178 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA chap. 



under my own personal observation or were told me 

 from time to time by Abbudi. 



At one time these people were the terror of the 

 whole country, but of late years their power has 

 been very much curtailed. On the death of their 

 great chief Batian, about 1889, internal dissensions 



HUT IN A MASAI MANYATTA. 



arose between his two sons Sendeyo and Lenana, 

 and warfare was carried on for some time between 

 the partisans of the rival brothers until in the end 

 Lenana was victorious, and became Leibon, i.e.^ 

 high priest and chief ruler of the whole nation. 

 Soon after this, smallpox broke out among the 

 tribe, and their numbers were very greatly reduced. 



