SNOW MOUNTAINS, SOME SOCIETY, CLOTHES 



the papers, or have a quiet chat while waiting for 

 their husbands to escort them home. There were 

 occasional " At Homes " and dances at Government 

 House which were always much enjoyed, and pro- 

 vided other occasions for the wearing of pretty 

 dresses. White linen is the ideal wear in the trop- 

 ics, but the red dust of Nairobi robs it of its charm, 

 as it so quickly soils, and embroidery or lace gets 

 irretrievably spoilt, the " dohbi " having no idea 

 how to wash the dust out. For the same reason 

 white or light-coloured serges or cloths, except for 

 special occasions, are useless, as they get dirty di- 

 rectly and cannot be properly cleaned. Blue serge 

 skirts are the most useful things to wear for ordin- 

 ary rough walking, except during the summer 

 months. They should be made short, as it is so 

 very tiring to hold up a dress in the tropics. 



I mention this because walking or exercise of 

 some sort is so essential in the tropics, to enable 

 one to keep one's health, although I know many 

 women rarely walk ; but then perhaps their faces 

 would be less mud-coloured if they did. Riding is 

 not very general in Nairobi, owing to the expense 

 of horses, and the danger of losing them from the 

 troublesome horse-sickness, which may, during an 

 epidemic, take them off without any warning. Dur- 

 ing the winter months of August and September, 

 and during the rains, it is sometimes very chilly 

 especially in the early morning, when a delaine 



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