ii AT NAIROBI 17 



enemies, the Masai. On one occasion, some twelve 

 years or so ago, the latter made a raid on this 

 tribe in its mountain fastnesses and captured a 

 number of cattle, but failed to get clear of the hills 

 before they were overtaken and surrounded. Every 

 rock on the sides of the defiles gave security to a 

 bowman, who rained a shower of arrows on the 

 doomed Masai spearmen as they strove in vain to 

 break through with their spoil. The invaders were 

 slaughtered to a man, and the result of the victory 

 was that the Masai never again attempted a foray 

 among the mountains where the Wakamba dwell. 



Nearly all the people of this tribe file their teeth to 

 a point, which gives them a peculiar and not over 

 pleasing appearance. The men marry as many 

 wives as they can afford to pay for, as the more 

 wives they have, the less work they do. Like nearly 

 all other native tribes they are very superstitious, 

 and have great faith in the Witch Doctor. The 

 tribe is split up into many small family clans, which 

 are independent of each other and acknowledge no 

 sway beyond that of the petty chieftain of the 

 village. Were it not for this complete lack of 

 cohesion and discipline, the Wakamba would, I 

 am convinced, have made a deep mark on East Afri- 

 can native history. , 



There were no reliable maps to be had of this 

 country, so as guides for my journey I engaged two 



