BRITISH EAST AFRICA 189 



and hard condition on stock cannot be expected without artificial 

 aid. The carrying capacity is high here also. Dry countries 

 are always better cattle countries than wet countries. Grasses 

 always contain more nutriment in the former. 



There are many parts of British East Africa spoken of as 

 being good cattle country that lie to the north of the line after 

 passing Nairobi. 



The best fattening country in British East Africa is around 

 Mouyuni and Maktua, and to the north of this part. The 

 country there is very dry, but the grasses are full of nutriment. 

 Water is very scarce in these parts. As regards "German" 

 East Africa, the good cattle country seems limited to a small area 

 comparatively. The country around Iringa is really good 

 cattle country. There are no tsetse flies there, and it is sup- 

 posed that horse sickness is unknown. 



Now the war is over there will be a great demand for stud 

 cattle for British East Africa. The first thing that impresses 

 the newcomers is the varied character of the plains and the 

 quality of the herbage growing thereon. As one gazes from 

 the window of the spacious coaches of the Uganda railway, which 

 traverses the whole length of the Protectorate, one sees vast 

 expanses of veldt equal, if not superior, to any in South Africa, 

 teeming with game of all description, giraffe, zebra, and a dozen 

 varieties of antelope, all "fat as butter," and all apparently 

 in excellent health. Here and there, at certain seasons, may 

 also be seen vast mobs of cattle and sheep belonging to the 

 Masai, a very wealthy pastoral community. The best cattle 

 country in the Naivasha district is to be found on the Kinangop 

 Plateau, a tableland lying between the Lake and the Aberdare 

 Mountains, at an elevation ranging from 7000 to 9000 ft. above 

 sea-level. The farms on this plateau average 5000 or more 

 acres each, and excellent work has been done during recent 

 years by use of purebred bulls upon the native stock. One end 

 of the Kinangop Plateau forms part of the big tract of 500 

 square miles owned by the East African Syndicate. West of 

 this and extending from within a few miles of Gilgil up to 

 Laikipia, the former home of the Niorthern Masai, lies a mag- 

 nificent tract of country eminently suited to cattle. 



Much of this country lies at an elevation of 9000 ft. above 

 sea-level, so that the cold nights encourage the growth of plenty 

 of hair, whilst disease is almost unheard of, which renders dip- 

 ping unnecessary. The farms in this district are large, and 

 subdivision is gradually being effected by some of the owners. 



