xv THE MASAI 189 



pare the hides for their masters. The spears and 

 swords are manufactured by a special tribe of iron 

 workers, the Il-Kunoni, from whom they are purchased 

 by the Masai. 



Many a time as Abbudi walked along by my 

 side has he with glowing eyes and eager mien told 

 me stories of the various warlike expeditions he had 

 taken part in against the Wakamba, Wakikuyu and 

 other tribes surrounding Masai-land. He always 

 bewailed the fact that these raids were no longer 

 possible, now that the British ruled the country, and 

 from what I gathered the hot-blooded warriors are 

 not at all pleased at the curb which has been placed 

 upon them by our administration. 



The object of these forays was of course to 

 capture cattle, upon the possession of which the 

 Masai depend for their very existence. Before an 

 expedition of this kind is engaged in many pre- 

 liminary preparations have to be made spies have 

 to be sent out to investigate, the chief medicine- 

 man has to be consulted as to whether the enterprise 

 will be successful or not, and the blessing of Ngai 

 (God) has to be invoked by continual monotonous 

 chanting. The warriors have then to gorge them- 

 selves for several days on bullocks' blood and 

 flesh so as to make themselves strong and ferocious 

 for the coming warfare. Some drink the juice 

 extracted from the bark of the mimosa tree, which 



