MASAI LAND. 
575 
poison the soil : it must be thrown to the wild beasts 
without ceremony. 
In connection with the decided belief of the Masai in 
a God, it may be noted that they have also some minor 
deity called Neiterkob — apparently, as far as I could 
learn, an earth spirit. They have faith in witchcraft, 
though the power of the lybon, or medicine-man, lies 
not in any innate power of his own, but in his power 
of intercession with Ngai, who works through him, and 
imparts magical virtues to various objects. Their con- 
ception of the Deity seems to be marvellously vague. 
I was Ngai. My lamp was Ngai. Ngai was in the 
steaming holes. His house was in the eternal snows 
of Kilimanjaro. In fact, whatever struck them as 
strange or incomprehensible, that they at once assumed 
had some connection with Ngai. Their prayers to him 
were incessant. Nothing could be done without hours of 
howling, whether it was to seek direction where to 
slaughter their enemies, or to ward off a disease. The 
most sacred thing among them is the grass. Held in 
the hand, or tied in a sprig to the dress, it is a sign of 
welcome and peace. Thrown at any one, or into some 
mysterious place, it is an invocation for a blessing on 
the person, or a propitiatory offering. Next to the grass 
comes the milk. No liberties may be taken with it. 
The milk must be drawn into calabashes specially re- 
served for its reception, into which water is not allowed 
to enter — cleanliness being ensured by wood-ashes. To 
boil it is a heinous offence, and would be accounted a 
sufficient reason for massacring a caravan. It is believed 
that the cattle would cease to give milk. The cows, it 
may be remarked, are never milked except in the dark. 
Moran found married life sadly dull after his warrior 
experiences, and to kill time he accompanied one or two 
war-parties. But that was exceptional. His time 
henceforward was chiefly occupied in eternal and inter- 
minable discussions on the most trivial questions, or 
wandering long distances on visits to his friends, while 
his wife stayed at home to milk the cattle, or occa- 
sionally made journeys to neighbouring hostile tribes to 
