OVER THE LIKIPIA ESCARPMENT. 289 



rest in alternation day and night, with a great 

 deal of travel and very little rest. We should be 

 able to carry for the men a limited amount of 

 water on the ox wagon, but the cattle could not 

 drink. It was a hard, anxious grind. A day's 

 journey beyond the first water after the Thirst 

 we should cross the Southern Guaso Nyero River.* 

 Then two days should land us at the Narossara. 

 There we must leave our ox wagon and push on 

 with our tiny safari. We planned to relay back 

 for porters from our different camps. 



That was our whole plan. Our transport 

 rider's object in starting this night was to reach 

 the Kedong River, and there to outspan until 

 our arrival next day. The cattle would thus 

 get a good feed and rest. Then at four in the 

 afternoon we would set out to conquer the 

 Thirst. After that it would be a question of 

 travelling to suit the oxen. 



Next morning, when we arose, we found one 

 of the wagon Kikuyus awaiting us. His tale 

 ran that after going four miles, the oxen had 

 been stampeded by lions. In the mix-up the 

 dusselboom had been broken. He demanded 

 a new dusselboom. I looked as wise as though 



* An entirely different stream from that flowing north of Mt. 

 Kenia. 



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