i88 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. 



of the ceremony concluded, a bit of the goat was 

 roasted over a quickly improvised fire, and the con- 

 tracting parties partook of this flesh. 



The fact that during the sacrifice the head of the 

 beast was pointed with such accuracy toward the 

 highest peak was significant. I noticed that through- 

 out East Africa the natives seemed to attach a cer- 

 tain religious sanctity and importance to anything of 

 extraordinary size. In the island of Zanzibar, where 

 the hills are low, the natives reverence the baobab 

 tree, which is the largest growing upon the island, 

 and they consider it haunted by genii and devils. 

 In all portions of the country where hills are not 

 found, they worship some great stone or tall tree. 

 The natives in the neighbourhood of Kilimanjiro call 

 the mountain " God's Home," and direct their prayers 

 to the deity they suppose to occupy its snow-clad 

 peak. The Kikuyu, who inhabit the slopes of Mount 

 Kenya, have the same reverence for their mountain. 

 We found that the Embe, although from the top- 

 most range of the Jombeni Mountains Kenya was 

 visible, preferred to attach importance to their local 

 peak, rather than the great mountain which almost 

 overshadowed it. 



Both the Wamsara and the Embe, if one may 

 judge from their appearance, rarely indulge in baths. 

 In place of ablutions with water, which there is 

 plentiful, they anoint their skins with as much castor 

 oil or other grease as they can obtain and smear 

 upon themselves. The hides with which they are 

 clothed are continued in unremittino: active service 

 for many years, and in consequence the odour arising 



