TERRERE'S PROMISES 



297 



gestures, but his words sounded hearty and friendly. The 

 introduction consisted of a kind of litany, in which he assured 

 us of his goodwill and friendship, which litany we had to 

 repeat after him word for word ; then he expressed his delight 

 at our visit to his country, assured us that we were free of 

 every path in it, and offered to guide us wherever we went. 

 Each one of us, as long as we remained in Kikuyuland, would 

 have a warrior by his side to watch over his welfare. So he 

 held forth for a very long time, whilst we listened very happily 

 chewing our sugar-cane, though we could only understand 

 with the help of an interpreter. We made Kijanja answer him 

 in the same style, and then went back to camp. This recep- 

 tion had exceeded our wildest hopes, and we failed not to 

 express the favourable impression made on us by sending 

 plenty of presents. 



The camp was soon crowded with men, women, and children 

 bringing food and tobacco for sale, the food including sugar- 

 cane, maize, beans, cassava, millet and eleusine, and on every 

 side resounded the cry of Moratta, moratta, katire kimandaja, 

 which not only means, as already stated, 6 Friend, we do not 

 want war,' but is also used to decline a bargain. The prices 

 asked were very low, and we bought a day's ration for 350 

 people for 210 strings of beads. The natives were equally 

 ready to sell their ornaments and weapons, but, in spite of 

 their outnumbering us so completely, they were shy and timid, 

 hastening away as soon as they had got rid of their wares, so 

 that by three o'clock not one was left in camp. 



Our palisade was finished the first day, although we made 

 an especially strong one, meaning to open negotiations with 

 the various chiefs of the land before going further, which might 

 delay us some time. 



This frontier camp was at a height of about 6,240 feet, in 

 the very middle of a wood, and, as the sky was overclouded, it 



