GLIMPSES OF EAST AFRICA AND ZANZIBAR 



covered with stones, and afterwards each man who 

 passes adds another. I only came across one of 

 these graves. Several times I have seen trees with 

 stones put in all the branches, which, of course, often 

 tumble off and form a heap round the stem ; then 

 again near Naivasha there was a bank of stones 

 which we passed one day, our Kikuyu porters added 

 another stone ; we also came across numerous fallen 

 trees covered with bits of grass and to which the 

 first porter added a handful. I asked him why he 

 did it and he said " Muungu " (God). So I asked 

 why the second man did not do it too ; he only 

 shook his head and pointed to the first ; then I 

 added some grass and they thought it a huge joke. 

 I afterwards heard when I asked about it, that the 

 Masai reverence grass very much, as by it their 

 beloved cattle live, and they think it brings good 

 luck or success to an expedition to put a handful 

 of grass on to a fallen stem. It may be the same 

 with the stones. 



They have a way of spitting to show their plea- 

 sure, and also as a form of greeting, which is not a 

 very agreeable custom ; the latter however has, with 

 Europeans, given way to the white man's hand- 

 shake. 



I used to buy milk of the Masai women for my 

 cats and dogs when they were ill, or I wanted a 

 quantity for them, as it was very much cheaper 

 than that of the white farmers ; but we could not 



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