4 o A COLONY IN THE MAKING chap. 



Up till 1908 this state of things continued. In that 

 year the objection to the two Reserves seems to have 

 dawned almost simultaneously on the white settlers in 

 the country and on Lenana, paramount Chief of the 

 Masai. The settlers, who, it will be borne in mind, 

 had no share whatever in the former treaty, felt it un- 

 fortunate that they should be cut off so far from the 

 railway by a tribe to whom its proximity or use were 

 a matter of complete indifference ; while Lenana found 

 that the distance which separated the Northern 

 Reserves from the Southern, in which he personally 

 lived, weakened his authority on the two sections and 

 tended inevitably to split them into two tribes. In 

 1909, a direct proposal was made to remove the 

 Northern Masai to the Loieta plains, adding that area 

 to the Southern Reserve and thus bringing the whole 

 tribe together once more. Such a proposal gave an 

 increased area of good grazing, but with an insufficient 

 supply of water. The next twelve months were 

 occupied with considering the question and in finding 

 out the wishes of the body of the Northern Masai. 

 It was found that these Masai were almost unanimously 

 in favour of the move, and it was proposed to remedy 

 the water question by the expenditure of a large sum 

 of money in irrigation. Early in 19 10, the Governor, 

 Sir Percy Girouard, held two meetings with the 

 authorised Chiefs of both Reserves ; all were in 

 favour of the move, an agreement was come to, 

 and almost immediately, unexpectedly soon in fact, 

 the move commenced. 



Then it was that the official conscience of the 

 British Government, spurred into life by certain some- 

 what officious vote-controllers, awoke. " What is this 

 fearful thing going on ? " they cried, u A treaty made 



