A DESERTED WANDOROBBO VILLAGE 



413 



that tlie Wandorobbo always carry smouldering wood with 

 them in their travels for smoking out their bees, or getting a 

 fire for cooking their food. 



We followed this path, but as it led between banks from 

 thirty to forty feet high we saw nothing of our surroundings, 

 and might have passed quite lofty mountains without noticing 

 them. Now and then we fired in the air in the hoj)e of 

 attracting the attention of the Wandorobbo, but we saw none 

 of them till we had camped, which we did at mid-day. Soon 

 after that two natives appeared, but though we made them 

 presents they would not stop long, only telling us before they 

 left that we should reach the junction of the Guaso Narok 

 with the Guaso Nyiro the next day, and that there was a 

 Wandorobbo village near to it. 



In the afternoon I set off to try and find some point from 

 which I could get a view, and to my great surprise discovered 

 that a number of paths led through the thicket, winding back- 

 wards and forwards in such a confusing manner, however, that 

 soon I really hardly knew which way I had come myself. As 

 I was still in the labyrinth after an hour's march, I gave up the 

 attempt to penetrate through it, and made for a deserted Wa- 

 ndorobbo village which I had noted earlier, but the apjDroach 

 to it was so barricaded with euphorbias and creepers that I was 

 baulked again. I was able to note, however, that the still well- 

 preserved huts were placed just where the vegetation allowed, 

 and that they resembled in general form those of the Masai, but 

 that they were much more carefully put together and neatly 

 finished olf with a thin layer of grass instead of with cow-dung. 



On November 21 we pushed on along the river, reaching 

 the mouth of the Guaso Narok in two hours. Not a sign was 

 to be seen of the Wandorobbo village we had heard of, so I 

 had a few signal shots fired. For some time no one came, but 

 presently two figures timidly approached from the other side 



