i 3 4 EASTERN ETHIOPIA xi 



he died in five hours. Near Ribi, in Ukamba, the same, 

 caravan was attacked by bees and two donkeys were 

 stung to death. 



When spending an afternoon with a settler near 

 Xnkuru I noticed some bees buzzing around a corner of 

 the dairy and drew his attention to their presence. He 

 then expressed his dislike of the African bee, for he said 

 that when disturbed they stung viciously and badly : 

 they attacked the animals in the farm-yard and even 

 stung fowls to death. He added, the honey is not 

 worth eating. The Ndorobo do not share this opinion : 

 when in want of honey they climb the tree, thrust their 

 hands into the hive, pull out the comb and drop it down 

 to their expectant companions. The man robbing the 

 hive is unclothed, but he does not appear to mind being 

 stung. Now and then, if a bee stings him very badly, he 

 will desist for a moment to kill the bee and then con- 

 tinue to rob the hive. This statement is made on the 

 authority of an eye-witness. Inquiry, however, shows 

 that some natives at least take the precaution to smoke 

 the hive, and Major Powell-Cotton gives a careful de- 

 scription of the preparation of a fire for the purpose of 

 smoking out bees in the Mau Forest. 



Hollis in his account of the Nandi gives some curious 

 information in relation to these men and bees : 



In March, 1908, he was on the point of encamping at 

 the foot of the Nandi escarpment when his porters, 

 pursued by bees, abandoned their loads. In the course 

 of the afternoon three unsuccessful attempts were made 

 to recover the loads and several porters were badly 

 stung. At four o'clock in the afternoon a Nandi 

 strolled into the camp and volunteered to quiet the bees, 

 as he was of the " bee totem," and the bees belonged to 

 him. The Nandi was stark naked and started off to the 

 spot where the loads were, whistling loudly in the same 

 way as these men whistle to their cattle. The bees 

 swarmed round and on him, but beyond brushing them 

 lightly from his arms he took no notice of them and, 



