284 THROUGH MASAILAND TO THE BORDERS OF KIKUYU 



neck of beads of an unusual shape, whilst on his head he 

 sported a tin teacup. 



Here I was able to procure a bowl of good fresh milk, 

 which however cost as much as an ox. The Masai, in fact, 

 hold milk in very high esteem, and think it desecration to boil 

 it. They believe, too, that any adulteration of the milk leads 

 to the sterility of the cow which yielded it. It is a pity this 

 idea should not take root amongst the milk sellers of Europe ! 



Every day since we left Migungani we had expected to 

 camp in the evening on the Morio stream, but as a matter of 

 fact we did not get there till early in the afternoon of 

 August 26, having crossed an undulating district with clumps 

 of morio. Further north this tree disappeared altogether, and 

 was replaced by a variety of foliage. 



Numbers of natives flocked into our camp, bringing plenty 

 of oxen for sale, but nearly all of them were so terribly diseased 

 that even our men, who were not nearly as particular as we 

 were, could not eat them. As elsewhere, our visitors were 

 perfectly friendly. 



On August 27 we reach Ngongo Bagas, or the spring of 

 Bagas, an important camping-place on the borders of Masai- 

 land and Kikuyu. We were now on the eastern side of the 

 Doenye Lamuyo, and the neighbourhood was more hilly. The 

 latter part of our march here had been partly between luxu- 

 riant woods and partly across beautiful meadows, or over little 

 watercourses fringed with soft green grass, all alike presenting 

 a marked and delightful contrast to the dreary waterless 

 plateau of Kapotei. 



We met very few Masai, and only saw natives in any 

 number when we passed two kraals at the edge of the wood, 

 from which a crowd of men, moran and moruu, women 

 and children, rushed out to see us pass, chattering, laughing, 

 and screaming. Many of the women brought eleusine meal, 



