52 UNDER THE AFRICAN SUN 



then serve up the meat practically raw with the blood still 

 oozing out. If I sent it back to the kitchen, it would re- 

 appear overdone. 



The cultivation of the gourd into every conceivable shape, 

 according to the needs or the fancy of the community, is well 

 known ; and, as might be expected, the gourds which find 

 greatest favour with the Masai resemble long- necked bottles. 

 Some of these are curiously shaped like champagne bottles. 

 Gourds are often ornamented with rows of cowrie shells 

 or beads ; others have a pattern burnt on them in the style 

 of poker-work. 



The Masai woman is an expert milkmaid, but she never uses 

 both hands to milk ; she usually holds the gourd-bottle, which 

 is extremely light, in her left hand and milks with the right. 



Veterinary surgery, as practised by them, consists in bleeding. 

 I witnessed the operation one day, when a gentleman, afraid that 

 his donkey was ill beyond all recovery, called in a Masai vet., who 

 came provided with a toy bow and what looked like a toy 

 arrow but that it had a very sharp pointed arrow-head. Having 

 felt the animal, the Masai from a distance of about eight or 

 ten inches shot the arrow into its neck, and a stream of dark 

 venous blood at once flowed out. He allowed about three to 

 four ounces to escape, and then, extracting the arrow, the 

 bleeding stopped almost immediately. The operation certainly 

 relieved the donkey at the time ; 1 cannot say if it proved of 

 any lasting benefit, as I had to continue my march next day. 



Along the line of the lakes Naivasha, Elmenteita, and Nakuru, 

 the cows which accompany a caravan produce at certain seasons 

 of the year a milk with a most peculiar smell and taste — in fact, 

 "fishy" is the nearest resemblance. Swahilies do not mind this 

 nasty flavour ; but I have not yet met the European who likes it. 

 I have been told that it is due to some plant which the cows 

 eat without any injurious effect on their health, though it im- 

 parts this very peculiar vile aroma to their milk. 



The first Government station the traveller arrives at in the 

 Uganda Protectorate is Naivasha Station. It is built on a 

 plateau which overlooks the lake. The locality provides flat 

 slabs of stone ; this made it comparatively easy to build up a 

 stone wall round the fort. Trench and drawbridge afford 

 additional security. Good building timber can also be had, 

 though it is not felled in the very immediate neighbourhood. 



