THE STRANGE VILLAGE OF KIYA BE 381 



work were observed in each village. These were to 

 contain the hve stock at night, for although hons are 

 scarce about here, those that do exist become very 

 bold, while the leopards are both numerous and 

 destructive. Hardly a night passes but some unfortu- 

 nate goat or sheep falls a victim to these spotted cats. 



These people are real raw savages, knowing httle of 

 the white man and nothing of the world beyond the 

 River Chari. As we passed, the entire population of 

 the villages would come out to gaze in wonder at the 

 fearsome and snorting animal. The men would salute 

 and stand awkwardly as if uncertain whether to pros- 

 trate themselves before tliis strange thing or to 

 run. The women were absolutely naked and stood 

 there quite unabashed, with astonishment written all 

 over their faces. Children are the same the world 

 over, and these boys and girls yelled in glee, shouted 

 and waved, while some of the bolder ones ran along- 

 side the truck until they were called back by fright- 

 ened mothers. 



Among these natives I noticed individuals who were 

 very tall, some that had fine features with thin Hps. 

 The younger women especially were not only possessors 

 of wonderful bodies, but many of them had a bearing 

 and classical features of which any prize beauty of 

 the white race might well be proud. 



Unfortunately most of these people of both sexes 

 had disfigured their faces. The skin had been cut and 

 earth worked underneath until it caused odd-shaped 

 bhsters. There were regular designs, those of the 

 men differing from those of the women, while the figures 

 of the younger generation seemed to follow a more elab- 

 orate pattern than that found among the older people. 



