ii RELATING TO HEALTH AND CLIMATE 13 



tion : that generation must come into being to prove 

 the truth or otherwise of pessimistic forebodings. It 

 must be pointed out, however, that British East 

 Africa is not the only high plateau on the Equator 

 which supports a white population. 



There is one thing certain about the climate of the 

 country, apart from the question of health, and that is to 

 live in it is ideal. Take Nairobi as a sample of a very 

 considerable proportion of the country. The mean 

 high temperature is about 76° and the mean low about 

 50°. What is called the hot weather are the months of 

 January, February, and March. Even then it is rare 

 for the temperature to rise above 8o° or not to fall 

 below 6o° at night. There is, however, an absence of 

 breeze and an increase of dust which makes the 

 inhabitants glad when the first showers herald the 

 long rains, which usually last about six weeks during 

 April and May. This is by no means an unpleasant 

 time. The mornings are nearly always lovely ; there 

 is a cool breeze, a bright sun, the young grass is 

 springing up and the flowers are coming out. In 

 the afternoon, usually about 4 o'clock, clouds come 

 up and there is heavy rain for two, three, or more 

 hours. During this month Nairobi used to be one 

 large, muddy morass ; but new drains and metalled 

 roads have altered all that. June, July, and August 

 are the glory of the year : usually cool, almost cold, 

 cloudy mornings, breaking out in the afternoon into 

 delicious evenings. September and October are 

 warmer and generally cloudless, and during November 

 and December come the " small " rains, of about a 

 month's duration. At higher elevations it is naturally 

 colder and more rainy and a frost is first met with 

 between 7,500 and 8,000 feet. 



