XVII 

 AN OSTRICH FARM AT MACHAKOS 



THIS has to do with a lion hunt on the Kapiti 

 Plains. On the veranda at Nairobi I had some 

 time previous met Clifford Hill, who had invited me 

 to visit him at the ostrich farm he and his cousin 

 were running in the mountains near Machakos. 

 jSome time later, a visit to Juja Farm gave me the 

 opportunity. Juja is only a day's ride from the 

 Hills'. So an Africander, originally from the south, 

 Captain Duirs, and I sent across a few carriers with 

 our personal effects, and ourselves rode over on horse- 

 'back. 



Juja is on the Athi Plains. Between the Athi and 

 Kapiti Plains runs a range of low mountains around 

 the end of which one can make his way as around 

 a promontory. The Hills' ostrich farm was on 

 highlands in the bay the other side of the promontory. 



It was toward the close of the rainy season, and 

 the rivers were up. We had to swim our horses 

 within a half mile of Juja, and got pretty wet. 

 Shortly after crossing the Athi, however, five miles 



143 



