456 Wanderings in Eastern Africa. 
leather workers, and the various articles of dress worn 
by the people, capes, girdles, etc., are so prepared as 
to be as soft as wash-leather, while their sword- 
sheaths, shields, etc., do them immense credit. 
In dress the Moches, at least, are below par, par- 
ticularly the men. Mandara's Masai tastes account for 
this ; his men, of course, follow him. Nor do the men 
ornament themselves so elaborately as most tribes; 
they consider themselves above such nonsense. They 
twist their hair into strings, wear ornaments in the 
distended lobes of their ears, and anoint themselves 
plentifully with oil ; but they pride themselves, 
especially the young men, in their arms. The latter 
are various. The Masai spear and shield are favourite 
weapons ; others carry the less formidable Chaga 
articles ; some use bows and arrows ; but many bear 
flint muskets, which Mandara has sense to see are a 
great terror to the natives, and has sufficient enter- 
prise to utilize. Short-swords, daggers, knives, and 
clubs make up the Chaga armoury. 
The dress of the women is scant, but less indecent 
than that of the men. They wear leathern girdles, 
faced with beads, around their loins, and a cape of 
the same material about their shoulders ; but when 
they can get it, they prefer a cloth for the latter 
purpose. They keep their wool short, and are fond 
of shaving bare triangular patches on either side of 
the head, over the eyes. They tattoo their cheeks 
in semicircular and very pretty patterns, under and 
around the eyes, an operation which is done by the 
juice of certain plants. They wear collars of very 
small red and other beads, together with a large 
quantity of fine copper chain on their arms ; they 
