Shensi Herdsman 



I presented him with some of the hairs in return 

 for his work, with which he was vastly delighted. 

 All natives prize these hairs, giving them to their 

 women to wear as bracelets, and also wearing them 

 themselves. 



I was greatly tickled at the dirty appearance of 

 one of these Shensi natives. His hair was matted 

 with clay, and his face and arms encrusted with 

 yellow sand from the marshes. When I checked 

 him for his slovenly appearance, poking my stick 

 through his entangled curls, he told me he was a 

 herdsman, and went on to explain that when he 

 tended cattle, if he turned up clean and washed, 

 they would have such a fright at the sight of him 

 that they would run away, whereas in his present 

 messy condition they had no fear of him whatever. 

 Again, when he had to milk them, the more be- 

 grimed he was, so much the more did they produce. 

 When I laughed at this ingenious excuse, he went 

 on to pick out further samples from his dusky store 

 of knowledge. I asked him if he would like some 

 elephant-meat, but he replied that if a herdsman 

 ate meat the cattle would mistrust him, whereas as 

 it was they treated him as one of themselves. I 

 must say these Shensis were most original and 

 amused me very much by their legendary yarns, 

 and who shall say they are not correct ? 



Before continuing my journey I was most anxious 

 to have another go at buffalo, in order to secure 

 a good head. So having made inquiries I was 

 advised to make for a place called Namberenzi, in 



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