WAYS AND MEANS 397 



There were many mosquitoes in this section, but ef- 

 fective mosquito nets over our cots protected us 

 from them. 



On Mount Kenia, the high Guas Ngishu Plateau 

 and Mount Elgon, the thought of sickness was en- 

 tirely absent. These districts were found to be salu- 

 brious and free from ticks and mosquitoes. 



SNAKES 



Before going to Africa, I must admit that the 

 thought of serpents occasioned much anxiety. I 

 didn't like the idea of tramping around through 

 grass and reeds where poisonous snakes might be 

 found. And yet, after a few days in the field, I 

 never seriously thought of snakes as a possible, or 

 rather' probable, source of danger. In four and a 

 half months, in all kinds of country, much of the 

 time on foot, I saw only six live snakes. They were 

 all small and only two, a puff adder and a little 

 viper, were known to be venomous. Our porters, 

 with bare feet and legs, penetrated all kinds of 

 snaky-looking spots and yet not one was bitten. In 

 fact, I have never heard of any one being bitten 

 by snakes in East Africa, and for this reason I can 

 not avoid the conclusion that the fear of snakes 

 need not be seriously considered as an element of 

 danger in the country. 



THE NATIVES 



So many hunting parties have gone over the 

 game fields that the natives are familiar with white 



