The sun., 1905-08-13
FENCES AROUND THg MAsAI.

East Africa wrote that half century might
elapse tefore the country between Mount
Kilimanjaro and Victoria Nyanza was ex-
plored. Tho Nasal nomads. herders and
warriors, permitted no intrusion on their
wide plains. Native traders dared noe
cross the Nasal country, and no explorer
would be reckless enough to enter II.
No news Of the past year has besn more
significant Of the stupendous changes 90
curing In Africa than the cablsgram tho
other day announcing that all the Nasal.
the most famous OF tropical African peo-
pies, will soon be living on reservations IKE
the Indian wards OF our country. Tho
chiefs and their people have given their
consent. They have signed treaty With
the British in which are defined the b6unda-
ries Of two large reservations, one In the
Of Masailand. They have agreed to 70
move TO these reserves With their cattle.
to be governed BY two British adminis-
traitors who, with their constabulary, are
to preserve ordsr and keep out intruders.
The British Governments has agreed to
maintain schools, give instruction in agr-
culture and supply farming Implements.
This IL the FIRST time that the reservation
system has been introduced In tropical
Africa Something like IL has been estab-
lishsd In Basutoland, South Africa, whore
most Of the natives are nominally Chris
tians and only q few white men. chiefly
missionaries and teachers, arc permitted
TO reside By conAning the Nasal to reser-
vations . vast area OF grassy plains, where
millions Of cattle may thrive. and some
small districts Of agricultural highland,
At for European settlement, will be opened
to British enterprise.
No one would have dreamed twenty
years ago that this was to be the future
Of the proud and formidable Nasal. They
are not negroes, and for centuries they have
kept their race practically pure. They arc
Of Semitic origin. and ages ago they prob
ably fought their way from Arabia or some
neighboring part OF Asia through the
African tribes to their present habitat.
They are stalwart and handsome physi-
cally, with long and narrow faces, superb
carriage and naughty bearing. the result.
perhaps, Of their invariable success In war
with the tribes bordering their land. Lead
ing the life Of herdsmen ard warriors.
they have exeelled in both pursuits. They
have looked upon freedom as the greatest
Dlo8SlQR anu ndNc ucNcT OWhON a btoNS'
Two Nasal were recently In the employ
Of the German zoologist Schillings, and when
they went with him to the coast to re-
ceive their pay In rupees for fifteen months
service, they used the money to buy the
freedom OF a middle-aged woman living
near Mombasa, a member OF their own
clan Of the Nasal. 'No Nasal" they said,
should ever be slave"
One OF the most brilliant achievements
OF African explorers was the crossing Of
Masailand by Joseph Thomson in 1884.
He was the first to describe those bound
less plains teeming with game and cattle.
the Great Rift Valley and the towering high
lands beyond where white men are settling.
He won his way by infinite tact and re-
source He had fireworks, he vas skilled
in sleight Of hand, and, most wonderful Of
all, he could take out his teeth and put them
back again Tho most remarkable ma
gicians the Nasal ever saw had never done
this. They let him pass because he was
q great wonder worker and q good fellow.
But It was the rifle Of the white pioneers
that finally opened their country. Their
spears were no match for the weapon that
could kill q man a mile away. They had
met the first intruders whom they could not
conquer; and close behind the white man
came cattle plague they had never heard
Of before. Rinderpest wiped out nearly
all Of their herds, their only food resource.
They had never titled the soil, and now
they persisted by tens Of thousands. 1t Is
believed that about 100 600 Of them are still
alive, but they are broken and humbled in
spirit, and are turning to agriculture, for
~ II. v1in hiatt ALL I1
pendence upon cattle.
They are born children Of the steppe,
and there they will remain. Schillings
tells Of Nasal who walked one day up to
a nest of bees. thrust his naked arm into
it and brought out piece after piece Of
yellow honeycomb, which he distributed
among the white mans carriers.
.Why did the bees not sting your the
astonished porters asked.
your work is TO carry loads he an
swered. But my home is the steppe,
and It is mine to enjoy all find In it. The
bees sting you. but they love me-
Many men, including some Of the lead
ing German travellers, have made q careful
study Of the Nasal in the past few years,
and few OF the tribes Of Africa have SO
many friends to-day among the writers on
that continent o. this interesting people,
who were 80 dreaded only few years ago
that their country remained unknown
long after every other route to the great
central lakes had been explored. The
most authoritative work on them is die
Nasal" written by Mr. Merkes and pub
lished in Germany last year. After losing
nearly all that was Of value to them as
property, they have finally relinquished.
apparently without much regret. the greater
part of the land where they we're once su-
preme. But in spite Of the shortcomings
which they have in common with other
barbarous peoples, they have the good
opinion and friendship Of those who know
them best.
If were MT myself wrote an official
in German East Africa, early this year,
Il should like to be Nasal OF the olden
time before their afflictons Of recent years.
1t Is hoped that the Nasal may prosper
under the new conditions and justify the
expectation that they will attain q con-
siderable degree Of development in the
new role of farmers attached to tho soil
they TILL
The 6Dread Of n Rumor