VII 



TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA 



315 



to vouch for the truth of the following items of his 

 conversation ; and in fact, from my knowledge of 

 negro character, I would suggest that they be received 

 with more or less caution. 



The Rendile believe that God first made two peo- 

 ple (Rendile), a man and a woman, and two camels ; 

 and that from these pairs sprang the race of the Ren- 

 dile and their camel herds. The original home of the 

 Rendile w^as Naudo (meaning, in the Masai tongue, 

 "a high place"), situated somewhere in the neighbour- 

 hood of Lysamis ; that is, the country lying between 

 the General Matthews range and Lake Rudolph, 

 which from time immemorial has been inhabited by 

 the Rendile. 



All males are circumcised in the ordinary Arab 

 fashion, and their navels are cut away entirely, leaving 

 a small round hole. This cutting away of the navel 

 is done Vv^hen the child is about three years of age ; 

 while circumcision is delayed until the age of puberty. 

 When the males get their second set of teeth, the 

 tw^o lower front teeth are cut out. Only one other 

 East African tribe is said to practise the same muti- 

 lations ; these are the Marie, living to the north of 

 Lake Stephanie, in all probability a kindred race. 



Polygamy is in vogue, the number of wives being 

 limited only by the man's ability to support them. 

 The marriage ceremony is wholly a matter of busi- 

 ness ; but, according to my informant, is a more or 

 less complicated affair, requiring time for its comple- 

 tion. When a young woman finds favour in the eyes 

 of a young man, he must first pay court to her father, 

 and ingratiate himself by a present of seven female 



