86 
EAST AFRICA AND ITS BIG GAME. 
The Wa-taveta are believers in magic and omens, but 
not to the same extent as most of the other tribes. 
They seem to have scarcely any vices, and are ex¬ 
ceptionally honest. We never lost a single article 
during the time we were in their territory, although the 
camp was always full of visitors, who had every oppor¬ 
tunity to steal odds and ends left lying about. On the 
whole they struck me as a most harmless people, simple- 
minded, cliild-like, and disposed to treat us all with 
friendliness, particularly Martin, who was quite a 
popular person. Indeed, their friendliness at times 
amounted to a nuisance, for if they had nothing 
better to do, numbers would spend the whole day in 
our camp whenever we were there, and whether we 
were “ at home ” or not, insisted on entering our tents 
or houses, and in bringing at all hours of the day pre¬ 
sents of milk, honey, and fish, for which, of course, we 
had to make a suitable return in the form of beads or 
cloth. 
The early days after our arrival were fully occupied. 
First we had to call the roll and arrange the discharge 
of the mission men and others who were unfit for work. 
Our original complement was found to be diminished 
by forty deserters, fourteen being Zanzibaris, and the 
remainder mission men, who had relieved us of seven 
valuable rifles in addition to their own valueless pre¬ 
sence. Then there was our house to he built, and a 
garden to be made, for which we had brought with 
us all sorts of seeds and produce, such as potatoes, 
onions, lettuces, radishes, peas, beans, &c., though 
