40 
A COLONY IN THE MAKING 
CHAP. 
Up till 1908 this state of things continued. In that 
year the objection to the two Reserves seems to have 
dawned almost simultaneously on the white settlers in 
the country and on Lenana, paramount Chief of the 
Masai. The settlers, who, it will be borne in mind, 
had no share whatever in the former treaty, felt it un¬ 
fortunate that they should be cut off so far from the 
railway by a tribe to whom its proximity or use were 
a matter of complete indifference ; while Lenana found 
that the distance which separated the Northern 
Reserves from the Southern, in which he personally 
lived, weakened his authority on the two sections and 
tended inevitably to split them into two tribes. In 
1909, a direct proposal was made to remove the 
Northern Masai to the Loieta plains, adding that area 
to the Southern Reserve and thus bringing the whole 
tribe together once more. Such a proposal gave an 
increased area of good grazing, but with an insufficient 
supply of water. The next twelve months were 
occupied with considering the question and in finding 
out the wishes of the body of the Northern Masai. 
It was found that these Masai were almost unanimously 
in favour of the move, and it was proposed to remedy 
the water question by the expenditure of a large sum 
of money in irrigation. Early in 1910, the Governor, 
Sir Percy Girouard, held two meetings with the 
authorised Chiefs of both Reserves; all were in 
favour of the move, an agreement was come to, 
and almost immediately, unexpectedly soon in fact, 
the move commenced. 
Then it was that the official conscience of the 
British Government, spurred into life by certain some¬ 
what officious vote-controllers, awoke. “ What is this 
fearful thing going on?” they cried, “ A treaty made 
