134 AFRICAN CAMP FIRES. 



latest fluffiest summer toilettes from London and 

 Paris I mention a few of the refinements of 

 civilization that offer to the traveller some of the 

 most piquant of contrasts. 



For it must not be forgotten that Nairobi, in 

 spite of these things due to the direct but 

 slender thread of communication by railroad 

 and ships is actually in the middle of an African 

 wilderness is a black man's town, as far as 

 numbers go.* 



The game feeds to its very outskirts, even 

 wanders into the streets at night.f Lions may 

 be heard roaring within a mile or so of town ; 

 and leopards occasionally at night come on the 

 verandas of the outlying dwellings. Naked sav- 

 ages from the jungle untouched by civilization in 

 even the minutest particular wander the streets 

 unabashed. 



It is this constantly recurring, sharply drawn 

 contrast that gives Nairobi its piquant charm. 

 As one sits on the broad hotel veranda a con- 

 stantly varied pageant passes before him. A 

 daintily dressed, fresh-faced Englishwoman bobs 

 by in a smart rickshaw drawn by two uniformed 



Fifteen hundred whites to twelve thousand natives, approxi- 

 mately. 



t This happened twice while I was in the country. 



