172 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA chap. 



entirely with map-making, noting the heights of the 

 various places we passed through as shown by 

 the aneroid I brought with me, taking bearings of 

 the more important landmarks, and making notes 

 generally on the country and the people, and more 

 especially on the variety and approximate numbers 

 of the game seen on the journey. While engaged 

 in this way I found Abbudi invaluable, as he could 

 explain to me the meaning of the names of all the 

 hills, nullahs, and mountains that we came across. 

 I only trust that he was not inventing, as he was 

 never without an answer. 



The two Samburu guides were also much in- 

 terested in my map-making, but at first looked upon 

 it with considerable suspicion. It was not until 

 I told them that it was a most useful and invaluable 

 medicine for the journey that they could be 

 persuaded freely to give me all the information they 

 possessed. Each morning when we started off it 

 was my custom to make one of them who was called 

 Papai (father) stand in front of me and point with 

 his spear in the direction of the next camp. I 

 found that he was very reliable and did this most 

 accurately. I then took the bearing with the 

 compass, and drew a line across the paper in the 

 direction pointed out. As we marched along I 

 dotted in the path we travelled, as it went to 

 right or left of this line, guided by the relative 



