THE EASTERN PROVINCE 



9 



tliis rush. On the northern shores of Naivasha there are patches of fairly 

 dense forest composed almost entirely of acacias. There is a great deal of 

 water-weed in this lake, which at certain times of the year makes portions of 

 its surface absolutely orange-brown. Naivasha, which in the Masai tongue 

 is really called '' Naiposha," * contains two large islands, one of no particular 

 interest near the north-west corner, and the other a little more than a 

 mile from the south-east coast. This one, additionally connected with 

 the shore by means of an intervening islet, is within reach by swimming 



LAKE NAIVASHA : EASTERN SHOKE 



of various types of large game, while on the other hand the water to be 

 traversed has served to cut off the ishind from visits by man, local and 

 native man belonging to the ]Masai and kindred tribes being entirely 

 unpossessed of canoes, and not much given to swimming. The result is 

 that until within recent years a boat was placed by the local Administration 

 on Naivasha. these islands had ])robably never been visited, and the 

 antelopes and other game living on them were found to be extraordinarily 

 tame. There are no crocodiles in l^ake Xaivasha, though there are 



* Like so many other African names, the incorrect version is sealed for ever 

 through the carelessness in hearing and transcribing on the part of the first 

 explorers. 



