356 Wanderings in Eastern Africa, 
of life. The Wataveta, however, seem to have been far 
more influenced by the Wakuavi than vice versa ; for 
they have become Kikuaviized in almost everything 
but the giving up of agricultural pursuits, whereas the 
Wakuavi remain Wakuavi still, except that from neces- 
sity they have turned to the cultivation of the soil. 
Both languages are spoken, but Kikuavi is much 
more affected than Kitaveta. The former is of 
mingled Asiatic and African elements, and is oile of 
the languages called by Dr. Krapf the Semitic- 
Cushitic " family, of the pastoral races ; the latter is 
one of the many dialects of that large family spoken 
by almost all the agricultural peoples of eastern and 
south-eastern Africa. Here, then, at Taveta the two 
lingual extremes of Africa meet, a most interesting 
fact, as it affords an opportunity for the study of the 
two languages side by side. 
In their physique the two peoples are widely 
different, the Wataveta being much inferior to the 
Wakuavi. The former are decidedly African in form 
and feature, but are not strongly marked Negroes. 
They are of small stature and ungainly figure, but not 
of forbidding countenance. Some of them are pretty 
good-looking, but this may be partly due to the 
mingling of their blood with that of their friends. The 
Wakuavi are a fine race; tall, well formed, athletic, 
and decidedly un-African in their cast of features. 
They are generally deep black in colour, their former 
mode of life in the open plains having exposed them 
much to the sun. But a full cranium, ample forehead, 
good, bright eyes, aquiline nose, well-chiseled lips, 
neither too thin nor too tumied, faultless teeth, and 
prominent chin give a presentability to their face that 
