850 



:MASAr, TlTUvAXA, SUK, NANDI, ETC. 



The W(((}jOiin of llic 'I'urkaiia and Sfik consist of sjieais with small, 

 icaf-sliaixnl bhidi's, tlit' cresceiit-sliapecl knives worn on the wrist, a heavy 

 wooden clul) sliajied sonietliini^ like a l^oomerang (the heavy end being 

 often covered with a h-ather sheath), and bows and arrows. The shields 

 of both Snk and Tnrkana are of buffalo, ox, or giraffe hide, with a stick 



down the middle as a midrilx This 

 stick is bent to a sha[;e something 

 like a bow, and the middle is either 

 scooped out or bent into a loop so as 

 to admit of the passage of the hand. 

 It is attached to the raw hide of the 

 shield by strong leather stitches or 

 lacing. The stick does not project 

 below the bottom of the shield, but 

 extends quite six inches above the 

 top, where it is decorated with a tuft 

 or plume of feathers, or a rosette of 

 \egetal)le fibre. The shape is long and 

 narrow, and the sides and ends are 

 rather concave, so that the four angles 

 project in points. The shield is not 

 of very large size compared to those 

 used by the ^Nlasai. It is an imjiortant 

 fact that this peculiarly shaped leather 

 shield is used all round the west, south, 

 and east sides of Lake Eudolf by 

 Turkana, Suk, Burkeneji Masai, and the 

 half-Hamitic islanders of Elmolo. At 

 the noith end of Lake Kudolf the 

 Eeshiat shield is very long and narrow, 

 and is made of basketwork. 



Tlie Suk and Turkana have very 

 few manufactures except the making 

 of weapons and ornaments of iron, brass, 

 leather, ostrich shells, etc. The|astoial 

 Sfik and Turkana hardly e\er make 

 pottery, Init ol tain it generallv by trade from the tribes to the west and 

 north. They use gourds as milk vessels. 



In their luarridrje and hivth custonis they resemble the ^lasai to a 

 great extent, though they do not adopt 'such a rigi<l custom of obliging 

 the warriors to remain unnuuried or the married men- not to indulge in 

 fighting. Like the .Masai, they bury dittle children generally in the 



475- -V TUKKAXA SHIELD 



