192 THE RETURN MARCH part ii 



was of the type known in America as " corduroy," except that 

 sheaves of rushes, bamboos, and banana stems were used instead 

 of logs. These were built into a causeway, the stems being 

 placed parallel to the course of the stream, so that the water 

 percolates through the interspaces. We crossed the bridge, the 

 chief sprinkling the blood and the contents of the stomach upon 

 it, and chanting his benedictions. We climbed the ridge and 

 then descended to another stream, the Guaso Uini. Here we 

 entered the shambas, the extent of which surprised us. Had 

 the natives wished they could have smothered us with food in 

 an hour, instead of keeping us for three days, as they did on 

 our first visit. There were also several herds of goats browsing 

 on the slopes, a fact upon which I made some remarks to 

 Nathan Nyuki. From a plateau to the west of Geitaita the 

 chief pointed out to me the hills of Maranga, the point at 

 which we wished to leave the Kikuyu country. I took their 

 bearings through a prismatic compass, and replied at once 

 that he was a wicked old man to tell such lies, for he knew 

 it was nothing of the sort. I only suspected this from his 

 manner, but he was so startled that he at once pointed out 

 some other hills, and said they zvere Maranga. I took their 

 bearings through the prismatic compass, and verified the infor- 

 mation by making another elder tell me the name of the 

 hills. From this point I could see the valley of a broad river 

 — the Ilyaini — flowing south-eastward toward the Tana. I 

 thus felt independent of my Kikuyu guides. We marched on 

 till a little before sunset, when I resolved to camp. The chief 

 objected, and urged me to come on farther. We were now 

 approaching a tract of country covered by the woody shrubs 

 which grow up whenever forests are cleared. Once entangled 

 in the narrow tortuous paths through this shrub jungle, we 

 were at the mercy of the natives. So I chose a suitable place 

 for camp, and explained to Nathan Nyuki that the fourth 

 article in my religion was never to march after dark through 

 jungle, when there were Kikuyu in the neighbourhood. The 

 chief said I must not camp in the place I had chosen, but must 

 move to another site a few hundred yards away. There 

 seemed no especial reason for this, so I flatly declined to obey. 

 The chief and his elders sat in a circle round me and grumbled 

 as we watched the men pitch camp. Then they went away. 



