196 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA chap. 



prey. I have myself met an old lady who in the 

 days of her youth had a most terrible experience 

 with a lion. The brute knocked her down, seized 

 her by the head, and was dragging her off to devour 

 her, when her screams attracted some warriors who 

 ran and beat off the lion and rescued her. How 

 she ever survived the terrible mauling she got is a 

 mystery, as even now, in her old age, her distorted 

 and scarred head (as shown in the photograph) gives 

 a fairly good idea of what she must have endured. 



The young wives do not do any hard work, 

 but as soon as they begin to get old, they become 

 drudges and their place is taken by younger women. 

 Strange to say they do not resent this and seem 

 quite cheerful and contented with their lot. 



It is a Masai Elder's great ambition to have great 

 herds of cattle and flocks of sheep and goats, and 

 also as many children as possible, especially sons. 

 Girls are rather at a discount, but still they have a 

 certain value in his eyes, as at the time of their 

 marriage they bring in at least two or three .cows ! 



The Masai does not seem to have any definite 

 religion, although he has a vague kind of belief 

 in an all-powerful being called Ngai, to whom he 

 prays when he wants any special favour. Anything 

 that strikes him as particularly wonderful is also 

 called Ngai — such as lightning, thunder, a railway 

 engine, etc. 



