vin SETTLERS AND OFFICIALS 81 



the greatest offender of all is possibly the Govern- 

 ment. 



Leaving out the planters, who are a class in them- 

 selves, the great variety of settlers is due to the great 

 variety of soil and climatic conditions. Thus round 

 Nairobi, and in the Kiambu and Limoru districts, we 

 have a very rich soil, well watered and timbered and 

 having two distinct seasons, which forms an ideal 

 block for small farmers, fruit-growers, coffee-planters, 

 and market-gardeners. This small homestead area 

 will increase year by year as transport facilities increase, 

 though it is very unfortunate that it should be so 

 largely curtailed by the unnecessarily large Kikuyu 

 Reserve. Then there is the considerable block of 

 country round Naivasha Lake, which, owing to its 

 comparatively scanty rainfall, is at present only suit- 

 able, and admirably so suitable, for sheep farms. 

 Further north again is Nakuru which is at present, 

 perhaps, the headquarters of the cattle industry, and 

 then again Njoro with a greater rainfall and better 

 soil, at present the headquarters of the wheat-growers. 

 All these changes are in a very small portion of the 

 country and are repeated almost ad libitum through- 

 out the Highlands. 



With all this variety of occupation there are 

 naturally an extraordinary variety of immigrants. 

 Thus in a small population we have the public school- 

 boy hailing from Eton downwards (please excuse an 

 old Etonian), the crofter, the farmer from all parts of 

 England, the townsmen, the planter, the Canadian, the 

 Australian, the Africander, and the Boer. It is 

 wonderful how well they fit in. As in older colonies, 

 there are no class distinctions. Jack is as good as his 

 master, and thinks himself better. But perhaps we 



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