VI 



TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA 



223 



van there, which in a short time had been able to 

 purchase sixty of these animals, but we found it a 

 much more difficult matter; and where the Zanzi- 

 bari were able to purchase six or seven in a day, 

 we considered ourselves most fortunate if we secured 

 one. 



The principal character among the Daitcho was 

 an old man named Bykender. He spoke Swahili 

 and Masai, as well as his native tongue, and had had 

 much experience with traders. For a native I found 

 him to be very intelligent ; and owing to this quality, 

 he had amassed sufficient wealth in goats, sheep, and 

 wives to place him far above his fellow-tribesmen in 

 wealth and authority. He had six plantations in the 

 Daitcho country, and two near the Embe frontier. 

 Upon each of these plantations lived one of his wives, 

 and his life was spent in journeying from one to 

 the other, looking after his interests. 



One of his wives was a Rendile woman. It was 

 a lono- time before we could induce him to tell the 

 story of his marriage with her, but he finally gave 

 us the following statement. Fifteen years before the 

 date of our stay the Daitcho received a visit from a 

 small band of Rendile consisting of 100 people. 

 They brought with them their camels, some sheep 

 and goats, and had come for the purpose of trade, 

 wishing above all things to purchase tobacco. While 

 in the Daitcho country all their camels died, and 

 they were forced to exchange their sheep and goats 

 for donkeys, which the Daitcho procured for them 

 from the Embe. But their supply of sheep and goats 

 was not sufficient to purchase what beasts of burden 



