THE WAMASAL 



73 



their raids slew women and children, were the 

 terror of this part of the coast : now they have 

 been almost exterminated by their Southern and 

 S. Western neighbours, the Wamasai, a tribe of 

 congeners, formerly friends, and speaking the 

 same dialect. The habitat of this grim race is 

 the grassy and temperate region from N. West- 

 ward and to S. Westward of Chaga: nomades, 

 but without horses, they roam over the country, 

 where their flocks and herds find the best forage; 

 they build no huts, but dwell under skins, pitch- 

 ing rude camps where water and green meat are 

 plentiful. They are described as a fine, tall, 

 dark race resembling the Somal, with a fearful 

 appearance caused by their nodding plumes, their 

 hide pavoises or shields, longer than those of the 

 ' Kafirs,' and their spears with heads broad as 

 shovels, made of excellent charcoal-smelted 

 metal. According to native travellers, they are 

 not inhospitable, but their rough and abrupt 

 manners terrify the Wasawahili : they will snatch 

 a cloth from the trader's body, and test his 

 courage with bended bow and arrow pile toucli- 



Eugliah. Mr Edward Weller, however, has made use of that 

 traveller's map in preparing his excellent illustration of these 

 volumes. Herr Brenner is stated to be still in Africa; he ap- 

 pears to be an intelligent traveller, and we may justly hope 

 that we have not heard the last of him. 



