NOISY VISITORS 



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groups of moruu and moran, puzzled to understand what it 

 was all about, but at the same time unwilling to interrupt. 



Though the Masai had brought two oxen and a goat with 

 them, and were evidently quite well disposed towards us, 

 Kimemeta addressed them indignantly, asking them why they 

 had brought no donkeys and had come empty-handed, so that 

 the moruu soon looked quite crestfallen. Meanwhile the moran, 

 guessing from Kimemeta's raised tones that he was out of 

 humour, thought they would mollify him by a little singing 

 and dancing, so they treated us to an African quadrille, accom- 

 panied by a song, beginning the performance by springing into 

 the air with limbs held rigid, whilst they swayed their heads 

 up and down, so that their long twists of hair were tossed over 

 the forehead and back again. Then forming in a long; line as 

 before described, they threaded the further mazes of the dance. 



The division of the tribute then took place, occupying 

 several hours, and it was not until the evening that the tiring 

 business was over. The coolness of the evening air, however, 

 now drew our visitors to the camp fires, where they took the 

 best places, driving away our men, who looked cross enough, 

 though they did not venture to resist. We therefore politely 

 asked them if they would mind camping outside the hedge, 

 upon which, without the slightest hesitation, they demanded 

 fuel of our porters, as of course they, too, must haA^e fires. 

 Next they stuck their spears in the ground just outside Count 

 Teleki's tent, and finally took themselves off. They never 

 ceased talking and singing till cock-crow the next morning, 

 and not one of them went to sleep. 



On the morning of August 1 Count Teleki started again 

 with the same men as before, leaving me behind. Our visitors 

 all soon followed him, as did one of the oxen they had .presented, 

 a half-wild creature, which had nearly tossed everyone who 

 approached him, had sprung over the hedge into the midst of 



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