xvin THE CRATERS OF THE RIFT VALLEY 233 



exposed surface of the rock in this cleft presents an 

 arrangement of basaltic columns resembling that of 

 Kintal's cave. The recess is a favourite resort and 

 breeding place of vultures. 



Concerning Suswa I can give no information. I had 

 no opportunity of climbing it and have not met anyone 

 who had ; but whilst at Nakuru I took the opportunity 

 of visiting the extinct crater of Menengai. The ascent 

 would be a pleasant ride were it not for the tall coarse 

 grass which covers its sides and makes the journey 

 troublesome for men and mules. The exterior of this 

 cone, like Longonot, presents a series of platform-like 

 terraces with fairly steep slopes between the platforms. 

 The edge of the crater on the side near Nakuru is well- 

 marked ; the inner side is a steep, grass-covered slope 

 several hundred feet long, which ends abruptly at an 

 almost perpendicular wall extending to the floor of the 

 ciater more than 200 feet below. The southern and 

 western portions of the crater-rim are complete, but the 

 northern and eastern portions are wanting : the floor of 

 the erater, occupied by a thick forest, slopes away to the 

 floor of the valley. There is sufficient of the crater wall 

 left to furnish a loud echo. It is reported that a steam- 

 vent exists in the crater and that it is visited and 

 venerated by the Masai, but we failed to find it. 



The grass on the outer slopes near the summit, as 

 well as on the inner face of the crater, was traversed by 

 -a me tracks. The crater itself is visited by elephants, 

 zebras, antelopes, and lions. A herd of eland occasion- 

 ally graze in it, and we obtained an example of Chanler's 

 reedbuck in the crater itself : after the animal was shot 

 the " boys " showed great trepidation about descending 

 into the crater for fear of lions. This, however, did not 

 prevent us enjoying the extraordinary spectacle pre- 

 sented by the valley when seen from a height, especially 

 the peculiar purple light which tinges the edges of the 

 escarpments when the sun shines on them. A similar 

 purple tint hangs about the mountains surrounding the 



