342 THE LAND OF THE LION 



has reason to congratulate herself, without undue lauda- 

 tion, on the accomplishment of the greatest work of humanity 

 that the world has ever seen. It is only ten or fifteen 

 years since the whole country from the ocean to the Congo 

 groaned beneath oppression and bloodshed; on the coast 

 the Arab took two children out of three in every family 

 as slaves. From Lake Victoria almost to Mombassa 

 the Massai harried the land. The valleys were deserted, 

 no one dared to keep cattle for fear of exciting the cupidity 

 of the raiders. In Uganda, Mtessa put thousands and tens 

 of thousands to death in apparently aimless fury. The 

 caravans of the slave traders travelled the whole country 

 seeking victims. Every tribe was at war with its neighbour. 

 Nature augmented the terrible misery by causing terrible 

 famines." 



So much is only too true. Incidentally how strong 

 a testimony is this borne by Sir Charles to the innate 

 capacity and docility of the native. No rude children 

 of the wild anywhere in the world are easier to lead or 

 more faithful to those who lead them. They have wel- 

 comed the rule of England though that rule, so far as it 

 has been extended to them, is as yet a rather shadowy 

 rule. It has been just, it saves the oppressed from the 

 oppressor and it most conscientiously strives to safeguard 

 the rights of all. The well-to-do are not despoiled, nor are 

 the feeble enslaved. "The Song of the Birds" that the 

 young men of the Elgao sang to us as they danced by the 

 signal rock overlooking the wide valley, is a true song 

 to-day. The women need no longer fear for husband, 

 son or daughter. The spears are no longer red, and the 

 warrior may safely doze the day away as he squats in 

 the sun on the table rock from which his forefathers so 

 often cried to the tribe a dreadful note of warning. 



The Elgao contentedly herds his little flock. The 

 small brave communities of the forest N'dorobo come 



