VIII 



TRAVELS /IV EASTER AT AFRICA 



355 



The distance from Sayer to Nyiro could be traversed 

 in six days. Knowing, as I did, that Nyiro lay within 

 sight at Lake Rudolph, and that the Turcana with 

 their camels and donkeys lived in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of that lake, it was with feelings of 

 impatience that I realized that we were not on our 

 march in that direction, but were wasting valuable 

 time in order to satisfy the hunger of the Wande- 

 robbo, before being able to induce them to provide us 

 with guides. 



At 5 P.M. I reached a village of the Wanderobbo 

 called Bugoi from a stream of that name, which flows 

 from the Loroghi range past the village. At first 

 sight this village was similar to any encampment in 

 East Africa. It was surrounded by a strong thorn 

 zeriba, and around the inner side of the enclosure 

 were erected small grass huts. But it differed from 

 others that we had heretofore seen. It was not sur- 

 rounded by plantations ; there were no storehouses 

 for food ; no flocks or herds pastured near it, and 

 animal existence was represented by a group of small 

 and emaciated donkeys, possibly eighteen in number, 

 which fed in a listless manner upon the scant herb- 

 age which the plain afforded. Upon our arrival at 

 the village, although they had been notified of our 

 coming, no reception was accorded us. We were 

 allowed to pitch our camp in their immediate neigh- 

 bourhood, send for water, cut wood, and make all 

 preparations for the night, ere a single visitor be- 

 trayed by his presence any interest in our actions. 



The first man who emerged from the village, and 

 came to my tent, was perhaps fifty years of age, ema- 



