70 
WAHA WOMEN. 
the bloom of youth, sat by us with their arms most 
affectionately twined round each other's neck, till 
asked to sit apart that they might be sketched. The 
arms were at once dropped, exposing their beautiful 
necks and busts, quite models for a " Greek Slave." 
Their woolly hair was combed out and raised up from 
the forehead and over their ears by a broad band from 
the skin of a milk-white cow ; this contrasted strik- 
ingly with their transparent light copper skins. 
The Waha women are somewhat similar, having 
tall, erect, graceful figures even without crinoline, and 
with intelligent features. They are looked upon as 
an inferior tribe to the Watusi (described at Kazeh), 
though wearing the hair bound up, and having naked 
arms, &c, similar to them; but their cow-skin cover- 
ings from the waist to the ankle are different, being 
of a yellow-ochre colour. We put up one day at the 
settlement of a trader, Sungoro-bin-Tabeeb, of whom 
we had heard a good deal, as he travelled always 
in a double -poled tent, and kept sixty wives, who 
lived like goats inside his tent. We saw five of his 
women; one was a Hubshee, or Abyssinian, whose 
appearance disappointed us. Her mouth was large, 
and, though fair for a negress, and with distinctly 
bridged nose, she was a poor specimen of her race. 
Another was of my favourite caste, always distinguish- 
able by their intelligence and easy, polite manner — 
a Watusi, a beautiful tall girl, with large dark eyes, 
the smallest mouth and nose, thin lips, small hands, 
&c. Speke said she much resembled the Somal ; her 
noble race never will become slaves, preferring death 
to slavery, and they refuse to touch fowls or goats. 
It was to be regretted that she had not a better 
