CHAPTER XIX 



A LAND OF MIRAGE 



On leaving Arro Dima, I first crossed the stream bed 

 that bears that name, and then marched N.W., skirt- 

 ing the edge of the swamp, sometimes within the 

 reeds, sometimes on the bare alluvial flats just outside. 

 But the camels made a wide detour in order to avoid 

 the possibility of infection from "fly." I did not see 

 any tsetse, however, although there may have been a 

 few amongst the countless biting insects that attacked 

 me, and it was not until Melka Gela was reached that 

 they were met with in any numbers. But whether 

 they are infected or not, it is difficult to say ; I should 

 think it was improbable, for the Borana own enormous 

 herds of cattle in the western portion of the Lorian, 

 and they told me that they were very little troubled 

 by " fly." On the other hand, there have been several 

 suspected cases amongst the cattle brought down from 

 Lorian to Rumuruti and Naivashi by Somali traders. 

 During this march I found and followed the 

 northern branch of the river, which was then dry, 

 save for a few shallow pools. That a considerable 

 amount of water flows down it at certain seasons is 

 obvious, for the bed is 12 feet deep and about 30 feet 

 broad. Tall grass and reeds grow right up to the 

 edge of the bank in such profusion as to completely 

 hide the stream from view ; in fact, I had no idea of 

 its close proximity, until, in forcing my way through 



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