CHAP. VII A DIFFICULT DESCENT in 



search for it. Of all hunting there is none so exciting as that 

 for water, none which exacts sounder judgment and greater 

 patience ; and on the edge of a cliff 1 900 feet high no quarry 

 is more elusive and difficult to stalk. Once or twice my hopes 

 were roused by finding some damp soil on the bed of the 

 brook I was tracking, but I returned to camp unsuccessful. A 

 porter had, however, found water in some rhinoceros foot-holes, 

 and these yielded us a limited supply. We hoped the usual 

 evening's rain would enable us to fill up our bottles ; but 

 though a terrific storm of wind nearly blew the tents over the 

 cliff into the lake, not a drop of rain fell. I had in consequence 

 to make a breakfastless start. We continued northward along 

 the edge of the plateau, in the hope of finding some place at 

 which we could descend to the lake. At half-past ten we 

 reached a gully which had cut back the edge of the plateau 

 and offered us a chance of descent. I started down it to 

 prospect. I found some interesting plants and a most 

 instructive geological section, but after a climb of some 800 

 feet, a vertical cliff of lava formed an absolute barrier to further 

 progress. I tried again in two or three other places, but in 

 vain, and I had to return to the plateau foiled and disheartened. 

 An enterprising porter. Fundi Mabruk, had, however, gone off 

 on his own account, and towards evening succeeded in finding 

 an old game track that led down to the shore. It was then 

 too late to descend that night, so we camped in a hollow, and 

 served out the last ration of food, which, however, could not be 

 cooked owing to lack of water. We started at dawn next 

 morning, hoping to reach the lake early, breakfast there, and 

 then hasten on to Njemps. 



But the descent was a longer and more difficult task than 

 we had expected. The porters and sheep scrambled down 

 easily enough, but a good deal of ledge-digging and bush- 

 cutting had to be done to render it practicable for the donkeys. 

 It was therefore nearly eleven o'clock before we reached the shore. 

 Then, to our horror, we found that the water was salt and 

 sulphurous. The first man who reached the lake returned to 

 us making hideous grimaces and groaning, " Dowa, dowa, 

 hapana maji " (It's medicine, medicine, not water). And very 

 effective medicine it proved to be ; its emetic properties acting 

 on the man's empty stomach brought on such a violent attack 



