GAME DISTRICTS AND ROUTES 171 



a few years back. One writer may have experienced no diffi- 

 culties, as both food and water may have been plentiful when 

 he passed. Another writer may have had plenty of food and 

 no water, and another plenty of water but no food, &c. The 

 rainfall in East Africa is uncertain, and the supply of food and 

 water also uncertain in consequence. Therefore all the very 

 latest information as to the food and water supply along the 

 line of march should be obtained at Mombasa, before leaving. 

 The information of a man who has traversed the route about 

 to be taken only two months previously cannot be relied upon, 

 although his veracity is not to be doubted. Only one month's 

 dry weather will make an enormous difference in a water 

 supply ; but besides this there are other things to reckon 

 against. Amongst these are the number of caravans which 

 have subsequently passed up and down, and the number of 

 natives from Teita and Ukambani, who are constantly going 

 to and fro, often with herds of cattle, sheep, and goats, all of 

 which very soon diminish even the largest supply. 



But when once the game country is reached, all anxiety 

 about food and water is virtually over. It is the getting to 

 the game countries, when long tracts of foodless and often 

 waterless wilderness have to be traversed before the sportsman's 

 Eldorado is reached, that is such trying and often anxious work. 

 The Teita route is the principal one into the interior, and is 

 also the principal one from the sportsman's point of view, as 

 it leads to all the best game countries. This route passes via 

 Taru and Mount Maungu. The wilderness between Taru and 

 Ndara is commonly known as the ' Maungu march,' and it is to 

 this day more dreaded by both Europeans and natives alike 

 than any other, and this more particularly when going up 

 country, when the porters, not having recovered from their 

 ' high old times ' on the coast, are out of training and soft, and 

 easily become disheartened. Coming down country with their 

 faces to the coast, and the ' high times ' before them, it is quite 

 a different thing, and there is little or no anxiety, as the men 

 will face almost anything. Unless there has been an exceptional 



