02 



CHAPTER II 



THE DISCOVERY OF LAKE EUDOLF 



From February 10 to March 6, 1888 



Safari a imleijale I—Ij^As-Q Baringo — Our guide Sokoni — A white rliinoceros — In 

 tlie Leikipia highlands — Lare Lolera — A remarkable mountain gorge — The 

 Loroghi range — An unexpected sight — General Matthews chain — Gold — AVater 

 famine — Our guide goes astray — Fresh efforts to find our way — A forced march 

 — Mount Nyiro and its inhabitants — Different kinds of zebras — Elephant 

 hunting — Northwards along the base of Mount Nyiro — Further hunting 

 episodes — First sight of the lake — At the Tamis spring — Haija xmani ! — On 

 the shores of Lake Eudolf — A critical position. 



Early the next morning, February 10, 1888, we were off again, 

 fresh shouts of ' Safari a ijalepale ! ' resounding as we all turned 

 our backs on the camp once more, the men proud of our little 

 herd of cattle, and of our many heavy sacks of grain, bundles 

 of stuff, beads, and wire, all of which they felt belonged to 

 them and would last such a long time ! 



We had soon marched through the little acacia wood, and 

 reached the savanna with its patches of steppe grass on the 

 south of Lake Baringo. The hot sun and the constant dry 

 wind had removed every trace of damp, and the loamy soil was 

 scorched and seamed with deep ruts in every direction, but 

 things improved when we approached the base of the Leikipia 

 plateau and the Guaso Bolio, by which we camped. The table- 

 land here slopes down quite near to the lake in two long straight 

 terraces, which rise up like gigantic steps from the plain. 



We marched the next morning, first in a northerly direc- 

 tion alono' the base of the lower terrace, and then over a low 



