MASAI LAND. 
567 
is a very different personage. He is tlie public pleader 
of a kraal, leads and guides the debate in cases of 
dispute. To be such arrogant and pugnacious savages, 
the Masai are the most remarkable speakers and debaters 
imaginable. In some American novels we have the 
Indian belauded for his eloquence and dignity, but 
commend me to the Masai for grace and oratorical 
power, for order and decorum in debate ; and, indeed, 
for most of the good qualities which in these days are 
conspicuous by their absence in our own House of 
Talking. Not that their genius in this line is always 
worthily applied ; for in their finical persistency in 
talking out a question they might even beat our Par- 
liamentary Obstructionists. They will spend days 
discussing the most trivial question — nothing, indeed, 
can be settled without endless talk. But we must 
proceed with our history. 
The Lytunu and Lygonani having been elected, a raid 
to the coast was determined on. For a month they 
devoted themselves to an indispensable, though some- 
what revolting, preparation. This consisted in their 
retiring in small parties to the forest, and there gorging 
themselves with beef. This they did under the belief 
that they were storing up a supply of muscle and 
ferocity of the most pronounced type. This strange 
process being finished, and the day fixed on, the women 
of the kraal went outside before sunrise, with grass 
dipped in the cream of a cow’s milk. Then they danced 
and invoked Ngai for a favourable issue to the enter- 
prise, after which they threw the grass in the direction 
of the enemy. The young men spent several hours at 
their devotions, howling out in the most ludicrous street- 
singer fashion, “ Aman Ngai-ai ! Aman Mbaratien ! 
(“ We pray to God ! We pray to Mbaratien ! ”). Pre- 
vious to this, however, a party had been sent to the 
chief lybon of the Masai — Mbaratien — to seek advice as 
to the time of their start, and to procure medicines to 
make them successful. On their return the party mus- 
tered, and set off. It was a remarkable sight to behold 
these bloated young cut-throats on the march, and it 
