INTO THE GREAT RIFT 231 



rays of the sun until its heat ahnost blistered us and 

 at each step we broke tlirough this thin layer, stirring 

 up a powerful odor which was almost thick enough 

 to be visible. Tliis aroma arose from the mass of 

 decaying matter scattered about this section, and I 

 was amazed that even a bird could survive such an 

 overpowering stench. 



Returning to the northern end of the lake and find- 

 ing the mud a bit too thick for swimming and not 

 quite thick enough to walk upon, I waded out almost 

 up to my armpits through the oozy shme in order to 

 place a small camera with an electrical attachment, so 

 that it would be possible to secure close-up views of 

 the birds. At my approach they edged out into the 

 lake, and when I continued farther, there was a great 

 uproar, a confused kronking and hissing, as the birds 

 took to flight. They first ran awkwardly over the 

 mud for a short distance, bouncing up and down lilce 

 an airplane taking off from a bumpy field ; when they 

 gained enough momentum to raise their weight into 

 the air, their long necks were stretched forward and 

 their equally long legs behind, both being in a straight 

 line with their body. When thus in flight, with their 

 beautifully shaped scarlet-splashed, black-tipped wings 

 gracefully flashing in the sunhght, it seemed there 

 could be no more exquisite bird in all the world than 

 the African flamingo, and while watching them wing- 

 ing their way overhead I was reminded of the poetic 

 lines: "Where the red flamingo flies, hunting fish 

 before his eyes." 



After placing the camera, I returned to take up my 

 station behind a big boulder which the earthquake 

 had shaken down from the mountain side. The heat 



18 



