xxviii WE REACH THE MERU COUNTRY 



341 



from whom we had engaged some camels on our 

 way northwards. To reach this village we had to 

 go along a very rough and lava-strewn path beside 

 the Guaso Nyiro. In order to avoid the boulders 

 and fissures in the lava, we tried for part of the 

 march to make our way along that part of the bed 



"SHE LAID THE GIRAFFE l.OW WUII U.NE MEKCIFLI. iU'EFEl'." 



of the river, which was now dry. For a time we 

 got along fairly easily, and found plenty to interest 

 us. The river here has precipitous sides of black 

 lava rock some 60 feet high, in which great natural 

 caverns have been hollowed out by the action 

 of the water, some of them extending for over 

 a hundred feet back from the face. These are 



