VII 



TRAVELS IN EASTERN- AFRICA 



321 



similar to those of nomadic, pastoral people, such as 

 the Galla and Somali, who inhabit East Africa. 



Their government, to a certain extent, was oligarch- 

 ical. Each village was presided over by its chief, 

 whose decisions were not final, and were influenced in 

 great degree by the other rich and prominent men of 

 his village. Each village was distinct in policy, and 

 might act for itself quite independently of any or all 

 the others — might even separate entirely from the rest 

 of the tribe, if it so willed. They remained united, not 

 as the result of mutual affection, but as a measure of 

 safety. For the immediately preceding twenty or thirty 

 years (and for how many more we were unable to ascer- 

 tain) they had been the victims of raids from the Borana 

 and Rrapp on the north, the Somali on the east, and 

 the Turcana and Masai on the south, whenever the 

 movements of the Rendile presented a fair opportu- 

 nity; and the strength of unity, at least, was a binding 

 tie among them. 



The position of the medicine-men, Lesegetetti and 

 Laogoum, seemed similar to that of the chiefs. These 

 medicine-men were the means of communication with 

 the Deity, and it was through them and their arts that 

 a knowledge of the future came ; but the fact that these 

 medicine-men were known to be not infallible (evidenced 

 by the defeat the Rendile sustained at the hands of the 

 Turcana, while acting under advice given by Laogoum) 

 tempered their power. 



The most powerful village of the Rendile was that 

 presided over by Lokomogul. For the twenty years 

 past it had not suffered from depredations. This was 

 supposed to be due to the fact that the medicine-man, 



Y 



