174 AMONGST THE RESHTAT AND TO LAKE STEFANIE 



lie simply said, ' What can you want there ? it has been dried 

 up ever so long.' Did we press him with questions and argu- 

 ments he answered not a word, and went his way, or he seized 

 his long staff and, tramping up and down like some wild beast 

 in a cage, gave vent to a long-drawn-out ' Heheu.' Then he 

 would order Jumbe Kimemeta to sit down opposite to him, and 

 whilst he himself remained standing he would hold forth with 

 a stern expression, evidently suppressing his rage with difficulty, 

 the refrain of his discourse being ever, ' There is but one way 

 for you, and that is back as you came. Fly over the lake, 

 swim over it if you can, but if you can't, then go back ! That 

 is the decision of all the Eeshiat.' Every attempt at a friendly 

 discussion about our route ended in a similar manner. Opposi- 

 tion to our wishes had become a state affair. 



We did not at first attach any particular importance to the 

 objections of the Eeshiat to our further journey. We must 

 prepare to go against their will if necessary, that was all. We 

 were by no means ready yet either, for we wanted to feed up 

 our half-starved men before anything else. Going to the Basso 

 Ebor might wait, and weeks must elapse before we could hope 

 to begin the return journey. 



We did not get on any better when we tried to persuade the 

 natives to sell us some cattle. They got to like our red and 

 blue Masai beads very much as time went on, and with them 

 alone in the course of the first ten days we could have bought 

 nearly seven tons of dhurra, but we could not get a single sheep, 

 although we spoke to the Oromaj about it every day. ' We 

 don't want your iron,' he would reply, ' your stuffs are worth 

 nothing,^ and your beads are too small. The Eeshiat want 

 Mborro and Tcharra beads ; if you come again bring them, 



1 These stuffs included several kinds of merikani of the best quality, but they are 

 not suitable for importation into east equatorial Africa, as they are too thin to please 

 the natives. 



