CHAPTER II 



THE EQUATORIAL TREXCH 



HUNTING IN THE RIFT VALLEY (eBURU TO THE 

 ENDERIT river) 



The Equatorial TreDcli is an old-time geological fissure 

 that bisects British East Africa from north to south. 

 It is stated that the course of the Trench is traceable 

 northwards across the Red Sea into the Jordan Valley 

 in Palestine. However that may be, at least the 

 Trench is visible enough in these latitudes, where it is 

 known as the Rift Yalley. Every passenger on the 

 Uganda railway must realise its existence when, shortly 

 after passing Limoru (400 miles from the coast), the 

 train suddenly dips away beneath him, plunging down- 

 wards in what appears a mad descent through tropical 

 forest, to a station yclept " Escarpment." 



Within a mile or two he has been hurled into an 

 abyss, dropping from 7,500 ft. elevation at Limoru 

 to 5,800 ft. on the Enderit River. Those are the 

 engineers' figures; though mere cold numerals convey but 

 little idea of its sense of vastness. And on the opposite 

 side the phenomenon is equally conspicuous. For, after 

 traversing the floor of the Trench (some 40 miles across), 

 the line rises again in gradients hardly less abrupt, 

 reaching an altitude of 8,000 ft. on the Man Plateau. 



The width of the Trench varies from 40 to 60 miles, 

 its floor averaging 2,000 ft. below the flanking mountain- 

 walls that enclose it — Laikipia on the east, Kamasea on 

 the west. 



Within this depression lies the great chain of lakes, 



9 



