96 NEW AFRICA. 



four miles northwest of the city, which is the headquarters of the 

 African Inland Mission. It is an independent American organization, 

 with home councils in Philadelphia and London, and several schools are 

 conducted at Kijabe for the education of missionaries' children and the 

 industrial training of the natives. 



The party, which consisted of Mr. Roosevelt, Edmund Heller, Major 

 Mearns and Kermit Roosevelt, arrived at their destination on the after- 

 noon of June 3rd, the Colonel, the Major and the traffic manager riding 

 about half the way on the cow-catcher so as to obtain the full benefit 

 of the glorious scenery in the Rift Valley. They were met at the station 

 by the porters and the American missionaries, and passed the night in 

 tents near the railroad. The next morning the party spent some time 

 shooting Colobus and green-faced monkeys, as well as rare birds. In 

 the forenoon Mr. Roosevelt made a thorough inspection of the mission, 

 and afterward had luncheon with forty of the missionaries and their 

 wives and settlers in the country. 



LOVELY AND MYSTERIOUS LAKE NAIVASHA. 



One of the greatest wonders and beauties of the Rift Valley is Lake 

 Naivasha, about an hour's ride from the Escarpment Station. This 

 sheet of water is about ten miles square, and the rim of a submerged 

 crater makes a crescent-shaped island in its midst. Although its waters 

 are rather brackish they are always sunny and glisten like a "Tear" in 

 the rather somber landscape ; and it should be added that "Naivasha" 

 translated into English is a "Tear." "Almost always," says one who 

 looked upon the scene with a bright eye, "there is a smile of sunshine 

 on her waters, while on the other hand there is as often a black frown of 

 thunder clouds rolling over the Mau and a white cap of rain on the peak 

 of Longonot" — the latter being a rather portentous looking volcano 

 which almost closes the further end of the Rift Valley. But though the 

 water of Lake Naivasha is by no means sweet, its bosom is covered with 

 pink, white and blue lilies, and is fringed with sedges, seeds and papyrus. 

 It is also the home of myriads of Egyptian geese, cranes, herons, 

 ducks and snipe. The borders of the lake and the islands scattered over 

 it are especially favored breeding grounds for herons, who love to feed 

 among the herds of native cattle pasturing on the grassy slopes which 

 roll away from Naivasha toward Nakuru. Hippos abound in the lake, 

 but there are no crocodiles; and toward the northwest is big game of 



