KAVIRONDO 75 



promising over the immolated dog to be true friends in future, 

 and declaring that they deserved to be treated as the dead 

 dog if false to each other. Such faith these natives had in the 

 efficacy of this rite, that they at once flocked in trustingly from 

 every quarter to our camp, and a brisk market was opened as if 

 such a thing as war had never existed. 



Both in the Wakitosh and in the Wakilelowa expedition I 

 saw a good many cases of wounds inflicted by arrows. The 

 bow was a rather poor weapon, the arrows were of every 

 description. I have in my collection some specimens, brought 

 from the scenes of the earlier tights. A few of these arrows 

 are mere pointed pieces of wood without any feathers, others 

 are feathered; some carry a strong sharp thorn, others are 

 tipped with iron. The iron arrow-heads are of every description ; 

 some resemble a nail, others have the ordinary triangular shape 

 and sometimes carry one or more barbs. Some of the arrows 

 were poisoned, but the majority were not. The poison used 

 w^as old and practically harmless ; only a slight irritation re- 

 sulted, which yielded to antiseptic treatment. 



Mumia's station takes its name from having been built next 

 to the village of the chief Mumia, but he has since removed his 

 own village somewhat farther off. 



One day, close to Mumia's, I came upon a group of grotesquely 

 attired mummers, and was told that it was in honour of a Kavi- 

 rondo wedding. The young men had smeared themselves all 

 over with red or white clay. They sported a curious head-gear. 

 Two pieces of wood, with long white feathers fastened to them 

 so as to look somewhat like small wings, were attached to a 

 circle of leather which could be passed round the forehead, thus 

 giving the appearance of winged heads. A boy blew a long 

 antelope horn, producing most dismal sounds which were 

 accepted as sweet music by the others. The performers were 

 leaping, jumping, and running races, but stopped to have a look 

 at me as I passed them on the road. Marriage here, as every- 

 where amongst savages, means purchase. A few native hoes and 

 some goats and sheep will buy almost any girl except a chief's 

 daughter, for he expects to be paid one or more cows. To the 

 native mind this purchase constitutes a legal marriage. The 

 girls pride themselves on the amount which has to be paid for 

 them to their parents, and consider it a public acknowledgment 

 of their worth. They appear to be faithful wives, but the 



