CHAP. XI A DIFFICULT FORD 199 



into the river. I sprang in at once, and after half an hour's 

 search Omari found the heavy pressing-case wedged between 

 two rocks in the bed of the river. Half the plants were ruined, 

 but I was lucky to have saved the rest. A load of ammunition 

 met with the same mishap, but now that the Tana flowed 

 between us and the Kikuyu, this was of little importance. We 

 ought to have been thankful for having effected the passage 

 with so little loss of time, since both Peters and Dundas wasted 

 weeks beside the river in this district. Peters marched for a 

 month beside it in the search for an easy passage, and, after 

 vainly trying to build a bridge or a raft, had to abandon the 

 attempt to cross the river. We ought not to have risked the 

 ford with the Tana in flood ; but I had no time to lose, for to 

 be back in London at the appointed date, it was necessary to 

 catch a steamer announced to leave Mombasa on the 25 th of 

 August. 



We spent the rest of the day beside the river, drying the 

 soaked plants, a work which had to be continued all night and 

 late into the following day. As soon as the plants were ready 

 we marched southward across the barra for a jagged hill-range, 

 the name of which we afterwards found to be Voroni. The 

 stream beds were all dry, and we began to fear a waterless 

 camp, when we suddenly came to the bank of a broad rapid 

 river, which ultimately proved to be the Thika-thika. This 

 was recorded by Krapf on native information in 1848, but was 

 not seen by any European till Peters crossed it at its junction 

 with the Tana in 1889. Nothing was known about its 

 course. On Peters' map it is called the Dika, and is marked 

 as flowing due east and west, whereas we found it flowing north 

 and south. I resolved therefore to follow it, in order to settle 

 whence it came, and because I hoped thus to collect some 

 geological evidence, which the troubles with the natives had 

 made impossible when in the Kikuyu country. 



The next few days were the most delightful in the whole 

 expedition. There were no natives to worry us, and I could 

 again make afternoon excursions alone. The scenery was charm- 

 ing, the air cool, and the rain fell only at night. Game was 

 abundant and tame ; hence, though our store of food was nearly 

 exhausted, I was able to supplement it with zebra meat. The 

 river, moreover, acted not only as guide, but supplied us with 



