CHAPTER XI 



THE GUASO NYERO: A RIVER OF THE 

 EQUATORIAL DESERT 



W^HEN I reached Neri, alter coming down from killing 

 my first elephant on Kenia, I was kept waiting two or 

 three days before I could gather enough Kikuyu porters, 

 As I could not speak a word of their language, I got a 

 couple of young Scottish settlers, very good fellows, to 

 take charge of the safari out to where I intended to 

 hunt. There was a party of the King's African Rifles 

 camped at Neri ; the powerful-looking enlisted men 

 were from the South, chiefly from one of the northern- 

 most tribes of Zulu blood, and their two officers were of 

 the best Kipling-soldier type. Then there was another 

 safari, that of Messrs. Kearton and Clark, who were 

 taking some really extraordinary photographs of birds 

 and game. Finally, Governor and Mrs. Jackson arrived 

 from a trip they had been making round Kenia, and I 

 was much pleased to be able to tell the Governor, who 

 had helped me in every way, about my bull elephant, 

 and to discuss with him some of the birds we had seen 

 and the mammals we had trapped. A great ingowa, a 

 war-dance of the natives, was held in his honour, and 

 the sight was, as always, one of interest and of a certain 

 fascination. There was an Indian trader at Neri, from 

 w^hom we had obtained donkeys to carry to our elephant 



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