164 AMONGST THE KESHIAT AND T(3 LAKE STEFAXIE 



but we were told that tliere is one village in each division 

 exclusively devoted to the Leibon and his warriors. 



The village, situated about 1,500 paces from our camp at 

 the northern end of the sandy hill, contained from 100 to 150 

 dirty and wretched-looking huts surrounded by tumble-do wd 

 fences, the ground near by strewn with ofFal, bones, and 

 rubbish of all kinds. The huts, some round, some dome- 

 shaped, resembled those of the Masai in general appearance, 

 but they were covered in with ox-hides or plaited grass mats 

 as in Somaliland. They looked as if they were only intended 

 as temporary habitations, but the dirt about them proved the 

 contrary. This may probably be explained by the fact that 

 the lake rises in the rainy season, flooding the neighbouring 

 plains, so that the Eeshiat are compelled to shift their settle- 

 ments to higher ground. This condition of affairs lasts for 

 three or four months, during which the two divisions of 

 Eeshiatland are cut off from each other, as the jDcople have 

 only a few miserable canoes. 



The Eeshiat are well grown, but slim, and their skins are 

 very dark. There is little to add to the description given of 

 those we saw at Alia. We were, however, less struck here with 

 their resemblance to the Semitic type, or perhaps we were 

 more accustomed to it now and noticed it less. Our neiali- 

 bours are very quiet and reserved, but at the same time cheer- 

 ful and amiable. We could never, however, induce them to 

 show off their dancing and singing for our benefit. 



Eeshiat men prefer Burkeneji women as wives, they being, 

 as before stated, distinguished from other negresses by their 

 winning, self-possessed manners and their beautiful expressive 

 eyes. The offspring of these unions are of a nobler tj^e than 

 the true-bred Eeshiat ; they are better proportioned, and they 

 also seem to be more intellio^ent. We could always distinguish 

 them by their eyes. 



