132 TAVETA AND MOUNTS KILIMANJARO AND MERU 



In his ' Through Masailand ' J oseph Thomson gives a very 

 detailed description of the Masai, and those who are familiar 

 with his book will not find very much that is new about them 

 in this. 1 With the scene we now witnessed we felt strangely 

 familiar, as if it were part of a play with the dramatis persona? 

 of which we were already acquainted, and this impression was 

 intensified whilst the formal proceedings went on. 



Our envoy, Kimemeta, and his attendant approached the 

 group of warriors with an air of solemn dignity, and were 

 received by one Lygonani, the representative of the Masai, 

 with corresponding ceremony. 



Talking and listening seem to be as great a delight to the 

 Masai as is raiding cattle, and they are thorough adepts in both 

 arts. They have a great command of dialectics, and though 

 their views and wishes are pronounced and one-sided enough, 

 they know how to wrap them up in an infinite variety of expres- 

 sions. A Masai Demosthenes must be gifted with inexhaustible 

 prolixity, and parliamentary etiquette requires that the warriors 

 should listen quietly to his tirades without interrupting him. 

 They must not show a sign of curiosity or of emotion, whether 

 the matter under discussion be a murder or a few strings of 

 beads. The orator, who holds in his right hand an ornamented 

 wooden club, with which to emphasise his meaning, must never 

 be interrupted by a word or even an exclamation. 



Our hongo consisted of 66 lb. of iron wire, ten naiberes, 

 and a certain quantity of beads, which was given to the moruu, 

 who kept a certain portion for themselves, and handed over the 

 rest to the morans. 



Eemembering Thomson's description in pages 94 and 95 of 

 his 6 Through Masailand,' we expected a fight to ensue for the 

 spoil, and we awaited the onslaught with bated breath ; but 



1 The Author does not do himself justice in this remark, as he brings very forcibly 

 before his readers many qualities of the Masai not hinted at in the writings of his 

 predecessors. — Trans. 



