THE PEACEABLE MASAI 



never enter our tent uninvited, as some other natives 

 are apt to do ; they always addressed you quietly 

 and politely ; they were always ready for a " shami," 

 or palaver, at which only one man would speak at a 

 time, and, above all, if acting as your guides or 

 spearmen, were prepared to fight anything or anybody 

 on your behalf. 



The Uganda Railway guide-book justly makes the 

 boast that this transformation was wrought without 

 the aid of a GatHng gun, but I heard one interesting 

 tale put forth as an explanation of the change, and 

 give it here for what it is worth. Some twenty years 

 ago a certain great chief on his death-bed developed 

 the gift of prophecy. Amongst other things he said 

 that the EngUsh were the friends of the Masai, and 

 that so long as they lived in peace so would they 

 prosper, but should they fight and kill any English 

 then their cattle would die and they would speedily 

 cease to be a race. 



Matters went on well enough for a few years, and 

 the Masai prospered ; but then, in an evil moment, 

 some of them got embroiled with a few English, the 

 result being that the latter were massacred. Almost 

 immediately rinderpest broke out and nearly ex- 

 terminated the Masai cattle ; on the top of that 

 small-pox attacked the people and killed them in 

 thousands, so that from being a nation they are now 

 ! little more than a big tribe, and are gradually dying out. 



I 83 



