68 THE LAND OF THE LION 



been cut up. The poor Nandi had to have their lesson, 

 and it was a hard one when it came. But the result was 

 salutary, for finding that their cattle could easily be cap- 

 tured, and that once these were taken from them they 

 must starve, or give in, they not only gave in, and so received 

 back the larger part of their loved herds, but, being a long- 

 headed people for Africans, they concluded they had 

 better begin to imitate the example of the hitherto despised 

 Kikuyu, and commenced some cultivation on their own 

 account. The Government gave them seed and help, and 

 these most interesting natives, possessed of some of the 

 finest lands in East Africa, are to-day on the road to a more 

 stable prosperity than they have ever enjoyed before. The 

 Sergoit region borders the Nandi escarpment, and had been 

 for a long time before this brief war broke out, a sort of 

 debatable land. Once it was densely populated by another 

 tribe, also allied to the Massai. This tribe, of which I speak 

 farther on, was utterly wiped out, so far as can be learned, 

 about one hundred years ago. Since their destruction, it 

 has remained unoccupied, and was left to game and the 

 lions. Some day, and I cannot think that day a distant 

 one, tens of thousands of cattle and sheep will surely graze 

 it, and from many thousands of its acres, rich crops will 

 spring, to feed the native and the settler. 



Just a few words more about the Nzoia plateau and 

 the country across that river to the north of it, where I 

 spent many pleasant hunting days, and then I will follow 

 the sefari to the next camp. There has been quite a little 

 raiding among the tribes that live round the borders of the 

 plateau. Old habits are not to be at once eradicated, 

 certainly not at the mere bidding of some distant civic 

 officer, who has had no time to come round and look after 

 his unruly charges. Massai from the south, Elgao from the 

 east, clashed in the old days constantly with Nandi and 

 Katosch from the west. Occasionally an adventurous 



