CHAPTER X;X 



THE BORANA 



In due course I was visited by the headman of the 

 village, accompanied by four elders, bringing with 

 them a sheep as a gift to me. After a few words of 

 welcome, he began a long and bitter complaint against 

 the Abd Wak, who had lately murdered three men of 

 his village, and against the Samburu, who were con- 

 tinually oppressing them. He said that when the 

 British Government undertook to administer this part 

 of East Africa, they had been amongst the first to 

 submit and to be promised protection. They had 

 then moved southward from the Abyssinian border to 

 avoid the incessant plundering and raiding to which 

 they were continually exposed, but they found their 

 present plight even more distressing. Although they 

 had laid their case before the officer in charofe at 

 Wajheir, who had promised to redress their wrongs, 

 they had received neither help nor protection. In 

 reply, I told him I was exceedingly sorry to learn of 

 their difficulties, but as I was not a Government 

 official I could do nothing, but I suggested they 

 should apply to the Commissioner at Meru. It 

 appeared, however, that he had attempted to do that, 

 but that on the way he had been stopped by a party 

 of Samburu warriors who had threatened to kill him 

 and his followers unless he returned at once, and 

 further promised to exterminate his whole village if 

 p 225 



