chapter XIV 



THE SECRET OF THE KIAMA 



Alone on Safari, travelling from place to place, often 

 pitching one's tent on a new site from night to night, 

 one naturally gets to know a people and their country. 

 For those who are not familiar with the term, I must 

 explain that Safari, means a journey — it is the East 

 African expression for the West Coast word trekking. 

 You have but to say the word over to yourself two 

 or three times. Safari, Safari, Safari, to appreciate its 

 beauty, and life on Safari in the Highlands of Kenya 

 offers many attractions. In the old days journeys were 

 always made on foot and in the course of my work in 

 the forests other means of transport was generally im- 

 practicable. Thirty or forty porters carried my loads 

 and sufficient food for everybody. I liked to set out at 

 dawn and halt for breakfast after two or three hours 

 on the trail, afterwards continuing until lunch time, 

 which was a variable meal, but generally speaking by 

 two o'clock my tent was pitched on the new site. In 

 the choice of my camp proximity of water was a first 

 consideration and I preferred to pitch my tent on high 

 ground on the outskirts of a forest facing the direc- 

 tion of my next day's journey so that I might look over 



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