WILD LIFE ACROSS THE WORLD 



in Kenya Colony are proud of themselves, and resent 

 being lectured by politicians and critics who have 

 never set foot in the country. 



After dinner we strolled out to see the sun set 

 on Kenia. From the brow of the hill I looked down 

 into a tiny valley. I shall never forget that view. 

 Nature seemed to have lavished her best there. It 

 was like a garden in a dream. Tw^o small rivers ran 

 through it, making all the foliage marvellously green. 

 There were scores of banana palms laden with fruit, 

 which in this district forms one of the principal articles 

 of diet for the natives, most of whom are Kikiyu. 

 We helped ourselves liberally, even my little fox-terrier 

 having her share. 



Our destination was the camp of the Hon. Berkeley 

 Cole. He had arranged to send guides to meet me and 

 had carried out his promise, but as I was a day late 

 the rascals had not waited. I had no idea where 

 Cole's camp really was, but in the end the District 

 Commissioner came to my rescue. He found two 

 heathens who knew the path and wanted to travel in 

 that direction, and the following morning they turned 

 up at my tent in full war-dress. They looked very fine 

 The whole of their bodies had been smeared carefully 

 with a mixture of red earth clay and oil. On the neck, 

 arms, and legs of one of them a pattern — his pedigree, 

 perhaps — had been carefully drawn. For clothing 

 they had mantles of skin thrown over one shoulder, 



184 



