176 AMONGST THE RESHIAT AND TO LAKE STEFAXIE 



ill dry weather was always laden with reddish-yellow dust, the 

 atmosphere being so thoroughly impregnated with it that the 

 landscape was shrouded as in a thick fog, the dust remaining 

 suspended in the air for hours even after the wind had gone 

 down. 



The days passed over quietly without any special change. 

 The Oromaj was now more, now less arrogant in his bearing, 

 Avhilst the rest of the natives remained friendly towards us. 

 The Oromaj was really the only Eeshiat we did not quite 

 like, and he probably felt very much the same for us as we did 

 for him, especially as the Count, half in fun of course, always 

 called him El moruo torono, or the wicked old man. 



We had a happy little domestic episode in our camp here, 

 illustrative of the predilection of the Eeshiat for Burkeneji 

 women. The fair Donyiro who had joined us on Mount Nyiro 

 found a suitor for her hand. Her much older companion had 

 been sold by Lembasso on the journey to an Elmolo of Alia for 

 two rusty old spear-blades. The Eeshiat who took Donyiro 

 from Lembasso, the latter having given out that she was his 

 sister, seemed very much in love with her, and the maiden was 

 also greatly taken with the idea of a new home in a strange 

 land. But, like a sensible girl, she examined the surroundings 

 very carefully before she obeyed the alluring voice, and spent 

 a day in the village to begin with. After this, however, she 

 packed up her bundle and bade us farewell, Lembasso rejoicing 

 in the possession of two sheep, the price he had been paid for 

 his Donyiro. 



Our men being now fairly restored to health, whilst we had 

 got a pretty good notion of the geographical position and 

 character of the district, and had made a vocabulary of native 

 words, we were once more seized with a longing for new dis- 

 coveries and fresh experiences. Liaction after a long period 

 of strenuous exertion always has pernicious results. Body and 



