PECULIAR HABITS OF THE MASAI. 
247 
A few Masai passed our camp one day and paid it a 
visit while we were out shooting. They had come byLan- 
jora, and were driving home their share of cattle looted 
from Ndara. They of course asked Caceche for hongo, 
a request he considered with diplomatic courtesy, hut 
refused on the sole ground that “ there were not 
enough of them.” 
We came across an old Masai encampment, in the 
bush, quite seven miles away from water. The huts 
were curious round mud balls some three feet from the 
ground, interwoven with the bushes and entered by 
a hole on the south side ; in these, I was told, two or 
three Masai would sleep, and that they came down 
here in the dry season to graze their cattle. They 
scarcely ever drink water, but subsist on milk and 
the blood of the cattle they kill, and are in the habit 
of watering their herds only once every third day. 
The climate in this district was relaxing and the 
heat most enervating, and as it was very laborious 
work walking after the game, our donkey proved a 
great help. I was now in rather a bad way, as all my 
boots were worn out, except one pair which fitted badly 
and blistered my heels. 
While we were busily employed shooting, we sent re¬ 
lays of men back to Taveta with meat, and told them to 
return loaded with palm-branches (inivalef), as I was very 
anxious to make a raft which would enable me to get at 
the hippos on the lake. The men and even C-tried 
to dissuade me, declaring it was useless, as even if we 
succeeded in shooting some, we should not be able to 
