230 



THROUGH TURKANA AND SUK 



now witli us, of the slieep and goats. The shauri with him 

 was a short one. He said we should be wise to remain where 

 we were for the news of our arrival to spread, and the next day 

 plenty of cattle would be brought for sale. So we decided to 

 stop, but we were disappointed about the cattle, though we 

 saw plenty of people, and were able to observe them pretty 

 closely. 



The Turkana or Elgume differed very much from any of 

 the tribes we had hitherto met with. They are of a more 

 pronounced negro type. Though of middle height only, they 

 are very broad and sinewy, in fact, of quite a herculean build, 

 and their arms are of unusual length. The complexions of the 

 men are darker than chocolate ; the women are almost as black 

 as negroes. As amongst the Eeshiat, a good many Burkeneji 

 women live amongst the Turkana, and their offspring differ from 

 the pure-bred Turkana. The half-castes belong mostly to the 

 rising generation, and some of them speak a jargon in which 



a good many Burkeneji or 

 Masai words occur, so that we 

 could pull through here too 

 with the Masai dialect. 



Circumcision is not prac- 

 tised amongst the Turkana. 

 Most of the men wear nothing 

 but an ornament round their 

 waists, consistino^ of home-made 

 iron and brass beads. The 

 young men, or, to speak more 

 correctly, the warriors, for some 

 of the married men here take 

 their share of fighting, also wear 

 a loin-cloth of kid-skin some three inches broad in front and six 

 behind, the edges being very prettily decorated with metal beads. 



TURKANA NECK AND WAIST ORNAMENTS. 



