MEN OF THE TREES 



by a company of girls, who sing and beat together buf- 

 falo horns, raising and lowering their heads and bodies 

 in rhythmic ecstasy. 



Among the absolutely illiterate peoples who live only 

 with fellow natives in the jungle, I can see the most 

 elaborate methods of self-expression embodied in their 

 dancing. But the dancing of those who for generations 

 have come under European influence seems to me to be 

 little more than a shuffle and I fail to detect purposeful 

 expression in their movements. It is interesting to ob- 

 serve that as the African becomes book-sawy his power 

 of expression in dancing deteriorates. 



Generally speaking, the African bush native is the 

 most cheerful person. He is inherently light-hearted, in- 

 consequent and happy. He seems to be bubbling over 

 with the joy of life, and this national exuberance is ex- 

 pressed in his dancing which plays such an important, if 

 not the most important, part in the lives of these care- 

 free children of nature. 



I shall always remember with keen delight many of 

 the dances held at my camps in the Highlands of British 

 East Africa. Many of these were given to entertain the 

 white man, but it seemed as though no excuse is too triv- 

 ial for a dance. 



They dance in the day-time, beginning about noon 

 and proceed until sundown, then they retire for their 

 evening meal. Two hours later, they are freshly decked 

 out with new war paint for the evening performance. 



A different dance is provided for each season of the 



152 



