VIII 
SETTLERS AND OFFICIALS 
83 
game reserves. Well, the great bulk of this splendid 
country was placed in the hands of a crowd of indigent 
Dutch, with two natural results. First, all develop¬ 
ment has been practically at a standstill, not one-tenth 
of the prescribed minimum of development having 
been done. As a proof of this statement is the fact 
that in 1911 there were less than 1800 acres under 
cultivation throughout the whole plateau, a very large 
proportion of this being on two farms. The bulk 
of the inhabitants have supported themselves by the 
unlicensed slaughter of the once numerous game. 
The second ill-effect is the formation in our midst of a 
solid mass of utterly disloyal colonists, speaking their 
own language and having their own Church and who 
now have the insolence to demand a Dutch education 
at Government expense. Next to our Indian friends 
they form the most difficult problem in the Pro¬ 
tectorate. Apart from this one dark spot, the future of 
white colonisation looks bright, and an extremely 
pleasant feature is to note the self-satisfaction of all 
and sundry. The farmer has a bad crop. All the 
more chance of a good one next season, says he. His 
flocks and herds have an outbreak of disease. He 
simply points to the inevitability of this in a new coun¬ 
try and buys some more. Moreover, whether his farm 
be in the dry Kedong, on the rainy Mau escarp¬ 
ment, on the wind-swept Uasin Guishu, or on any 
other spot throughout the Highlands, he is firmly 
convinced and prepared to back his opinion that 
it is the finest and most valuable in the whole 
Protectorate. 
G 2 
