-cattle. Each mob is usually under the care of a 

 Masai, Lumbwa or Nandi, who, armed with an 

 umbrella and a spear, accompanies his charges to the 

 grazing ground, whistling soothing notes the while; 

 and brings them back to the "boma" or yard at 

 night. He is ever ready with assistance to the calv- 

 ing cow or animal in trouble, and will if necessary 

 pass the whole night in attendance upon it. He 

 usually has a remedy ready for every ailment, but is 

 generally willing to call in the assistance of the white 

 man, whose cures he is gradually learning to regard 

 as more efficacious than the bleeding, searing with hot 

 iron, or puncturing of the ear, which are the usual 

 antidotes of all cattle ills with him. But good herds- 

 man as is the native, his qualities as a stockman are 

 limited. As a rule, he is a shockingly bad milker, 

 and his knowledge of the principles of breeding are 

 limited to the selection of his breeding stock by 

 colour alone. A few natives, notably the Kavirondo, kavirondo 

 use both hands for milking; but the usual method good 

 is to milk with one hand, as the operator squats on milkers. 

 his haunches, holding a tin in the other. Here and 

 there one may find a Kikuyu who has learned the art 

 of using both hands, but they are few and far 

 between. Nearly all natives are extremely fond of 

 milk and vigilance is necessary to guard against 

 pilfering; the attendant being, as a rule, fully con- 

 versant with such tricks as watering the milk, in order 

 to secure some for himself. Cattle thefts by natives 

 no longer cause so much annoyance as was formerly 

 the case, but care must be taken to guard against 

 it, the native considering that, if the owner does not 

 make a frequent covmt of his stock, he will not miss 

 the one or two head annexed by him. The cause of 

 all deaths should also be fully investigated, as the 

 wily native has been known, not infrequently, to aid 

 the departure of a beast to another sphere, in order to 

 gratify his craving for meat. 



In spite of its drawbacks, East Africa is prob- ^ promising 

 ably destined to be — for its size — one of the greatest outlook. 

 cattle breeding countries in the world; for it is one 

 of the very few parts in which no artificial feeding 

 is required; while its climate is perfect, and grass 

 ^ows luxuriantly during many months of the year. 

 Moreover, its cattle are constitutionally strong, and 

 many of them immune from the diseases which pre- 



7 



WORDS OF 

 CAUTION. 



