IX 
WA-KIKUYU 
Boys run about without any clothes, but even the 
smallest girls wear leather aprons. Older girls and 
women wear a leather petticoat of curious shape 
fastened round the waist; it has two curious pointed 
lappels hanging in front. The upper part of the body 
is protected by a leather cloak, which is worn for 
warmth, but with no idea of concealing the figure. 
When the girl is old enough for marriage she wears a 
band of beads across her forehead, which is also 
ornamented with shells. The women also wear ear¬ 
rings, armlets, and anklets. 
The iron they require is obtained from ore found in 
the country and smelted by their own smiths, who are 
able to make all the iron articles required, such as 
iron wire, chains, rings, ornaments, spears, swords, 
hoes, hammers, collars, &c. They are specially good at 
making iron wire which is used for the purpose of 
ornament. At times copper wire is obtainable for 
chain-making. 
The Wa-Kikuyu also make useful pottery. The 
women are the potters and they mould the soft 
material by hand. Their methods of hair-dressing are 
described on p. 156. 
G^oats play such an important part in the domestic 
economy of the Masai and the Wa-Kikuyu that they 
demand some consideration. It is an easy thing to 
distinguish a horse from an ass when they are seen in 
real life, but if one is asked to describe or even 
enumerate the distinguishing points of these two 
familiar animals the matter is not quite simple. The 
points which distinguish goats from sheep are less 
marked and fewer. The Wa-Kikuyu make no distinc^ 
tion between sheep and goats : even zoologists find it 
difficult to draw a satisfactory line of distinction between 
them. A typical he-goat has a beard, long angulated, 
transversely wrinkled horns, and a strong odour. Sheep 
and goats are prized for their milk, flesh, and skins. A 
man's wealth is estimated by the size of his flocks and 
