VI 



TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA 



249 



are unmarried — upon their forays ; but, as a rule, 

 marriage seems to sever once for all the bonds which 

 tie a man to the fighting class. For the first five years 

 they attend the gatherings of the old men, but are 

 not allowed to participate in the debates ; nevertheless, 

 they are supposed to represent the warrior class in 

 these assemblies, and before a meeting takes place 

 they assemble, and appoint one of the old men to 

 represent this class in the debates. 



I was unable to get as full information as I desired 

 in regard to the manners and customs of these people, 

 but succeeded in gathering a few points, among which 

 I deem the following of most interest. 



The inhabitants of this mountain range, like all 

 East Africans who are not as yet converted to Chris- 

 tianity or Mohammedanism, had no clear idea of the 

 Deity. They supposed there was a Supreme Being 

 of some sort, and that it was their duty to propitiate 

 this Being before starting upon any enterprise. He 

 was supposed to be a stern God, and, as far as I 

 could gather, not altogether just ; but in no small 

 measure open to the benign influence of bribery. 

 Before essaying any enterprise, sacrifices were offered, 

 not burnt offerings, but gourds filled with grain or 

 some other small tribute — of value, however, to the 

 giver. These were hung upon trees, or suspended 

 from forked sticks in the neiirhbourhood of the offerer's 

 dwelling. Connected with this Supreme Being, and 

 so closely as scarcely to be disjoined, were the local 

 deities — such as the genii of the hills, holes, and 

 rivers. These likewise were to be propitiated in 

 some way, either by the inhabitants of the district 



