IV 
THE MASAI 
37 
honesty and honour are held in esteem among his 
countrymen. On such a question as this such a man 
was not likely to take the line of least resistance, and 
indeed it was in pursuance of his policy that his 
resignation was enforced. Sir Charles Eliot gave out 
to white applicants certain farms in the district over 
which the Masai were accustomed to roam. The 
Home authorities, disregarding the fact that they 
themselves in the same territory were giving a grant 
of many times the area to a private company, ordered 
him to cancel the concessions. Sir Charles, in reply, 
pointed out that he had given his word in a matter in 
which he was certainly entitled to pledge it. The 
Government refused to give way, and sooner than 
break his promise the Commissioner sent in his resigna¬ 
tion. One cannot but feel that when a man sacrifices 
his career, sooner than a question of principle, his 
opinion is entitled to more than ordinary respect. 
The essence of the problem seems to come to this : 
here we have a people who, beautiful to look at and in 
some ways attractive in character, have as far as we 
know never been of any use to any living soul. Like 
ravening beasts, they have lived on the weakness of 
their neighbours, amongst whom they were classed 
with pestilence, famine, and disease. Have this 
people any inherent right to be conserved in this 
condition? Have we not rather a duty to execute by 
leading them, or forcing them, to be of some economic 
use, or perish ? I conceive that it is some sentimental 
feeling which says : “You are preserving the wild 
fauna of the country in its pristine condition ; will you 
withhold the same privilege to the Masai ? ” If it were 
possible, which I deny, to treat wild animals on the 
basis of even the lowest of humanity, one might retort; 
