THE LOWER BENCHES 



after he was most friendly. His helpfulness, kind- 

 ness, and courtesy could not have been bettered. 

 He lent us his own boy as guide down through the 

 canons of the Narossara to the lower benches, where 

 we hoped to find kudu; he offered store room to 

 such of our supplies as we intended holding in 

 reserve; he sent us sheep and eggs as a welcome 

 variation of our game diet; and in addition he gave 

 us Masai implements and ornaments we could not 

 possibly have acquired in any other way. It is 

 impossible to buy the personal belongings of this 

 proud and independent people at any price. The 

 price of a spear ordinarily runs about two rupees' 

 worth, when one trades with any other tribe. I 

 know of a case where a Masai was offered fifty 

 rupees for his weapon, but refused scornfully. V. 

 acquired these things through friendship; and after 

 we had gained his, he was most generous with them. 

 Thus he presented us with a thing almost impossible 

 to get and seen rarely outside of museums the 

 Masai war bonnet made of the mane of a lion. It 

 is in shape and appearance, though not in colour, 

 almost exactly like the grenadier's shako of the last 

 century. In addition to this priceless trophy V. 

 also gave us samples of the cattle bells, both wooden 

 and metal, ivory ear ornaments, bead bracelets, 

 steel collars, circumcision knives, sword belts, and 



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