Government official tries to prevent me going into the Kikuyu
country—Give the official the slip—My first acquaintance with the
Kikuyu—Meet Karuri, the Kikuyu chief—Hospitable reception—Kikuyu village
attacked because of my presence in it—I help to beat off the
attack—Successful trading—Build a house in the Kikuyu village—Native
theory as to the origin of the Kikuyu race—I help defend my Kikuyu
friends from hostile raids, and beat off the enemy—Benefit of my
conciliatory counsels—Pigasani and blood brotherhood
Having made up my mind to go into the Kikuyu country, I set about
preparing my safari, for which I decided to take with me only seven
boys, natives who knew the language, to act as porters and carry the
goods I was taking with me for trading with the Kikuyu. Having persuaded
them that it would be all right, I armed myself with a rifle and fifty
rounds of ammunition, and set out to explore the unknown.
When the official in charge of the station found that I had really
started, he sent out an escort, under Sergeant Miles, to bring me back,
and, of course, I had to go. When I got back to Naivasha, he asked me if
I was trying to commit suicide. He said he dare not let me go, as I was
certain to get killed, and he would then be held responsible for
allowing me to leave his district. I told him that I would give him a
written statement that I was going entirely on my own responsibility,
and if I got killed it would not matter to him. His reply was that it
was incumbent upon him not to allow me to leave his district. When I
asked how far his district extended, he said to the Kedong Valley, about
twenty miles from Naivasha.
I have before stated that the Government officials were strongly opposed
to white men coming into the country, and Captain Gorges, who was in
command at Naivasha, was only carrying out the orders of his superiors
in trying to stop me. At this time there were only about ten white men
who were independent traders and hunters in the whole of what are now
the East African and Uganda Protectorates, besides the Government
officials and missionaries—practically the whole of the latter class
being up in Uganda. We were told plainly that we were not wanted, and
were not even allowed to have guns and ammunition with which to protect
ourselves; while the Arab and Swahili traders were allowed to overrun
the country as they pleased, carrying and purchasing arms and ammunition
as freely as they liked. This state of affairs _may_ have been due to
there being no organized administration in the country, off the caravan
road; but it is peculiarly consistent with the Downing Street policy
which prevails pretty well throughout our African dependencies, and
which seems to be based on the principle that, in the eyes of Colonial
Office officials, a native is more to be considered than any three white
men.
To get beyond the jurisdiction of the official at Naivasha I went off to
the Kedong Valley, which forms a portion of the great “rift” or
depression which seems to divide the continent of Africa east from west
into two portions, and which in those days was the boundary between
British East Africa and Uganda. Naturally, I did not advertise my
intention, but my determination was, as soon as I got out of his
district, to start for the Kikuyu country, and by taking this step I
avoided all further opposition and duly set out for my Land of Promise.
It was before the end of the year 1898 that, striking camp one morning,
I entered the Kinangop Plain, a favourite grazing-ground of the Masai.
The plain is a fine stretch of open country, rising in a gradual slope
from the caravan road for about one thousand feet or more to the
commencement of the bamboo forest,[5] which is known to the natives by
the name of Menzini, “the place of bamboos.” Owing to the elevation of
this plain, rains are more frequent here, and when the lower lands are
dry and parched, rich pasturage is to be found on the plain, while the
ground is generally moist, and, on account of the lower temperature, its
surface is often covered with a white rime in the mornings, and the air
is cool and refreshing. The herds of sheep and cattle browsing suggest a
country scene, such as is common in the Old Country.
-----
Footnote 5:
The bamboo forests fringe the higher slopes of most of the mountains
of East Africa, between the grass line and the windswept heights.
-----
As I was accompanied by two Masai boys, I met with no opposition from
the warriors of that tribe camped on the plain to look after the safety
of the herds; and during the first day’s march we travelled about thirty
miles, camping that night about eight thousand feet up the mountainside,
where we found the air very cold. Game was everywhere in abundance, and
I also noticed a few elephant tracks; so the next morning we had a look
round, and followed the elephant tracks, which we found went through the
forest and over the mountain. We had great difficulty in forcing our way
through the trackless bamboo forest. The bamboos grow as thick as wheat
in a wheatfield, and even where the elephants had forced a way the trees
they had broken were lying across their path. Bordering on the forest
were steep precipices, the depth of which was so great that objects in
the valley below could only be very indistinctly seen. That night we
ascended to a height of between eleven thousand and twelve thousand
feet, and passing over the crest of the mountain, began the descent of
the other side. Making a long day’s trek, it was almost dark when we
again camped for the night, still in the bamboo forest which covers the
mountain-side.
So far we had met none of the Kikuyu people, and, continuing our march,
we arrived, on the third day, in sight of the first native village. I
had heard some one cutting wood in the forest off our road, and the news
of our coming had spread. At the first sight of us the natives had
started running away, but we soon heard the native war-cry being taken
up from hill to hill round about, and could catch occasional glimpses of
the natives themselves as they gathered in force towards the village.
They were certainly a wild-looking lot, with their bodies smeared all
over with grease and red clay, or, in some cases, a kind of whitewash,
in which patterns were drawn according to the fancy of each individual,
while fastened to the leg was a rattle, with an iron ball inside, which,
as they moved about, made a noise very much like a railway train. Many
of them wore wonderful head-dresses, made of the skin of the colobus
monkey, and all were armed with spears and shields. These details I
managed to notice as we were moving towards them.
[Illustration: KIKUYU WARRIOR]
In a short time quite five hundred warriors, fully armed, were drawn up
outside the village, and, getting within speaking distance, I told my
Masai interpreter to tell them that I had come to see the chief of the
district.
Never having seen a white man before, they regarded me with something
like awe, being evidently puzzled at my appearance, and were at a loss
how to act. The fact that I had ventured to come there alone was, in
itself, quite enough to surprise and astonish them, and, noting the
impression I had made, I knew that if I was to succeed with them I must
keep up an attitude of fearlessness.
After my interpreter had spoken, a guide came forward to conduct me to
the chief, whose name was Karuri. Accompanying the guide to the chief’s
kraal, I was met by Karuri, who demanded to know what I wanted.
This important personage, who to-day collects the hut tax for the
British Administration, would hardly be recognized as the savage warrior
chief who now stepped forward to meet the first white man he had ever
seen in his own country (as before explained, others had thought it more
prudent to go round the outskirts). It was a strange meeting, and one
which was to have great consequences for both of us. As time went on
Karuri was to become my friend and right-hand supporter, while I, in
turn, was to have an influence over him and his people which was to
raise him to the position of a great chief and myself to supreme power
in the country—a virtual King of the Kikuyu.
Through my interpreter, I explained as fully as possible my mission to
his country, in answer to his inquiry. I said that I had come to see his
country and was anxious to trade with him and to buy food. He then
questioned me as to the force I had brought with me; to which I replied
that, as my mission was a peaceable one, I had left most of my guns in
the forest to avoid trouble, but that if he harmed me, my people would
come and make war on him. This pardonable untruth seemed to make the
desired impression on him, and he allowed me to give him a present of
cloth, which he accepted with every appearance of pleasure. After this
his manner became more friendly, and when I signified my intention of
making a long stay in his country he readily agreed that his men should
build a hut for me.
His people still regarded me suspiciously, but obeyed my orders when I
told them to fetch wood, and set about the building of the hut, under my
instructions. They also brought me a sheep and some flour and sweet
potatoes, and, as I had by this time got a fire going, I had a good meal
cooked for myself and my men, the Kikuyu all the time looking on with
much interest.
[Illustration: WA-KIKUYU MAIDENS]
In the meanwhile I had been looking round and taking stock of the
neighbourhood, and a wilder scene it would be hard to imagine. The
Kikuyu country is a succession of small hills, separated by deep
valleys, lined with water-courses fed from the higher country, while the
hills are beautifully wooded, except where the trees have been cleared
away to get patches of ground for the cultivation of crops.
The village, which was situated on the high ground in a large clearing
in the forest, consisted of a cluster of round huts, surrounded by a
high thorn fence, or boma, high enough and thick enough to make any
attempt at forcing an entrance by a force unprovided with good axes a
matter of great difficulty. The entrance through the boma was by means
of a narrow tunnel, made of large slabs of wood, sunk deeply in the
ground, with the tops interlocking at such an angle that any one wishing
to enter had to crawl through it on hands and knees. The walls of the
huts were made of huge slabs of wood, fashioned out of large trees by
the simple process of cutting portions off the trunk until it was
reduced to the required thickness. These slabs were placed upright in
the ground, close together, in the form of a circle, and a thatched roof
built up over them. By the side of the huts, which were built without
any attempt at regularity, were smaller structures, with basket floors
and grass roofs, which I found were used as granaries, or larders, in
which to store the food.
The people who gathered round us while the meal was being got ready were
a fierce-looking crowd, their bodies being disfigured with paint and
hung about with rough ornaments. Every one seemed to be discussing me,
and, by the looks cast in my direction, debating whether, after all,
they should not kill me. Not knowing what might happen, I kept my rifle
near me and my bandolier in readiness in case of a sudden attack. After
a time they became more inquisitive, and began to examine my clothes,
which were something quite new to them, as they had never seen anything
of the sort before. The boots puzzled them the most, as they appeared to
think they were actually part of my feet, which they seemed to think
very curiously constructed. Some of them pushed their curiosity to the
extent of wanting to examine my rifle, but this I refused to let go out
of my hand.
My interpreter said that they thought I was very foolish to come among
them with only one rifle, so I told him to tell them that this gun was
different from any that they had ever seen before and far more effective
than those carried by Arab and Swahili traders. This gun, I explained,
could kill six men with one shot, and I told them that I would show them
what it would do by firing at a tree. It happened to be the old
Martini-Metford, so, putting in a solid cartridge, I chose a tree that I
knew the bullet would go through and fired. They immediately rushed in a
body to see what damage had been done, and when they found the hole
where the bullet had gone in and come out the other side they were both
considerably surprised and impressed. I assured them that that was
nothing; if they would examine the side of the mountain beyond they
would find that the bullet had gone right through that as well! I knew
that only sheer bluff could bring me safely out of the position in which
I had voluntarily placed myself, and so made the best use of every
opportunity that arose of impressing them.
Turning into my hut, I kept awake practically all night, fearing that
some treachery might be attempted, but fell asleep at last, to be
awakened early in the morning by an awful row of war-horns and men
shouting and running about in every direction. By the time I had rubbed
the sleep out of my eyes I saw a crowd of very excited natives rushing
in a body towards my hut, and fully expected that I was in for a tough
fight. However, far from intending to attack me, they had come to
implore my help for themselves. It seemed that though Karuri, in his
younger days, had been a powerful chief, his influence had waned as he
grew older, and the tribe being split up into clans, something like the
Highlanders in the old days, in the absence of a chief sufficiently
strong to keep the various sections in order, they were continually
indulging in petty wars among themselves. One of the neighbouring clans
had heard of my arrival, and, objecting to the presence of any white man
in the country, had promptly attacked Karuri’s village, with the object
of disposing of me once for all, and a big fight, in which a number of
people had already been killed, was then in progress, while, on looking
out of my hut, I saw that a portion of the village was in flames.
My duty was clear. These people had brought the trouble on themselves by
befriending me, and the least I could do was to give them such help as I
could. Besides, I wished to remain in the country, and if these people
were worsted—even if I escaped with my life, which was very unlikely—I
should have to get out and stay out, for some considerable time, at any
rate. It did not take me long to make up my mind, and, seizing my rifle,
I made for the scene of the fight, accompanied by a crowd of yelling
savages, delighted at my decision. When I arrived the row was at its
height and the sight of the hand-to-hand conflict among the warriors,
surrounded by the burning huts, was a stirring one. Seeing the
reinforcements, headed by myself, coming up, the attackers began to
waver, and when I had fired a few shots with effect, finally turned tail
and bolted. After pursuing them for some distance, to make sure that
they were completely scattered, the triumphant warriors returned to the
village, and made quite a hero of me, being convinced that their victory
was entirely due to my help. This incident was of the greatest value to
me, as it fully established my reputation as a useful member of the
community, and they became very friendly. I learned that they had had a
lot of trouble with this particular clan, who had frequently raided
them, killing many of their men, and carrying off their cattle, and
sometimes their women.
After this Karuri came to ask me if I would stop in his country, and I
told him I would think about it. I said that I had other work to do, but
that if he would sell me flour and other foodstuffs I would come back to
him. I told him that the flour was for friends of mine, who were coming
along the caravan road. He said that he did not want any more white
people in the country. I could stop as long as I liked myself, and his
people would be my friends, but they did not mean to have any strangers.
I explained that though my friends were coming along the caravan road
they had no intention or desire to enter the country. This explanation
seemed to satisfy them, and I told them that I would not decide at once
about staying in the country, but that when I had taken the flour to my
friends I would come back and talk matters over with them. They then
asked what I had to give in exchange for the flour, and I produced a
bottle of iodoform, some of which I had used on their wounds after the
fight with good effect. They thought it was a great medicine, and all
wanted some, and in exchange for a small quantity, wrapped in paper,
would give from ten to twenty pounds of flour.
They looked upon me as a great medicine man, and members of the tribe
came to me daily to be cured of various complaints during the fortnight
I stayed with them while the food I wanted was being collected and
brought in. When it was all in I found that I had about two hundred
loads, and the trouble then was to find porters to carry it out of the
country; but by dint of persuasion I finally succeeded in impressing a
number of the people into my service, and started off with my loads.
On account of my little difference with Captain Gorges I decided not to
go to Naivasha, but to carry my loads down towards the Kedong. As the
route to the Kedong Valley led through the Masai country, my men would
not go right through with it, so I set them to build a hut on the
caravan road, where I established a store for the flour, and within a
few days I sold the lot to the railway surveyors and caravans for about
thirty rupees a load, which made me highly satisfied with the result of
my first venture among the Kikuyu. It was on this journey that I first
saw the native method of starting a fire by means of the “fire-stick,”
though subsequently I found it very useful on many occasions when, owing
to the dampness during the rainy season, my matches would not light
satisfactorily. The fire-stick itself is a piece of hard wood, about
eighteen inches in length, of the thickness of a lead pencil and
pointed, and is carried in the quiver with the arrows. The method of
using it differs somewhat from that practised by certain tribes who are
accustomed to use a sort of mandril in connexion with it. The Kikuyu
always carry, as well as the fire-stick, a piece of wood of a softer
kind, about a foot long and two or three inches wide, which, when they
wish to make a fire, they place between their feet, holding it in
position with their toes. The pointed fire-stick is inserted into a hole
in the soft wood and rapidly revolved between the flat of their two
hands until the dust worn off the softer wood by the friction begins to
glow. This burning dust is then quickly tossed into the middle of a
little bundle of dry bark fibre, always carried by the owner of the
drill. The little bundle is then taken between the hands and gently
blown up until it shows signs of blazing, when it is placed in the
middle of a little heap of dried twigs and leaves which has been
prepared in readiness. A little careful manipulation soon produces a
blaze.
I was also able to purchase a large quantity of trade goods, beads,
cloth, &c., from Arab traders going up to Uganda, and sent to Karuri for
more natives to carry my purchases back to Kikuyu, where, on my return,
I paid them for their services in cloth, which seemed to make them still
more anxious for me to remain among them.
Having finally announced my decision to stay in the Kikuyu country, at
any rate for a time, I selected a site for a house, and got them to help
me with the building. I found that they had a sort of native axe,
somewhat similar to those in use in the South Sea Islands, made with a
very small head, which is fixed to the club which forms the haft by a
spike projecting from the back, which is driven through the haft and
projects for two or three inches at the back—and with these and the
swords, with which every man is armed, they cut down trees from the
forest, and a house in the European style was built for me.
In connexion with these swords I may mention a peculiar custom which
illustrates the treacherous nature of these people. They invariably wear
the sword on the _right_ side, as when worn in that position it is much
easier to make a treacherous attack on an opponent while approaching
apparently with the friendly intention of shaking hands!
Their method of tree-cutting was a somewhat dangerous one, as they
simply cut into the tree near the ground, without any regard to the
direction in which it was likely to fall, so that serious injuries
during tree-felling operations were by no means uncommon. The Kikuyu
never use nails, but by dint of careful explanation, I was able to get
the native blacksmiths to make me a very efficient substitute.[6] The
natives were very much interested in the building operations, and when
the house was finished I used to invite the chief and his headmen to
visit me there. The house, which was built in the bungalow style, common
to European houses in the tropics, looked very well, and though the
windows were, of course, unglazed, I had shutters made, with which I
could close them at night.
-----
Footnote 6:
I have read that the use of nails was practically unknown in England
until the latter half of the eighteenth century.
-----
In the meanwhile I had been getting better acquainted with the country,
and found that the people lived in a constant state of civil war. Every
day men came to me to have their wounds dressed, and I heard of many
being killed. As I have already said, the country was very mountainous,
and each hill had its own chief, who lived in a state of continual
warfare with his neighbours. No man was safe in travelling about the
country, except on certain days when a sort of general market was held,
during the continuance of which a truce seemed to exist, hostilities
being resumed again as soon as it was over. Karuri used to visit me
nearly every day, and from him I learned all about the country. Even he
seemed afraid to go far from his own village, and, as this state of
affairs was very bad for my plans of trading, I determined to do what I
could towards reducing the country to something like order.
I gathered, from conversations with Karuri and the older men of the
village, that at one time the country was believed to have been covered
with a vast forest, inhabited by a race of pigmies, whom they called
Maswatch-wanya. These people did not cultivate the land, but lived by
hunting, and the legend said that the wife of a Masai, who was very
badly treated by her husband, was in the habit of taking refuge in the
forest, with her little boy, from his cruelty. At first she used merely
to stay in the forest for a time, and then return to her husband again;
but at last his treatment of her became so bad that she left him
altogether, and took refuge with the pigmies, and it was believed that
the Kikuyu race were the descendants of the offspring of this woman.
There is certainly a good deal of evidence to support the tradition, as
they undoubtedly have Masai blood, use the same kind of weapons and
shield, and in each case worship a god they call Ngai. I have also heard
them singing Masai war-songs when going out to fight, and in a very
large number of instances the physical resemblance between the two races
is very strong.
I stayed some weeks with them this time, and found that there was a good
deal of fighting going on, and that many of the friendly natives were
being killed through the hostility to me of the neighbouring chiefs and
their people. They strongly resented my intrusion into the country, and
any of the natives known to be friendly towards me, or wearing any of
the cloth I had given them, were immediately marked down for attack.
This sort of thing went on for some time, and they began to think that,
because I took no action against their enemies, I was afraid of them.
There were threats to kill me every day, and one night, after some of
their villages had been burned, and a lot of the people killed, they
came to me and asked me to take their part, saying that they had always
been friendly towards me, and that was why these people were making war
on them and robbing them.
I therefore sent a messenger to the offending chief, to say that if he
did not return the stolen property, and pay compensation for the murders
he had committed, I should have to go and compel him to do so. (The law
of the country is that for every man killed a payment of one hundred
sheep shall be made, and for every woman thirty sheep.) The chief simply
returned an insulting message to the effect that we were afraid of him,
and the next time he came he would kill me too.
A few days later I had a consultation with Karuri, and we came to the
conclusion that the only thing to be done was to go out and fight the
matter out with them, though I was strongly averse to getting mixed up
in any of their quarrels. However, the matter was settled for us, for
while we were still negotiating for a peaceful settlement of the
difficulty, our enemies came down in force one day and attacked the
village. They numbered altogether about five hundred warriors, while we
could only muster about three hundred. They had been successful in
previous raids because the people were scattered about in a number of
small villages, and could not muster in sufficient force to beat them
off, as they could always overwhelm a village and get away before any
help could be brought to the spot. On this particular occasion, however,
matters were a little different, as we had been expecting trouble, and
had made arrangements to give them a warm reception if they should
venture to come.
Our spies had been out for some time, and kept us well informed as to
what was going on, and gave us good warning as to when we might expect
to be attacked. As soon as the news of the approaching raid reached us,
I mustered the fighting men and got ready to receive them. We were soon
made aware of their approach by the sound of wild war-cries and savage
yells, as well as by the flames of the burning villages, to which they
set fire as they came along, and, meeting with no opposition, no doubt
they anticipated an easy victory.
By this time I had taught my people to hold themselves in check, and act
together, instead of each man fighting for his own hand. Waiting till
they had got within easy striking distance, we poured in a volley of
spears and arrows and I did service with my rifle. Following up the
surprise caused by this unexpected reception, we were soon among them
and engaged in a warm hand-to-hand fight, which lasted until we had
beaten off the invaders and followed them right back into their own
country. The battle, which had started in the early morning, lasted
until midday, and, having administered severe punishment, we camped for
the night in the enemy’s district.
We had had the good fortune to capture the enemy’s chief, who was
brought a prisoner into our camp, and the next morning I consulted with
Karuri as to what was to be done with him, and it was at last decided to
hold a _shauri_ (pronounced _showari_), or council, on the matter. I
asked them what they would have done in a case like this if I had not
been with them, and they replied that they would either have killed him
or made him pay a heavy fine. I pointed out that killing him or making
his people pay a heavy fine would only aggravate the enmity of these
people, and so cause more trouble later on. I told them that it would be
better to make the chief restore everything that had been stolen by
him—not in previous years, but in the raids which had taken place during
my stay among them, and to this course they finally agreed.
Within a few days all the stolen property was restored to its original
owners, causing much rejoicing among them, as they had, of course, never
expected to see any of it again. Of course, I took precautions to see
that no friction occurred during the process of retransferring the
recovered property, and having invited some of the chief men of both
districts to my camp, we got on quite friendly terms. Seeing them
sitting, eating and drinking together amicably, it was difficult to
imagine that they had been cutting one another’s throats only a few days
previously, but the Kikuyu, like many other African races, are
remarkably changeable, and their temper can never be relied upon. As I
learnt during my stay among them, they are both fickle and treacherous,
and had it not been for my own people, I should have run great risk of
being killed on several occasions, through trusting them too much.
I was very anxious to strengthen and maintain my friendship with these
people and the surrounding clans, and, after some discussion on the
matter, found that they had a ceremony, known as Pigasangi, which was
supposed to be mutually binding. If it could be arranged for me to
undergo this ceremony, there was every prospect of a lasting friendship
being formed. This ceremony differs from that of blood brotherhood
chiefly in that, while blood brotherhood establishes a friendly
relationship with the individual, Pigasangi establishes it with the
whole of the tribe or communities represented at the ceremony.
After some days the assembled chiefs consented to take part in the
ceremony, and, accompanied by the natives who had always been friendly
to me, and about fifteen of the old men of the district, I went to the
chief’s village to make the necessary arrangements.
When we arrived at the village the people were already waiting to
receive us, and there were signs of great festivity. Word had been sent
round to all the villages that the ceremony was to take place, and, as
it was looked upon as a great occasion for rejoicing, much dancing and
beer-drinking were going on, and we were received with shouts of welcome
and every sign of friendship. A large clearing had been selected for the
occasion—the Kikuyu, like many other savage tribes, always choosing an
open space for their ceremonies, or discussions of importance, as they
were thus enabled to detect any would-be eavesdroppers before they could
get near enough to overhear anything or to attempt any treachery. Nearly
all native villages, I found, have a large space set apart in the
neighbourhood for the holding of their shauris, dances, &c.
After a lot of superfluous oratory, the proceedings began with a black
goat being brought in, with its feet tied up, and laid in the centre of
the space. The natives then grouped themselves in a circle, with the
chiefs and orators in the centre. Everybody taking part in the ceremony
had previously disarmed, and, considering that there were over two
thousand people present, it was remarkable how orderly and quiet the
assembly was, everything being carried out without any hustling or
disputing for right of place.
The native never speaks at any meeting of the tribe without a stick in
his hand, and on the present occasion each speaker was provided with a
number of sticks, having one for each subject of discussion, the sticks
being thrown on the ground by each alternately as he went through his
speech. First one side and then the other stated the points of the
agreement, which, of course, had been carefully discussed beforehand, so
that there should be no chance of argument during the ceremony. The main
points were that there were to be no hostilities between the two clans
in future, that they were to assist each other, and that neither should
molest any white man coming through its country.
When all the sticks had been thrown down, they were collected, and being
bound up in a bundle, were placed between the legs of the goat. The
chief orator, whose stick was more like a club than the rest, then
repeated the different conditions, at the end of each clause dealing the
goat a heavy blow with his club whilst repeating a formula to the effect
that any one breaking the agreement should die like that goat. By the
time he had reached the last clause the animal was almost dead, and a
particularly heavy blow dispatched it. After that no one dare touch the
goat, which was regarded as sacred, and I learned that this was the
opportunity to obtain any confession from a native, any one suspected of
wrongdoing being asked to swear by the goat, when he would certainly
tell the truth.
The ceremony was followed by more rejoicing and drinking of native beer.
This function considerably enlarged the area of friendly country, which
now extended to the banks of one of the rivers which rises in the
Aberdare Range, and flows in an easterly direction until it empties, as
I afterwards found, into the River Tana.
On the other hand, the fact of these people making friends with me had
the effect of increasing the enmity of the other chiefs, who remained
outside the agreement, and feared that the effect of it would be to lead
more white men to come into the country.
[Illustration: THE RIVER MORANDAT]