122 EXCURSIONS FROM NJEMPS part ii 



acted as interpreter to a shauri that began most amiably. At 

 last Timami, who was the chief spokesman and president of the 

 caravan, asked me to sell them some cartridges, as they had 

 used all theirs shooting food. This I did not believe, for I 

 knew they were not cannibals, and one of the party had 

 previously confessed they had used up all their ammunition in 

 a fight with a tribe six weeks' journey to the north-west. I had 

 given a solemn pledge, in accordance with the terms of the 

 Brussels Convention, not to " give, assign, or sell to any person 

 or persons " either arms or ammunition. As natives are not 

 allowed to have breech-loading rifles on any pretence whatever, 

 I had been surprised to find that the caravan had both Sniders 

 and Remingtons, and had therefore taken precautions to prevent 

 the porters selling either cartridges or the powder out of them. 

 From the moment of my final refusal to sell cartridges, the 

 attitude of the traders changed ; and, with the exception of 

 the two Beluchi, they did what they could to hinder instead of 

 help me. They suddenly discovered that the Njemps' state- 

 ments were true, that there was no food in Kamasia, and it was 

 useless for me to go there. I replied that if there was none 

 there, I would go on to Elgeyo or Kavirondo. They then tried 

 the effects of intimidation, and told me the story of the massacre 

 of Bishop Hannington and his men, embellishing their account 

 with as many unnecessary horrors as they could remember or 

 invent ; they assured me that his caravan was a much larger 

 one than mine, and solemnly warned me against going into such 

 a district with so small a force. I laughed at their fears, and 

 explained that I regarded Bishop Hannington's fate as due to 

 negligence, as his men were apparently undrilled, and the natives 

 had been able to take him prisoner without a shot being fired. 

 I pointed out that, like the Bishop, I was a man of peace, but if 

 necessary was quite ready to fight anybody and everybody on 

 the road, and that my camp would never be taken by surprise. 

 As they saw such intimidation as they could try had no effect, 

 they fell back on entreaties ; they said there was a little food in 

 northern Elgeyo, but since the time when Dachi-tumbo (Count 

 Teleki) had raided there and massacred the natives, they would 

 not sell to Europeans. I was assured that if I persisted in 

 going, the natives would at once burn their villages and fly to 

 the hills. The Arabs suggested that I should stay behind in 



