XVIII THE CRATERS OF THE RIFT VALLEY 239 



IVozen peaks and forming a permanent veil of fog and 

 eloud. 



Woosnam, in his account of tlie Ruwenzori Expedition, 

 1905-6, states that one of the most cliaracteristic and, 

 at tlie same time, most oljjectionaI)le features of 

 Ivuwenzori is the ever-present cloud which forms every 

 morning and veils the upper regions in gloom and 

 moisture. It disappears almost as regularly every 

 evening at sunset, the mountains being nearly always 

 clear of cloud in the night. This is why these mountains 

 remained undiscovered so long. The cloud forms at an 

 altitude of 9,000 feet and drifts upwards, and aljout 

 10 a.m. the mountain is obscured. 



Simihrr cloud conditions prevail on Kenia and Kili- 

 manjaro. The summits of these mountains are visiltle 

 at dayl:ireak and at 4 p.m. They are very beautiful as 

 they peer aljove the clouds. No wonder the Masai 

 regard the placier-covered summit of Kilimanjaro as the 

 " home of a god. " 



There are some curious floral conditions on Kenia, 

 Kilimanjaro, and Paiwenzori, associated with this per- 

 sistent humidity. The lower slopes of Kenia are clothed 

 with dense forests of junipers and podocarps, in which 

 herds of elephants roam. Half-way up the mountain 

 (8,000 to 10,000 feet) there are forests of huge bamboos 

 in which the stems are so tightly packed together that 

 only an elephant can force a way. Those who climli 

 Kenia must traverse the bamboo zone and the way is 

 cleared by cutting the bamboos with bills. When 

 bamljoos attain a height of fifteen feet they begin to 

 branch and the long, thin leaves interlace, forming a 

 dense canopy. Along the edge of the forest the narrow 

 grass-like leaves of the liaml)00 look very pretty as they 

 wave in the breeze. Aljove the baml)oo forests the 

 flora is very remarkable and consists of giant groundsel 

 occurring in groves. At a distance these groves look 

 "like a table covered with flowers" (von Hohnel). 

 There are lobelia grounds carpeted witli thick moss, and 



