CHAPTER XI 



THE GUASO NYERO; A RIVER OF THE EQUATORIAL 



DESERT 



WHEN I reached Neri, after 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 Scotch 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 northernmost 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 honor, 

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

 fascination. There was an Indian trader at Neri from 

 whom we had obtained donkeys to carry to our elephant 

 camp "posho," or food for the porters. He announced 



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