NOTES ON THE MASAl 



and with a long, iron shoe. In fact, only a bare hand- 

 hold of wood is provided. It is of formidable weight, 

 but so well balanced that a flip cast with the wrist 

 will drive it clear through an emeny. A short sword 

 and a heavy headed war club complete the offensive 

 weapons. The shield is of buffalo hide, oval in shape, 

 and decorated with a genuine heraldry, based on 

 genealogy. A circlet of black ostrich feathers in 

 some branches surrounds the face and stands high 

 above the head. In the southern districts the 

 warriors wear two single black ostrich plumes tied 

 one either side the head, and slanting a little back- 

 ward. They walk with a mincing step so that the 

 two feathers bob gently up and down like the waving 

 of the circus equestrienne's filmy skirts. 



Naturally the Masai with the Zulu were the most 

 dreaded of all the tribes of Africa. They were 

 constantly raiding in all directions as far as their 

 sphere of operations could reach, capturing cattle 

 and women as the prizes of war. Now that the 

 white man has put a stop to the ferocious intertribal 

 wars the El-morani are out of a job. The military 

 organization is still carried on as before. What will 

 happen to the morals of the people it would be 

 difficult to say. The twelve years of imposed peace 

 have not been long enough seriously to deteriorate 

 the people; but, inevitably, complete idleness will 



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