BRITISH EAST AFRICA 275 



" There are some small areas near Naivasha, and to a much 

 larger extent the country in the Southern Guaso Nyiro, now 

 held by the Masai tribe, which an Australian would consider 

 good grade Merino sheep country ; but the Masai country is 

 not available, and I did not see the other districts, where 

 reports say Merinos would thrive — at any rate the area is 

 limited. 



" The Merinos require drenching fairly frequently for wire 

 and tape-worm, and are all dipped, but looked very well indeed 

 at the time of my visit. 



" The settlers are keen on getting grade bulls for crossing 

 with the native ca.ttle, and give £50 and over for bulls that few 

 Australian breeders would look at, whilst purebred Shorthorns 

 of quite moderate grade would realise 60 to 90 guineas. Un- 

 fortunately, I did not see Lord Delamere's herd, but I under- 

 stand it is of a high grade, but several of the more enterprising 

 settlers are getting quite nice herds of pure and grade cattle 

 that seem to do well on the natural pasturage. 



" What appealed to me in shooting through the laige Masai 

 reserve in the Southern Guaso Nyiro, and seeing the very large 

 herds held by that tribe, was that it would be well worth a 

 settler's energies to get a pick of the native Masai cattle, select 

 a good bull, and then start and improve that breed. There is 

 plenty cf room for it, and one is encouraged in this, as, were 

 one to select, say, the top 20 per cent out of the huge herds 

 held by the Masai, one would have a lot of excellent animals of 

 that breed, valuable not only as beef oxen, but also as trek 

 oxen. The Masai, whilst sometimes using good bulls, frequently 

 breed from a bull because they fancy his colour, which is gener- 

 ally a freak, such as spotted black and white or one with some 

 brindled markings ; whilst many of the dun-coloured, or red- 

 dish brown, or fawn-coloured animal.' are quite attractive, and 

 would be the type to maintain and improve. 



" Whiht the country has net yet got into its stride, and will 

 never be a country for large individual herds, it undoubtedly 

 holds great possibilities of quick advancement for the young 

 man who can keep away from the Nairobi and Nakura bars, 

 and will be content to put in some good solid work in making 

 a home for himself. Formerly the diseases in the cattle were 



