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geology was so tempting that I went off alone. By this time 

 the men were accustomed to my going by myself, for I did 

 so whenever the country was safe and the next camping-place 

 easy to find. These solitary rambles were to me the most 

 delightful incidents in the expedition. Free from the bother of 

 the caravan, I could climb a mountain, track a river, visit a 

 neighbouring lake, chase butterflies, and collect plants as careless 

 as a schoolboy. But that day I nearly had to pay a high price 

 for my pleasure. 



The Kiringozi, who alone knew the way, told me that the 

 next camp was at the foot of " yonder hill." This seemed very 

 simple, so I said Kivaheri (Good-bye), and struck westward 

 through the scrub to examine a mountain — Doenyo Nyuki — 

 which appeared very different from the others in the Rift Valley. 

 I found that it was the denuded remnant of an old volcano, traced 

 the bands of ash and tuff that encircle it, examined the sections 

 cut by ravines through the parasitic cones on its lower slopes, 

 and climbed its four highest pinnacles. From the summit of 

 one of these I thought I could see the camp in the place where 

 I expected it to be ; I therefore finished my study of the 

 mountain at leisure. Afterwards I struck off to the supposed 

 camping-ground, but could find no one. I shouted, but only 

 an echo from the cliff answered. I climbed a tree, but could 

 see no smoke. I made a circle round the point at a distance 

 of about half a mile, but could find no track that answered to 

 the men's. So I went back to Doenyo Nyuki, and after some 

 trouble picked up the trail of the caravan. I ran along it for 

 three miles as quickly as I could go, but then the sun set and 

 I had to slacken my pace. It was soon dark and I lost the 

 trail ; it began to rain, and before long I was wet through. As 

 I floundered on, hopelessly lost in the thorn scrub, I remembered 

 that it was here that one of Thomson's men, who had straggled 

 behind, was killed by a lion. I thought I could see a lion 

 under every bush, and regretted that I had not stopped at the 

 point where it first became so dark that I could not recognise 

 the trail. I ought to have done this, made a " lean-to bivouac," 

 and waited till the men came to look for me. But I was too 

 proud then to admit that I was lost, and it was now impossible 

 to find my way back. I thought, however, that the camp must 

 be near the river, so I struck off due east until I reached it and 



