THE NATIVES' CONCERT 



Unfortunately, our cook, quite unintentionally, built 

 his fire — which was on a slightly raised piece of ground 

 — ^immediately over a kingfisher's nest, a fact we did 

 not discover until too late to prevent the bird deserting. 



The precipice behind us was full of caves, the 

 homes of a large number of Kikuyus, and at night 

 these gentlemen would light huge fires, and indulge 

 in a variety of smoking concert, which was very 

 interesting and picturesque for the first hour, after 

 which it quickly grew monotonous, as the native songs 

 are all on about two notes. I was told, too, that they 

 are of a wholly untranslatable nature. The precipice 

 itself looked beautiful and weird, with the jumping 

 lights from the fires showing up the more prominent 

 parts and deepening the shadows behind. 



Later in the night I discovered that other things 

 could also help to wake the sleeping echoes, as there 

 were numbers of rock rabbits about, queer little beasts, 

 which gave vent at frequent intervals to shrill, plaintive 

 cries. However, taking it all round, we were very 

 comfortable, and the worst of noises have an end 

 sooner or later — more often later, it seemed. 



The next day we spent in merely wandering round, 

 seeing what there was to see and noting objects for 

 future studies. 



The following day I went off a little way and built 

 a blind, or " hide-up," close by the entrance to another 

 kingfisher's nest in rather a steep part of the precipice. 



69 



