CHAP. XVIII THE UGANDA RAILWAY 365 



It is frequently said that the disease which swept ofif most 

 of their cattle has broken the Masai power, while during the 

 past twelve months internal dissensions have destroyed their 

 unity. The Masai, however, have suffered similar misfortunes 

 and been engaged in civil war before ; but they have recovered, 

 and can no doubt do so again. While actually suffering from 

 starvation, the tribe was doubtless crippled. Starving men 

 cannot march hundreds of miles, and then patiently wait for 

 the right moment at which to attack. The Masai were greatly 

 reduced in numbers by famine and by epidemics, the result of 

 eating diseased meat ; but as soon as the crisis was over, the 

 scarcity of food probably drove the warriors to greater activity, 

 and compelled them to make more frequent raids. The 

 Naivasha Masai had certainly acquired enormous herds of 

 cattle by May 1893; it was too soon after the plague for 

 these herds to have been bred, and the majority must have 

 been captured. Lastly, the threatened attack on the powerful 

 caravan of the Railway Survey in 1892, and the attack on the 

 fort at Machakos in 1894, shows that their aggressive spirit 

 has not been changed ; and the recent murder of Dr. Charters 

 of Kibwezi and Mr. Colquhoun adds one more to the long 

 list of misdeeds, which make it necessary to curb the power of 

 the Masai. 



It will be noticed in the map that the proposed route for 

 the Uganda Railway crosses the chief war-roads of the Masai, 

 and nearly coincides with the main caravan road into the 

 interior ; it thus naturally runs from one Bantu settlement to 

 another, for these are the trade centres and food-producing 

 regions. One of the many incidental benefits that the Uganda 

 Railway will confer upon the country is that it will enable a 

 small force of men to watch the roads and protect the peaceful 

 agricultural tribes from the attacks of their warlike neighbours. 



In places the Masai have temporarily ceased from raiding, 

 and some have even taken service with other tribes as herds- 

 men. According to the commonly accepted theory, the 

 Wa-kwafi were originally a tribe of Masai who have per- 

 manently changed their mode of life, and have become an 

 agricultural people. Some men who have lived much among 

 the Masai, as for example Mr. George Wilson, have a high 

 opinion of their intelligence and capacity for learning. It is 



