206 TO LAKE NAIVASHA [ch. ix 



like a well-watered country ; but it was of porous, 

 volcanic nature, and the soil was a sieve. After night- 

 fall we came to where we hoped to find water ; but 

 there was not a drop in the dried pools, and we had to 

 make a waterless camp. A drizzling rain had set in, 

 enough to wet everything, but not enough to give any 

 water for drinking. It was eight o'clock before the last 

 of the weary, thirsty burden-carriers stumbled through 

 the black, boulder-strewn ravine on whose farther side 

 we were camped, and threw down his load among his 

 fellows, who were already clustered around the little 

 fires they had started in the tall grass. We slept as 

 we were, and comfortably enough ; indeed, there was 

 no hardship for us white men, with our heavy overcoats, 

 and our food and water — which we shared with our 

 personal attendants ; but I was uneasy for the porters, 

 as there was another long and exhausting day's march 

 ahead. Before sunrise we started ; and four hours 

 later, in the bottom of a deep ravine, Cuninghame 

 found a pool of green water in a scooped-out cavity in 

 the rock. It was a pleasant sight to see the thirsty 

 porters drink. Then they sat down, built fires and 

 boiled their food, and went on in good heart. 



Two or three times we crossed singularly beautiful 

 ravines, the trail winding through narrow clefts that 

 were almost tunnels, and along the brinks of sheer cliffs, 

 while the green mat of trees and vines was spangled 

 with many- coloured fiowers. Then we came to barren 

 ridges and bare, dusty plains ; and at nightfall pitched 

 camp near the shores of Lake Naivasha. It is a lovely 

 sheet of water, surrounded by hills and mountains, the 

 shores broken by rocky promontories, and indented by 

 papyrus -fringed bays. Next morning we shifted camp 

 four miles to a place on the farm, and near the house, 



