OFF FOR THE SOTIK DISTRICT. 31b 



of view, travel through the darkness of the night increased the 

 difficulties of the journey, making their progress much slower than 

 it otherwise would have been. In addition to this the party were 

 prevented from pitching their tents at night, and whatever rest was 

 secured had to be obtained while lying upon the bare ground for an 

 hour or tw^o, covered with overcoats and blankets, to protect them 

 from the persistent annoyance of predatory hordes of insects. 



Not a drop of fresh water was procurable until the party had 

 crossed the hills to the west and the belt beyond had been passed. 

 With their supply rapidly running short, the party hailed with 

 delight the sight of the fresh water, and lost no time in filling six 

 large casks and loading them upon carts to enable them to complete 

 their journey in comfort. 



Colonel Roosevelt, accompanied by his son, F. C. Selous, R. J. 

 Cuninghame, L. A. Tarlton, Dr. Mearns, and the naturalist, brought 

 up the rear guard. 



LITTLE IS KNOWN OF THE SOTIK DISTRICT. 



The Sotik district is in the southern part of Kisuru province 

 and consists, broadly speaking, of a series of meadows with numer- 

 ous streams and strips of forests. The district is about seventy- 

 five miles east of Lake Victoria Nyanza. The Kisii people inhabit 

 this territory, but they are little known to Europeans. They are 

 said to be brave and warlike, amiable, intelligent and good culti- 

 vators of the soil. 



Before leaving Mombasa Colonel Roosevelt heard his prowess 

 as a lion-killer told in song and sketch at the entertainment given 

 by the " Nairobi Follies," which Colonel Roosevelt and his son, 

 Kermit, attended as the guests of His Excellency, Mr. F. J. Jackson, 

 C. C, C. M. G., Acting Governor, as an evening's diversion after 

 dining at Government House. The topical songs dealing with 

 Colonel Roosevelt were a feature of the occasion and at each 

 allusion made to himself, Colonel Roosevelt's laugh rang out above 

 the applause and laughter of the rest of the audience. 



The song describing: Colonel Roosevelt's lion hunting, was sung 



