black to chestnut in hue, with all shades of intermediate colour. Some,
but very few of them, wore a yellowish linen garment, such as I have
described as worn by Billali, but this, as we afterwards discovered, was
a mark of rank, rather than an attempt at clothing. For the rest, their
appearance was not quite so terrifying as that of the men, and they
sometimes, though rarely, smiled. As soon as we had alighted they
gathered round us and examined us with curiosity, but without
excitement. Leo's tall, athletic form and clear-cut Grecian face,
however, evidently excited their attention, and when he politely lifted
his hat to them, and showed his curling yellow hair, there was a slight
murmur of admiration. Nor did it stop there; for, after regarding him
critically from head to foot, the handsomest of the young women--one
wearing a robe, and with hair of a shade between brown and
chestnut--deliberately advanced to him, and, in a way that would have
been winning had it not been so determined, quietly put her arm round
his neck, bent forward, and kissed him on the lips.

I gave a gasp, expecting to see Leo instantly speared; and Job
ejaculated, "The hussy--well, I never!" As for Leo, he looked slightly
astonished; and then, remarking that we had clearly got into a country
where they followed the customs of the early Christians, deliberately
returned the embrace.

Again I gasped, thinking that something would happen; but, to my
surprise, though some of the young women showed traces of vexation, the
older ones and the men only smiled slightly. When we came to understand
the customs of this extraordinary people the mystery was explained. It
then appeared that, in direct opposition to the habits of almost every
other savage race in the world, women among the Amahagger are not only
upon terms of perfect equality with the men, but are not held to them by