IV THE NDOROBO COUNTRY 83 



There were also a few men with donkeys, which they packed 

 with the mineral It seems they trade it for goats with the 

 Wakanda, who use it to mix with their tobacco. The drinking 

 water (nastily brackish) is got out of one of several pits near 

 the edge of the lake ; all the others produce (I was told) salt 

 water. I looked down from the edge of the crater, but did 

 not descend, as it is a long way down." 



The country hereabouts and towards the Gwaso Nyiro is 

 frightfully barren and very stony. In some places are great 

 plains and ridges almost devoid of vegetation, consisting of 

 black lava in rough fragments of all shapes and sizes. This 

 makes very bad going for men carrying heavy loads, and 

 is trying work for their feet even with hide sandals — the more 

 so that we have now left all paths behind, except the fitful 

 game tracks ; — it is terribly destructive, too, to one's boots. 

 Fortunately the lava ceases at the Gwaso Nyiro River. The 

 lava overlies limestone, and where the latter crops out, as it 

 often does near the river, the water, which has been under- 

 ground before, comes to the surface here and there in springs, 

 some very large. One, on which I camped one day, was a 

 good-sized stream where it rose, but disappeared again a little 

 way below. It was, as these limestone springs often seem to be 

 here, quite warm, and the water slightly brackish ; it was full 

 of Igeches^as I found to my cost on bathing in it for the first — '^ 

 time. Quantities of game sometimes frequent these springs. 



Some of the marches between the waters were rather long 

 on the north side of the river, and, as it was very hot, tried the 

 men a good deal. I saw some fresh elephant spoor once or 

 twice, but, as the country is mostly very open, the elephants 

 appear only to pass through it in the night, except, perhaps, 

 during the rains. I had to wait two or three days at the river 

 before going on, in order to send ahead to explore for water, as 

 our guides had not an intimate knowledge of the country through 

 which I wished to pass. While waiting I shot something every 

 day to keep up the supply of beef for all hands, generally oryx. 



xC^ 6c-A-^ 



