42 
A COLONY IN THE MAKING 
CHAP. 
fellow-subjects or rulers. At all events, with the white 
settlers themselves the page stands clean. There are 
those indeed who say emphatically that the Masai 
are the spoilt child among the native races of the 
Protectorate. 
Individually the Masai are far from unattractive. 
Both men and women are slight and well made, with 
pleasing features, though with somewhat high cheek 
bones. The average height of a man might be 5ft. 
7in., of a woman 5ft. 4in. They are always spare and 
one would have to search a long while to find a 
representative scaling 10 stone. The work, what little 
there is, is always done by young boys or old women. 
Once every five years a circumcision ceremony is held, 
and the young men considered fit to bear arms are 
initiated by circumcision to the rank of warrior. The 
initiation ceremony over, the warrior should proceed 
at the earliest opportunity to justify his existence by 
some deed of arms. If there are plenty of lions handy 
this justification can be worked off at their expense. 
If not, there is always a danger of trouble. A warrior 
may not marry, but lives with one or more concubines 
of his own age. Traditionally, though these warriors 
did no work, they kept themselves in the highest state 
of training for the raids or battles which continually 
occurred. The warrior marries the lady of his choice 
after his fighting days are over. A married woman 
is supposed to remain chaste, but since in the ordinary 
course of events she has had so much previous experi¬ 
ence, this rule is probably more honoured in the breach 
than in the observance. During the age of child¬ 
bearing, a woman performs none but light household 
duties, but when that is over the whole work of the 
family, added to much of the village work, falls to 
