ONE AFRICAN DAY 209 



on with a certain dignity, as is the way with these 

 proud folk, who care nothing for intercourse with 

 the white race (and with good reason) unless forced 

 to acknowledge them, or anxious to obtain help in 

 sickness. 1 



Once the greatest warriors, and formidable as 

 the Zulus themselves in organisation, the Masai 

 are now a simple pastoral people, living on the 

 produce of their flocks and herds. They do not 

 kill game, and are, in consequence, ideal settlers 

 in the game reserves, for game to them is of no 

 account as food. The buffalo is of interest to them, 

 as it is from these fierce animals they make their 

 shields, and occasionally they kill a giraffe for 

 the tail-hairs, which they use for sewing the 

 ornamental pattern on their gourds and dresses. 



Even lions are not molested by them, unless 

 individuals take to cattle-killing, and then the 

 young warriors band together and hunt up the lion, 

 finishing it with spears alone. In these en- 

 counters many of the Masai are killed or injured, 

 but this circumstance is of little matter to them, and 

 far inferior in importance to the loss of a cow or 

 donkey. It is curious to note that injuries from 

 lions soon heal up in their case, for they seldom 

 suffer from blood-poisoning or gangrene, so common 

 in Europeans. 



Every warrior's ambition seems to be to obtain 

 the head and shoulder mane of a lion to use as a 

 head-dress, and from the number of these to be 



1 At times several miserable Masai suffering from various 

 diseases came in our camp and asked for treatment, but as 

 a rule they took no notice of us, even when we passed their 

 kraals. 



