THE RESULT OF HARDSHIPS 



two months' pay in advance, so as to enable them 

 to reach Kismayu, and have one month's pay as a 

 present. They started back the following morning 

 with my camels, under the command of Farar Ali, my 

 head syce. They were a fine lot of men, who had 

 served me well and faithfully, and I was sorry to 

 part with them. 



There still remained with me my four native 

 police, my headman, interpreter, gun-bearer, skinner, 

 cook, personal servant, syce and six porters. Of 

 these seventeen men, seven were total wrecks and 

 had to be left behind to rejoin me later in Nairobi, 

 while the other ten were all suffering in a lesser or 

 greater degree from the hardships to which they 

 had been exposed. All were cheerful, however, and 

 delighted to reach civilisation once more. As I 

 wished to reach Nairobi at the earliest possible 

 opportunity, I decided to engage more Meru porters 

 than was absolutely necessary, in order that they 

 might be only lightly loaded and be able therefore 

 to travel faster. 



Meru is the centre of a populous and thriving 

 district. Agriculture is carried out on a larcre scale, 

 and there are also considerable herds of cattle, goats 

 and sheep. It was once famous for its ivory, and 

 was constantly visited in the early days by Arab 

 and Swahili caravans, who penetrated everywhere 

 in their search for that valuable commodity. Honey 

 too is remarkably plentiful and therefore very 

 cheap, as are plantains, yams and millet. Meru lies 

 on the northern slopes of Kenya, one of the most 

 striking mountains in Equatorial Africa. Although 

 situated only a few miles south of the Equator, its 

 summit is covered with everlasting snow, and attains 



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