6o In the Heart of Africa 



pictures of these noteworthy performances, and their reproduction 

 in Germany roused great interest. 



Prizes, in the shape of "gold" chains and similar objects, 

 were then distributed. The " Tait diamond " ornaments which I 

 had brought with me as special gifts of honour found great 

 favour with the trinket-loving Watussi. Rings, stars, brooches, 

 etc., were at length so coveted that my tent was in a continual 

 state of siege, and I was obliged to keep my admirers at arm's 

 length, so as not to exhaust completely my stock of " precious 

 jewels." 



We were also given an opportunity of seeing a set of dances 

 which differed in no material respect in their character from 

 those I had watched in the Masai steppe and amongst the coastal 

 tribes. There was no musical accompaniment to the majority 

 of the eleven different kinds of dance which we observed, such 

 as is usual with all the terpsichorean exercises of the negro 

 people. In spite of this, however, there was no lack of rhythm. 

 These dances were based on ideas borrowed from the animal 

 kingdom, and were executed singly, or in groups, accordingly. 

 I remember one dance which was designed to illustrate the move- 

 ments of a crane. We smile, no doubt, at these naive native 

 customs, but quite unjustifiably. We come across the same 

 ideas in our highly cultured Europe, for what is the clog-dance 

 of the Upper Bavarian peasants but an imitation of the song 

 and motions of the blackcock ? 



The war-dances, however, were of a different nature. These 

 were carried out in groups, and we were able to distinguish 

 different phases. Tv/o parties would rush to attack each other, 

 brandishing long rods and spears. Then a number of warriors 

 v/ould dance in a circle around a man who was bounding into 

 the air with his arras held close to his body. Yet the movements 

 were never wild ; they never degenerated into those grotesque 

 leapings and war cries, or cadenced groans, so often met with 

 among savage native tribes, but were always measured and 

 dignified. 



Each of the dances had been well practised in the presence 



