THE LAND OF FOOTPRINTS 



An-gee a Ka ga 

 Ki ya Ka ga 



Ka ga an gee ya!" 



Solemnly and loftily, their eyes fixed straight be- 

 fore them they made the circle of the fire, passed 

 before our chairs, and withdrew to the half 

 light. There, a few paces from the stamping, 

 crouching Monumwezis, they continued their 

 performance. 



The next to appear were the Wakambas. These 

 were more histrionic. They too were unrecogniz- 

 able as our porters, for they too had for the occas- 

 ion discarded their work-a-day garments in favour of 

 savagery. They produced a pantomime of the day's 

 doings, very realistic indeed, ending with a half 

 dozen of dark swaying bodies swinging and shudder- 

 ing in the long grass as lions, while the "horses" wove 

 in and out among the crouching forms, all done to 

 the beat of rhythm. Past us swept the hunt, and in 

 its turn melted into the half light. 



The Kavirondos next appeared, the most fan- 

 tastically caparisoned of the lot, fine big black men, 

 their eyes rolling with excitement. They had cap- 

 tured our flag from its place before the big tent, and 

 were rallied close about this, dancing fantastically. 

 Before us they leaped and stamped and shook their 

 spears and shouted out their full-voiced song, while 



192 



