He Said They Bore Single Holes
In The Centres Both Of Their Upper And Lower Lips, As Well As In
The Lobes Of Both Of Their Ears, In Which They Wear Small Brass
Rings.
They live near the N'yanza - where it is connected by a
strait with a salt lake, and drained by a river to the northward-
-in comfortable houses, built like the tembes of Unyamuezi.
When
killing a cow, they kneel down in an attitude of prayer, with
both hands together, held palm upwards, and utter Zu, a word the
meaning of which he did not know. I questioned him to try if the
word had any trace of a Christian meaning - for instance, a
corruption of Jesu - but without success. Circumcision is not
known amongst them, neither have they any knowledge of God or a
soul. A tribe called Wakuavi, who are white, and described as
not unlike myself, often came over the water and made raids on
their cattle, using the double-edged sime as their chief weapon
of war. These attacks were as often resented, and sometimes led
the Wamara in pursuit a long way into their enemy's country,
where, at a place called Kisiguisi, they found men robed in red
cloths. Beads were imported, he thought, both from the east and
from Ukidi. Associated with the countries Masau or Masai, and
Usamburu, which he knew, there was a large mountain, the exact
position of which he could not describe.
I took down many words of his language, and found they
corresponded with the North African dialects, as spoken by the
people of Kidi, Gani, and Madi.
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