MASAI LAND. 
561 
spear. The price being asked, a bullock was mentioned 
as the very lowest cost price. But the unfortunate 
maker had to be content with a scraggy sheep — and a 
blow. This purchase accomplished — for the Masai never 
make shields or spears, though there is nothing in the 
possession of which they pride themselves so much — they 
returned to the kraal, and then called for an El-konono. 
This is an inferior race kept in servitude to the Masai, 
for whom they make spears and swords. They do not 
go to war, and are not allowed to intermarry with their 
superiors. They all speak Masai, though it is believed 
they have a language of their own. In response to the 
call, a miserable, half-starved object appeared with a 
selection of most murderous-looking weapons. After a 
careful examination Moran selected a spear, with a blade 
two feet and a half long, a wooden handle fifteen inches, 
and a spike at the end about one foot and a half. The 
1 dade had an almost uniform width of from two to three 
inches, up to near the top, where it abruptly formed a 
point. A sword and a knobkerry of formidable appear- 
ance completed his warlike equipment. 
These important acquisitions made, our hero now pro- 
ceeded to dress himself up as became his new character. 
He first worked his hair into a mop of strings, those fall- 
ing over the forehead being cut shorter than the rest. 
Instead of the ivory ear-stretcher hitherto used, he put 
in a swell ear ornament formed of a tassel of iron chain. 
Round his neck he put a bracelet of coiled wire, and 
round his wrists a neatly formed bead mitten. On his 
ankles he bound a strip of the black hair of the colobus 
(monkey) of Central Africa. A glorious layer of grease 
and clay was plastered on his head and shoulders. This 
completed, he donned a very neat and handsomely de- 
corated kid-skin garment, of very scanty dimensions, 
which served to cover his breast and shoulders, but 
hardly reached below the waist, and thus stood forth the 
complete military masher, ready for love or war. 
And now the great step of his life was taken. Thus 
far he had lived in the kraal of the married people, and 
accordingly had to comport himself as “ only a boy.” 
VOL. ii. 2 o 
