Bararetta. ' 183 
Towards noon we met with a couple of Wata 
women. They were not afraid of us, as the Wasuahili 
and Wanika have invariably been when we have first 
met with them. Though they had never seen a white 
man before, they now stopped in the path, waited for 
our approach, and after a little while entered freely 
into conversation with us. While talking with them 
a man, who proved to be their husband, put in an 
appearance, and he was equally self-composed and 
courteous. We were not as yet in the Galla country 
proper, but in that portion of it occupied by the 
Wata. These two were the only human beings we 
had met with since we left Muando Mpia, from 
which it will be inferred that we na d not passed 
through a very populous district 
Some distance farther on, at a place called Alango 
Niaicha (crocodile hole), where there was a pool of 
muddy water, we met with Gurene, a Galla, and an 
old acquaintance, whom we picked up on our former 
visit to these regions, and who acted as our chief guide 
through the wilderness to Mambrui. Poor man ! he 
complained bitterly of the Masai, of whom he had 
a very sorrowful story to tell. He said they had 
taken all his cattle, and had murdered all his 
children but one. Reduced to the greatest poverty, 
he told us he was going to Malinde to pick up, if 
possible, a little food ; that is to say, he was going to 
beg it, or, as was more likely, to work hard for 
it. The latter for a haughty Galla, in w^hose esti- 
mation work of any kind is disgraceful, would be 
no mean trial. He said he should not stay long 
at Malinde, he hoped to return before we should 
leave the country, when he declared it to be his 
