282 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. 



country north of the Leikipia plateau, extending as 

 far as Reschatt. But this tribe, having lost their 

 herds by sickness and raids of the Masai, had become 

 scattered. The majority of them, the more fortunate, 

 such as possessed flocks and herds, settled down with 

 the Rendile; the remainder joined the Wanderobbo, 

 and lived by hunting game and honey. They appeared 

 most unwilling to tell us anything about the Rendile; 

 but said that they lived a great distance away, and that 

 between Lolokwi and their country stretched a water- 

 less, and hence impassable, desert. We told them we 

 were bent upon going to the Rendile, and that we 

 were convinced that some of them knew the road. 

 They all shook their heads. Their language was Masai. 



I then told them I was a great medicine-man, and 

 in support of my claim I went through the usual farce 

 of burning a little spirit in a saucer. This appeared 

 to convince them of my power, and at length one of 

 them offered in exchange for a present to guide us, 

 not to the Rendile (for he persisted in saying he did 

 not know where they lived), but to some other Wande- 

 robbo, who lived in the neighbourhood of the Rendile, 

 and would be able to guide us to them. He said that 

 we should have great difficulty in crossing the desert ; 

 that the Wanderobbo never thought of doing so except 

 in the rainy season ; but if we were prepared for long- 

 marches, he thought that in three days he could take 

 us to a place called Seran, where we were sure to 

 find fresh guides. 



We gave this man a present, which pleased him 

 greatly. After receiving it, he told us that his wife 

 was about to become a mother, and that he should 



