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TO KENIA 



pay from us, so we fully expected to see him back ; but we 

 were mistaken, he never reappeared. The other, a very 

 sensible young fellow, assured us that we need not be at all 

 afraid of his deserting us too, but he seemed rather anxious 

 and disturbed, which was no wonder, as, of course, he was 

 looked upon as a traitor by his fellow-countrymen. We did 

 our best to comfort him by telling him he would be doing his 

 people a great service if he took us safely to the frontier of 

 Kikuyuland. 



This guide and Kijanja were instructed by Count Teleki to 

 tell the natives that we were anxious for peace, but would only 

 conclude that peace with the whole neighbourhood, as it was 

 important we should know in our further journey whether we 

 had to deal with friends or foes. With this end in view we 

 invited all the chiefs of the villages in our further route to 

 come and make blood-brotherhood with us, after which we 

 would set our captives free and restore the cattle taken. 



The four envoys listened to what our ambassadors said and 

 went away, returning an hour later with the news that their 

 own villages and the chiefs of a few other valleys were willing 

 to make friends with us, but that those on the south and north- 

 west wanted war. 



To this we replied that we would wait till mid-day, and if 

 by that time all the chiefs had not come in to make blood- 

 brotherhood we should conclude that they were all our enemies 

 and act accordingly. 



Once more the envoys left us, and for several hours we were 

 left in j)eace. But the messengers did not return, nor was there 

 any sign of the chiefs. Instead of that, towards twelve o'clock 

 numbers of warriors gathered on the hill on the south, gazing 

 at us from above their freshly painted shields, whilst from one 

 of our outposts higher up came the news that another thousand 

 natives were in sight. This compelled us to give up all hope 



