory Law 687
The Securities Act of 1933 (Securities Act) 688
Section 11: Civil Liability 688
Auditors’ Defenses under the Securities Act 689
Section 13: Statute of Limitations 690
Section 17: Antifraud 690
Section 24: Criminal Liability 690
The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Securities Exchange Act) 691
Section 10 and Rule 10(b)-5: Antifraud 691
Section 18: Civil Liability 693
Auditors’ Defenses under the Securities Exchange Act 693
Section 32: Criminal Liability 694
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) 694
Summary of Auditors’ Liability to Clients and
Third Parties 695
The Changing Landscape of Auditors’ Liability 697
Sarbanes–Oxley 697
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act 698
Aiding and Abetting 699
Organization of Accounting Firms as
Limited Liability Partnerships 699
Proportionate Liability 700
Class-Action Suits 700
Auditors’ Liability Caps 702
Other Developments 702
Summary 703
Key Terms 704
Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and
Review 705
Exercises and Problems 710
Module D
Internal Audits, Governmental Audits,
657
and Fraud Examinations 720
Introduction 721
“External,” Governmental, and Internal Audits 722
Internal Audits 723
Independence 723
Value-Added Audit 725
Scope of Service 726
Internal Audit Standards 730
Internal Audit Reports 731
Governmental Audits 732
Types of Governmental Audits 734
Audit Procedures—Economy, Efficiency, and
Program Results Audits 735
GAO Government Auditing Standards 737
Single Audit Act of 1984 and Amendments of 1996 738
GAO Audit Reports 739
Fraud Examinations 741
The Art of Fraud Examinations 743
Fraud Examiner Responsibilities 745
Building a Fraud Case 747
Protecting the Evidence 747
Obtaining Litigation Support 747
Summary 747
Key Terms 749
 Contents xxxi

Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and Appendix F.A

Review 749 AICPA Sample Size Tables 832
Exercises and Problems 753
Appendix F.B
Module E AICPA Sample Evaluation Tables 834
Overview of Sampling 762
Module G
Introduction 762
What Is Sampling? 763 Variables Sampling 835
When Should Sampling Be Used? 764 Introduction 836
Sampling Risk versus Nonsampling Risk 764 Role of Variables Sampling in the Audit 836
Statistical Sampling versus Nonstatistical Sampling 766 Definition of Variables Sampling 836
The Basic Steps Involved with Sampling 767 Monetary Unit Sampling (MUS) 837
Planning 767 Steps 1–3: Planning 839
Performing 768 Step 4: Determine the Sample Size 839
Documenting the Sampling Procedure 771 Step 5: Select the Sample Items 842
Use of Sampling in the Audit 772 Step 6: Measure the Sample Items 844
Study and Evaluation of Internal Control 773 Step 7: Evaluate the Sample Results 845
Substantive Procedures 775 Other Variables Sampling Approaches 849
Summary: Sampling Risks for Audit Sampling 777 Variables Sampling: Documenting 850
An Overview of Audit Sampling 777 Summary 851
Planning (Steps 1–3) 777 Key Terms 852
Performing 777 Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and
Evaluate Sample Results (Step 7) 779 Review 853
Documenting the Sampling Procedure 779 Exercises and Problems 856
Example of Audit Sampling 779 Appendix G.A
Summary 780 AICPA MUS Tables 872
Key Terms 780
Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice Appendix G.B
and Review 782 Classical Variables Sampling 874
Exercises and Problems 785
Appendix G.C
Module F Nonstatistical Sampling 881
Attributes Sampling 795
Module H
Introduction 796
Role of Attributes Sampling in the Audit 796 Auditing and Information Technology 883
Planning 797 Introduction 884
Step 1: Determine the Objective of Sampling 797 Information Technology (IT) Systems 885
Step 2: Define the Characteristic of Interest 797 Reliance on It Controls 887
Step 3: Define the Population 798 General Controls 887
Performing 799 Automated Application Controls 894
Step 4: Determine the Sample Size 800 Output Controls 896
Step 5: Select the Sample Items 805 Assessing Control Risk in an It Environment 898
Step 6: Measure the Sample Items 806 Testing Controls in an It Environment 900
Step 7: Evaluating the Sample Results 808 End-User Computing and Other Environments 901
Calculating the Upper Limit Rate of Deviation 808 End-User Computing Control Considerations 901
Making the Evaluation Decision 810 Service Organizations 903
Qualitative Evaluation of Deviations 811 Computer Abuse and Computer Fraud 904
Documenting 812 Preventive, Detective, and Damage-Limiting Controls 905
Other Attributes Sampling Methods 813 Computer Forensics 907
Summary 814 Summary 907
Key Terms 814 Key Terms 908
Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice Multiple-Choice Questions for Practice and
and Review 815 Review 908
Exercises and Problems 819 Exercises and Problems 910
xxxii Contents
Cases
Andersen: An Obstruction of Justice? C1
PTL Club—The Harbinger of Things to Come? C5
GM: Running on Empty? C11
Unhealthy Accounting at HealthSouth C14
KPMG: How Many Firms? C17
Something Went Sour at Parmalat C20
GE: How Much Are Auditors Paid? C23
Satyam Computer Services Ltd.—India’s Enron C26
Auditor Changes at Daily Journal Corporation C30
London Has Fallen C33
Lehman Brothers: Subprime Accounting? C34
Bernard L. Madoff: The Fraud of the Century C37
When the Music Stops: Crazy Eddie’s C40
Index I1
 CHAPTER 1

Auditing and
Assurance Services

Our system of capital formation relies upon the confidence of millions of

savers to invest in companies. The auditor’s opinion is critical to that trust.
James R. Doty, Chairman, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
(PCAOB)

Professional Standards References

AU-C/ISA AS
Topic Section Section

1001, 1005,
Overall Objectives of the Independent Auditor 200 1010, 1015
Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit 240 2401
Audit Evidence 500 1105
Attestation Standards AT 101 AT 101
Compliance Auditing Considerations in Audits of Recipients of Governmental Financial Assistance 935 6110

LEARNING OBJECTIVES to master these professional auditing standards.

You are about to embark on a journey of
understanding how auditors work to keep the
capital markets safe and secure for the investing
public. You should know that students demonstrate
success in the auditing course quite differently than
they do in other accounting courses. For example,
when taking financial accounting, students typically
demonstrate success by correctly identifying the
proper journal entry for a given set of facts and
circumstances. In auditing, success is typically
demonstrated by completing multiple-choice, short-
answer, and simulation-type questions based on the
professional standards that regulate the auditing
process. Overall, this book provides you with a
comprehensive set of materials that will allow you
Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the auditing
and assurance profession.
Your objectives are to be able to:
LO 1-1 Define information risk and explain how the
financial statement auditing process helps to
reduce this risk, thereby reducing the cost of
capital for a company.
LO 1-2 Define and contrast financial statement
auditing, attestation, and assurance services.
LO 1-3 Describe and define the assertions that
management makes about the recognition,
measurement, presentation, and disclosure
of the financial statements and explain why
auditors use them as the focal point of the
audit.

1
2 Part One The Contemporary Auditing Environment

LO 1-4 Define professional skepticism and explain LO 1-6 Describe the audits and auditors in
its key characteristics. governmental, internal, and operational
LO 1-5 Describe the organization of public auditing.
accounting firms and identify the various LO 1-7 List and explain the requirements for becom-
services that they offer. ing a certified public accountant (CPA) and
other certifications available to an account-
ing professional.

USER DEMAND FOR RELIABLE INFORMATION

LO 1-1
Define information risk and
explain how the financial
statement auditing process
helps to reduce this risk,
thereby reducing the cost of
capital for a company.
In 2002, the Sarbanes–Oxley Act was passed as a direct response to a wave of major
financial statement frauds that had just occurred at companies like Enron, WorldCom,
and Tyco. While the law was passed many years ago, the effect of this landmark legisla-
tion on financial statement auditing has been far reaching. Perhaps the most important
change ushered in by the law is that financial statement auditing of public companies is
regulated. Specifically, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) is
now responsible for setting all audit standards to be followed on audits of public com-
panies. In addition, the PCAOB is required to perform inspections of the audit work
completed and the quality control processes employed by audit firms. As a direct result,
accounting students should know that if they plan to work as financial statement audi-
tors, they will be entering a world that is focused on audit quality. Consider the following
Auditing Insight.

AUDITING INSIGHT Audit Quality

In July 2015, the PCAOB released a concept statement that detailed
28 different indicators of audit quality. The indicators were cat-
egorized within three broad categories. The first category, audit
professionals, focused on measures such as partner workload and
industry expertise of professionals. The second category, audit pro-
cess, focused on measures such as compliance with independence
requirements and PCOAB inspection results. The third category, audit
results, focused on measures such as number of client restatements
and client frauds. The list is a clear indication to students that qual-
ity matters more than anything else in their future work as auditing
professionals.
Source: PCAOB Concept Release on Audit Quality Indicators: Release
No.2015-005, July 1, 2015. Available at http://pcaobus.org/Rules/Rulemaking/
Docket%20041/Release_2015_005.pdf.

Why is audit quality so important? Well, both investors and creditors depend on
reliable financial statement information to make their investment and lending decisions
about a company. As a result, the confidence of investors and creditors is shaken each
and every time that audit quality is compromised. In fact, before we think about audit
quality any further, we must first explain the vital role that financial statement auditors
play in supplying key decision makers with useful, understandable, and timely infor-
mation. When you have a better understanding of why auditing is so critical to help
ensure the liquidity of the world’s capital markets, we will then explore in detail the
process auditors take to help ensure that audit quality is achieved. Because many of you
are likely planning to enter the public accounting profession and work as an auditor, we
hope that you will work hard to acquire this knowledge so that you may do your part in
playing a key role in maintaining the public’s confidence in both the auditing profes-
sion and the capital markets.
Another random document with
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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