26 
A COLONY IN THE MAKING 
CHAP. 
wise what applies to the one may be considered as 
applying to the other. The Nilotic tribe inhabit the 
east shores of Lake Victoria Nyanza in the region of 
Kavirondo Bay. The Bantu Kavirondo occupy the 
district north of the former including the Nzoia valley, 
of which Mumias is the capital. 
Probably the Kavirondo have attracted most atten¬ 
tion from one rather curious feature : the fact that 
neither sex is accustomed to wear a single stitch of 
clothing. I take it that hardly a tourist or shooter but 
has returned from the Protectorate the richer by a 
large bundle of photographs marked “ private ” depict¬ 
ing adult Kavirondo of either sex in full costume, 
which consists in the case of the women of as many 
beads and necklaces as her position warrants, and 
in the case of the man of a very elaborate head-dress. 
It is not surprising to find that both sexes are exceed¬ 
ingly moral and respectable. It may be true that 
beauty unadorned is beauty adorned the most, but it is 
equally true that female beauty of form concealed, yet 
hinted at, is more attractive to the male sex. It may 
be presumed that it was this immoral desire for admira¬ 
tion, mixed with curiosity, that induced Eve to adopt 
her first petticoat. This immoral desire still lies 
dormant among the Kavirondo. Apart from, or in 
addition to, this trait, the Kavirondo have always had 
much to recommend them. They are peaceful, in¬ 
dustrious, and essentially agriculturists. What little 
fighting they have ever done has been either with the 
Nandi or the Kisii, with neither of which fighting 
races could they ever hope to compete on even terms. 
Luckily for them, in the old days they never possessed 
a sufficient head of cattle to excite the avarice of their 
neighbours. Their huts are by no means badly built, 
