42 A COLONY IN THE MAKING chap. 



fellow-subjects or rulers. At all events, with the white 

 settlers themselves the page stands clean. There are 

 those indeed who say emphatically that the Masai 

 are the spoilt child among the native races of the 

 Protectorate. 



Individually the Masai are far from unattractive. 

 Both men and women are slight and well made, with 

 pleasing features, though with somewhat high cheek 

 bones. The average height of a man might be 5ft. 

 7in., of a woman 5ft. 4-in. They are always spare and 

 one would have to search a long while to find a 

 representative scaling 10 stone. The work, what little 

 there is, is always done by young boys or old women. 

 Once every five years a circumcision ceremony is held, 

 and the young men considered fit to bear arms are 

 initiated by circumcision to the rank of warrior. The 

 initiation ceremony over, the warrior should proceed 

 at the earliest opportunity to justify his existence by 

 some deed of arms. If there are plenty of lions handy 

 this justification can be worked off at their expense. 

 If not, there is always a danger of trouble. A warrior 

 may not marry, but lives with one or more concubines 

 of his own age. Traditionally, though these warriors 

 did no work, they kept themselves in the highest state 

 of training for the raids or battles which continually 

 occurred. The warrior marries the lady of his choice 

 after his fighting days are over. A married woman 

 is supposed to remain chaste, but since in the ordinary 

 course of events she has had so much previous experi- 

 ence, this rule is probably more honoured in the breach 

 than in the observance. During the age of child- 

 bearing, a woman performs none but light household 

 duties, but when that is over the whole work of the 

 family, added to much of the village work, falls to 



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