244 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA chap. 



familiar as possible with its principal features, and 

 more especially to pick out such hills and mountains 

 as I considered might be useful to me for the new 

 boundary. 



While engaged on this my eye was led from one 

 peak to another, until finally it rested on a towering 

 mountain, some 20 miles lower down on the north 

 side of the Guaso Nyiro, which my guide told me 

 was named Laishamunye. 



After making a careful survey of the situation I 

 came to the conclusion that this mountain would, on 

 the whole, make a better base from which to start in 

 quest of my boundary line, especially as I observed 

 that the mountains and hills running northward 

 appeared to be more in a direct line with it than 

 with Quaithego. I was further confirmed in this 

 view by hearing from my guide that there was a 

 native track just to the east of it, which ran north- 

 wards to Marsabit. He told me, too, that there 

 were waterholes here and there along the route, and 

 that the names of the various landmarks were well 

 known to the Samburu. 



On coming to the conclusion to abandon 

 Quaithego, I stopped the building- of the huge 

 stone beacon which I had set the pagazis to erect 

 as a landmark. They were delighted to cease 

 work, and with joyful shouts scrambled down the 

 mountain side towards camp, as they have a very 



