ON THE WAY TO LAKE STEFAXIE 181 



level of Lake Eudolf, of which the altitude above the sea is 

 1,300 feet. 



We maintained a south-easterly direction in our next march, 

 the scenery becoming less rugged and hilly. We camped earl}^ 

 as the Count brought down two rhinoceroses which he came 

 upon by the way. It had rained heavily here quite recently, 

 and we found not only plenty of pools, but much vegetation in 

 a forward stage of growth, herbs, bushes, and trees filling the 

 air with the scent of their flowers and brightening the other- 

 wise dreary landscape with their varied colours. The animal 

 world, too, was well represented, chiefly, however, by insects, 

 such as beetles, butterflies, ants, and flies, of which we had seen 

 none lately. 



We still maintained an easterly course on the next or fifth 

 day's march, going down now to the watershed of the Ser el 

 Karia, by the mouth of which in Lake Eudolf we had camped 

 on March 28. Water was only obtained here by digging. 



We pressed on along the dried-up bed of another stream in 

 the same watershed as the Ser el Karia, which, however, flows, 

 when full, first due east, then north-east between steep upright 

 walls of rock, consisting chiefly of basalt columns. On our right 

 was the edge of a low rugged plateau, and on the north-east the 

 slopes of the Trr range rose up from the plain. We reached the 

 flat country stretching away on the south of the Basso Ebor 

 without having seen anything more than a little glimmer of the 

 lake. We soon came to a stretch of grassless loamy ground, 

 reminding us of that on the south of Nyemps Mdogo, a few 

 young camel's thorn bushes, and nearer the lake more succu- 

 lent bushes, being the only vegetation. As far as we could 

 make out, the immediate neighbourhood of the lake was very 

 disappointing, and as there was nothing to tempt us to go down 

 to the beach, we camped near a good-sized pool of rainwater. 



The Eeshiat had told us that we were sure to find plenty of 



