V 



TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA 



191 



the Embe ; but, on the other hand, the Embe are 

 by far the more industrious cultivators. Although 

 these tribes may be said to be quite distinct from 

 each other, still the friendliest relations are main- 

 tained between them. Trading is carried on daily 

 at a point near the frontier. The Embe bring the 

 products of their plantations and exchange them for 

 meat and skins produced by the flocks of the Wam- 

 sara. These, a few years before, possessed many hun- 

 dred head of cattle ; but we found at the time of our 

 visit that their flocks had been largely reduced by 

 some plague (I suppose pleuro-pneumonia), and they 

 were then forced to undertake a little agriculture. 



We heard that a tribe called Daitcho inhabited the 

 eastern slopes of the range lying between the Embe 

 country and the plain where the Mackenzie River 

 winds its way. These people are said to be on excel- 

 lent terms with traders, and were visited several times 

 a year by parties of Arabs and Zanzibari, who jour- 

 neyed to them in search of ivory. 



On the following day the market was not nearly so 

 brisk as we had hoped would be the result of the 

 blood-brotherhood, but suflicient food was brouo^ht 

 to enable my men to revel in a quantity of fresh 

 vegetables. 



Our little herd of cattle and goats, together with 

 our donkeys, were pastured in a valley adjoining our 

 camp, and as a precaution we had it guarded by 

 thirty of our best men. When these men left camp, 

 it appeared almost deserted ; for the wounded were 

 concealed in their tents, and the few people remain- 

 ing presented a ridiculous contrast, as regards number, 



