DR. FISCHER AND JOSEPH THOMSON 



133 



nothing of the kind occurred, and it seemed as if the warriors 

 knew that for us the dark cloud of terror enveloping them had 

 rolled away. If I did not explain further, these remarks might- 

 very easily be misunderstood, so I will add how it was that, even 

 before we had seen any of them, we had decided that the Masai 

 were an unusually brave, but at the same time a bloodthirsty 

 and covetous, people. We had had no need to refer to old 

 accounts and rumours, but had got our information from 

 the reports of Dr. Fischer and Joseph Thomson, who were 

 the first Europeans in a position to give their own im- 

 pressions. Before they went to Masailand a good many 

 native traders had visited it in quest of ivory ; but as Dr. 

 Fischer, who knew the Zanzibari so well, points out, these 

 traders were anything but a high class of men themselves. 

 Dr. Fischer's account of his own journey is not very detailed, 

 but it paints the Masai in rather less sanguinary colours ; and 

 specially noteworthy is one account he gives of a bloody fight 

 amongst the natives, in which, however, his caravan was left 

 unmolested, whilst the accidental manslaughter of one of his 

 people was atoned for by a gift of wire, stuffs, and beads. 



Thomson describes the Masai in very much the same style as 

 the ivory traders, but does not give any instances of bad treat- 

 ment at their hands, and further acquaintance with these much- 

 dreaded warriors convinced us that travelling amongst them 

 was not fraught with any special danger ; and we still felt the 

 same after my bold trip to Mount Meru and Count Teleki's later 

 march, without guide or interpreter, from Masailand to Pangani. 



When the tribute ceremonies were over the natives 

 streamed into our camp, and showed by their happy demeanour 

 how relieved they were that the reserve required by the 

 customs of their country could now be thrown aside. The 

 women and children brought firewood, the old men squatted 

 down round the fires to chat with our men, whilst we found 



