VII 



TRAVELS m EASTERN AFRICA 



299 



turned up with all the men ; and we all at once set 

 to work building a strong zeriba. Only a few Ren- 

 dile visited us during the day, and they were princi- 

 pally young men. They seemed as friendly as possible, 

 and said they wanted to trade. They brought some 

 curious wicker jars, and several gallons of camel's milk. 

 This had a very smoky taste, but was not unpalatable. 



The Rendile possess but few ornaments. The 

 chiefs wore upon the upper arm rudely carved ivory 

 armlets, and Lokomogul had a large porcelain bead, 

 as large as a pigeon's egg, strung from his neck. 

 The young men wore about their necks rings of wire, 

 and upon the first joint of the thumb several rings 

 of the same material. Each of these rings, they said, 

 signified a man slain in battle. The warriors rarely 

 carried shields ; a few, however, had them. These were 

 curious in shape, and utterly unlike those carried by 

 the Masai. Some were made of woven twigs; others 

 of oryx hide. They were not more than three feet 

 high, and eighteen inches wide at both top and bot- 

 tom. In the centre they were much narrower; and 

 on the rear at the centre there was a small loop of 

 hide, which was grasped by the hand. 



Nearly all the warriors painted their faces with a 

 white clay, which lent ferocity to their appearance. 

 They all wore their hair cut short, and I was much 

 struck by the fact that it appeared perfectly straight 

 and of fine texture. 



During the conversation which I had had with the 

 Rendile chiefs on the previous day, I had told them 

 of the camel tracks we had seen in the desert ; and 

 they at once sent forty warriors in the direction indi- 



