NZOIA PLATEAU AND ITS TRIBES 213 



evil will for countless years, British rule should be just, wise 

 and strong. Here, it would be but unkind flattery to describe 

 it as being anything of the kind. The fault is not with the 

 individual civil officers. These must impress any fair minded 

 man as being usually most hard working and competent. 

 But there is no sign of settled policy anywhere in the Pro- 

 tectorate. There is a too evident lack of system, of 

 cooperation; no man is sure of being firmly supported if 

 he does his job well. Men are aimlessly shifted from post 

 to pillar. From work they have but just begun to under- 

 stand and to do, to other work, for which they cannot, in 

 the nature of the case, be as well prepared to do. Good 

 material is wasted, good lives and much money thrown away, 

 and everybody is grumbling. 



The southern portion of the plateau is now well known. 

 A district commissioner has taken up residence there, and 

 stores will soon spring, up like mushrooms round the 

 "rock." Three years ago it was a no man's land, where all 

 who came looked for enemies and sometimes found them. 

 There can be few places, even in Africa, where the laws of 

 change have worked so rapidly. 



The northern portion has as yet scarcely been travelled 

 or hunted at all. South of the Nzoia, since the Nandi war 

 that is, for the last three years raiding by the tribes has 

 generally ceased. And the small but continuous blood let- 

 tings, so common wherever the country is not actually policed 

 have stopped. The Nandi whose rich lands lie to the west 

 of the Plateau, till they were defeated and brought to reason, 

 were responsible for most of the quarrelling. 



They were far more numerous than the other tribes to 

 east or north of them, and their young warriors found amuse- 

 ment and adventure in raids, big and little on their feebler 

 neighbours. The Nandi are an intelligent and interesting 

 people. Some of the women especially, having features 

 that strike you at once as refined. Like the Massai they 



