CH. XXV AT MARSABIT 315 



latter was especially remarkable for its size and 

 depth. The walls of the crater were practically- 

 perpendicular, and were covered over with dense 

 undergrowth, bush and trees, while at the bottom 

 were some waterholes. The natives told me that 

 these were very deep, and that enormous serpents 

 were to be found in them. 



It would have been most interesting to explore 

 the bed of this crater, but under the circumstances I 

 was anxious to push on as quickly as possible. My 

 health, too, was beginning to trouble me ; so, some- 

 what reluctantly, I left this crater to our right and 

 marched on between it and El Donyo Guas, which 

 is a very curious-looking, conical hill, the whole of 

 one side from base to summit being grass, while the 

 other side is forest. 



Papai was now leading us to a lake, which he 

 called Angara Sabuk, and for the last four miles or 

 so before reaching it our track wound throucrh a thick 

 forest of most beautiful straight lofty trees, many of 

 which we<.'e from 100 to 150 feet high, with trunks 

 almost as smooth and upright as the masts of a ship. 



It was most delightful riding along under their 

 cool shade after having endured the hot sun for so 

 many days. There were fresh tracks of elephants 

 in all directions, but we saw nothing of the beasts 

 themselves. All at once we came out of the forest 

 and found ourselves in a little glade, and there, 



