THE UASO NYIRO 



Mountains, and is known at first as the Uaso Narok 

 until it is joined on the Laikipia Plateau by the 

 Ngare Nyuki, which flows down from the western 

 slopes of Kenya. Together they turn north and 

 then almost due east, and known now as the Uaso 

 Nyiro it flows for over 350 miles, until it enters 

 a huge bed of reeds known as the Lorian Swamp. 

 The position of the western end of the swamp has 

 generally been given on the various maps of East 

 Africa as in latitude 1° N., longitude 39° 30' E., and 

 this is approximately correct, but Mr. C. W. Hay- 

 wood placed it nearly forty miles farther east in his 

 sketch map published in the Geographical Journal, 

 May 191 3. It was first discovered by Chanler and 

 von Hohnel, who reported it to be apparently of 

 great extent and filled with high reeds ; ^ they further 

 stated that it occasionally overflowed, and sent its 

 waters farther east. In 1901 Count Wickenburg 

 passed it and found no stream emerging from its 

 eastern edge;^ Colonel Broun, who reached it in 

 1905, corroborates this statement. He remained 

 there two days, and says : " Most unfortunately, the 

 small quantity of food left for my porters did not 

 justify a longer stay. . . . What was seen was an 

 immense bed of reeds twelve feet high and no open 

 water. . . . My guide . . . said he was clear that 

 no water flowed out of the swamp from any point on 

 its circumference. He was questioned closely on that 

 point." ^ Mr. C. W. Haywood, however, who, after 

 an interesting journey from Kismayu along the 



^ Through Jungle and Forest, by W. A. Chanler. 

 * Geographical Journal, February 1902. 



^ Ibid. January 1906, "A Journey to the Lorian Swamp," Lieut.-Col. 

 W. H. Broun. 



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