134 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA chap. 



nation. These people knew him as Bwana Hora, 

 and although he had often chastised them, they 

 came to love him in the end as they have loved no 

 other white man before or since. As is fitting, his 

 bones lie here among the people to whom he gave 

 the best of his life. 



The Fort is now the headquarters of the official 

 in charge of the Kenya Province. The telegraph 

 had already reached it, and was being constructed 

 further afield to Nyeri at the time of my journey. 

 The building of a branch line of railway from 

 Nairobi is now under consideration, and this work 

 will probably be put in hand as soon as funds can 

 be raised for the project. A railway is badly 

 needed for the development of this part of the 

 country, in which there are many hard-working 

 settlers who are at present severely handicapped for 

 want of cheap transport. 



Within a march or two of Fort Hall, in the 

 direction of the Tana river, is the excellent shoot- 

 ing district of Embu. Buffalo and rhino abound, 

 while lions are also fairly numerous. Elephants 

 come down from the forest occasionally and give the 

 sportsman an exciting time in the high jungle of 

 the Kenya foot-hills. 



From Fort Hall straight north through this 

 district and along the eastern slopes of Mount 

 Kenya would have been the most direct way to 



