ch. ii] THE WAKAMBA 35 
as our Indians were formidable when they went on the 
war-path. The ranch country I first visited was in 
what was once the domain of the W akamba, and in the 
greater part of it the tribes still dwell. They are in 
most ways primitive savages, with an imperfect and 
feeble social, and therefore military, organization; they 
live in small communities under their local chiefs ; they 
file their teeth, and though they wear blankets in the 
neighbourhood of the whites, these blankets are often 
cast aside ; even when the blanket is worn, it is often 
in such fashion as merely to accentuate the otherwise 
absolute nakedness of both sexes. Yet these savages are 
cattle-keepers and cattle-raisers, and the women do a 
good deal of simple agricultural work ; unfortunately, 
they are wastefully destructive of the forests. The chief 
of each little village is recognized as the official head¬ 
man by the British official, is given support, and is 
required to help the authorities keep peace and stamp 
out cattle disease—the two most important functions of 
government so far as the Wakamba themselves are 
concerned. All the tribes have their herds of black, 
brown, and white goats, of mottled sheep, and especially 
of small humped cattle. The cattle form their pride 
and joy. During the day each herd is accompanied by 
the herdsmen, and at night it is driven within its boma, 
or circular fence of thorn-bushes. Except for the milk, 
which they keep in their foul, smoky calabashes, the 
natives really make no use of their cattle; they do not 
know how to work them, and they never eat them even 
in time of starvation. When there is prolonged drought, 
and consequent failure of crops, the foolish creatures die 
by the hundreds when they might readily be saved if 
they were willing to eat the herds which they persist in 
treating as ornaments rather than as made for use. 
