CONSTANT DEMANDS FOR TRIBUTE 



309 



At every one of the many streams we crossed we liad to 

 -p^y a little tribute, each small valley having its own Samaki, 

 a fact which was the chief element of difficulty in our journey 

 through Kikuyu. 



We camped at mid-day on a ridge near Utahaj's village, 

 which, as usual in this country, is in a wood. Our ridge, which 

 was some 115 feet high, sloped abruptly down to a brook with 

 an equally lofty hill on the other side. There was certainly 



UTAHAJ UAJAKl'S VILLAGE. 



plenty of bush here for making a fence, but it was not of the 

 right kind, and we put it up chiefly for show, as it would 

 scarcely protect us from arrows, whilst a charge would carry 

 it completely at once. Whilst we were at work some thousand 

 natives surrounded us, and were only kept back with the greatest 

 trouble by Utahaj and his friends. 



Our chief care was to make sure of several days' provisions, 

 so that if hostilities really broke out we should have, so to 



