THE GUASO NYERO 283 



panicles of lilac flowers, changing into brown seed vessels; 

 and other trees, with clusters of purple flowers, and the 

 seeds or nuts enclosed in hard pods or seed vessels like 

 huge sausages. 



On the other side of the forest we came suddenly out 

 on the cultivated fields of the Wa-Meru, who, like the 

 Kikuyu, till the soil; and among them, farther down, was 

 Meru boma, its neat, picturesque buildings beautifully 

 placed among green groves and irrigated fields, and looking 

 out from its cool elevation over the hot valleys beneath. 

 It is one of the prettiest spots in East Africa. We were more 

 than hospitably received by the Commissioner, Mr. Home, 

 who had been a cow-puncher in Wyoming for seven years 

 so that naturally we had much in common. He had built 

 the station himself, and had tamed the wild tribes around 

 by mingled firmness and good treatment; and he was a 

 mighty hunter, and helped us in every way. 



Here we met Kermit and Tarlton, and heard all about 

 their hunt. They had been away from us for three weeks 

 and a half, along the Guaso Nyero, and had enjoyed first- 

 rate luck. Kermit had been particularly interested in a 

 caravan they had met, consisting of wild spear-bearing 

 Borani, people like Somalis, who were bringing down scores 

 of camels and hundreds of small horses to sell at Nairobi. 

 They had come from the north, near the outlying Abyssin- 

 ian lands, and the caravan was commanded by an Arab of 

 stately and courteous manners. Such an extensive cara- 

 van journey was rare in the old days before English rule; 

 but one of the results of the "Pax Europaica," wherever 

 it obtains in German, French, or English Africa, is a great 

 increase of intercourse, commercial and social, among the 



