In Untrodden Paths 



known by his tawny, cone-shaped hat of lion-skin, 

 denoting that he has killed the animal himself; 

 the usual run of fighting-man, however, is decked 

 out in an oval ring of ostrich feathers which he 

 wears over his head, kept in place behind with a 

 thong of leather ; the feathers are black, with two 

 or three fine white ones at the highest part to 

 give additional height to the wearer. Others 

 wear tippets of " whydah-birds' " feathers, thick 

 and very warm, which exude a certain effluvium. 

 The rank and file make their appearance in 

 nothing, and hope for the best ! The warriors 

 also carry one other weapon, a sword, called 

 locally a "simi," which, though of soft iron, cuts 

 to some purpose. 



The Masai, as I mentioned before, are splendid 

 fighters, and are enlisted as soldiers in the King's 

 African Rifles, one company of which is composed 

 exclusively of them ; and first-rate soldiers they 

 have proved themselves. They are very nice, 

 easy-going fellows, who give no trouble, work 

 hard, and don't drink in fact, they are the best 

 savages I have ever met. 



The place we had to make for to commence 

 our patrol was Fort Hall, the chief station in the 

 Kenia province, and thither we bent our steps, 

 travelling, for the first forty miles, across the Athi 

 Plains, directly towards Donyo Sabuk, a well- 

 known mountain landmark in the countryside 

 round Nairobi. Game abounded on each side of 



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