S22 MASAI, TURKANA, SUK, NANDI, ETC. 



trilie. which was of Central African origin, niay have been at some 

 period of its niii^ration in contact with the .Masai, and liave copied some 

 of the customs of that race, from which it differs absolutely in language. 



The poHtical rotraiul of I>ritisli ami (feiium authority has })ractically 

 put an end to the raids of the Masai on the Bantu and Nandi negroes, 

 and has almost extinguished civil war amongst the Masai tribes; therefore, 

 unless they go to war as the auxilia;ies of the Europeans (and of late 

 then' iiave been more useful to the Uganda Administration as irregular 

 troops), the modern Masai have little chance of fighting. In former days, 

 before the Masai warriors, called •• El Morran," * started on an expedition, 

 they would fortify their courage with a war medicine, which was said to 

 be the hark of Acacia vemifjosa. This bark, when chewed, would make 

 them either fiantic or stupefied, thus lulling any apjjrehensions. Once on 

 the war-} at h. however, they were invariably brave, as public opinion 

 would probalily visit any sign of cowardice with execution. The ^lasai 

 warriors would travel as much as fifty miles a day at a constant trot. In 

 old days they tliought nothing of going 300 miles — even 500 miles — to 

 attack a peo])le or a district which was supposed to be rich in cattle. They 

 would sometimes travel at night as well as in tlie daytime, but their 

 favourite time of attack was just at dawn. In the first ardour of battle 

 they would slay every man and boy witli their huge spears, but women 

 were very rarely killed. It is stated that the ]Ma-ai have generally been 

 in the habit of warning their enemies before making an attack on them, 

 but I certainly remember myself in 1884 having re[;orted to me a great 

 many instances of the ^Nlasai round Kilimanjaro taking or attempting to 

 take Bantu villages wholly by surprise. No doubt in the case of tiibutary 

 people a warning would be sent first that the overdue tribute must be 

 paid up. and in the event of this notice remaining unheeded the warriors 

 would descend on the rebellious vassal. 



The condition of women among the ^lasai offers another curious 

 analogy to the Zulus. It is a condition which is not by any means 

 peculiar to the [Masai, as was thought by earlier travellers, but is frequently 

 met with in other negro races showing no near kinship to this people. 

 The Masai warrior is not allowed by the elders of his tribe to marry until 

 he has reached about thirty years of age, and has accumulated a fair 

 amount of property, or else has so distinguished himself by his bravery as 

 to merit an early retirement. But from the time of his reaching puberty 

 till the date at which he is able to Uiairy he is by no means willing to 

 live without the solace of female conipanionshi]). The young warrior, 

 soon after attaining manhood (wlien the hair of his head, from ha\iug 

 been ])reviously close sliavtn. is now allowed to grow until it can be 



* In the singular "01 Morani." 



