A NATURAL CISTERN 



24 L 



are dotted with nothing but dry yellow steppe grass. Not a 

 stream flows from this northern side, and it would appear that 

 all the water sinks through the ashes, reappearing at the base 

 of the mountain only in the form of pools. 



Far away on the south-west we could see Mount Meru 

 rising up like a dark blue pyramid flanked by lower heights, 

 amongst which was conspicuous the rocky peak of Ngaptuk, 

 over 6,000 feet high, and the equally lofty mass of the Doenye 

 Erok la Matumbato, looming forth like a dusky rampart, whilst 

 on the north-east and east the horizon is bounded by the lower 

 Ulu and Julu ranges. 



Between us and them stretched a barren and almost level 

 sandy plain, which glowed in the heat of the sun. Whole 

 tracts were strewn with snow-white natron, and none of the 

 atmospheric deceptions so frequent in these parts were needed 

 to produce the effect of a landscape dotted with ponds and 

 lakes. There is, indeed, no doubt that we have here the old 

 bed of a large lake of which Lake Nyiri and the various pools 

 are all that is now left. 



In the afternoon Count Teleki went hunting in the direc- 

 tion of the base of Kilimanjaro, where the dense thickets 

 of bush harboured large herds of buffaloes. Eemembering 

 the danger which he had incurred near Lake Nyiri, he took 

 care this time to have the game driven into the open by 

 his Somal and the Masai moran, and by this means lie 

 wounded two bulls so severely that they fell to the ground 

 at once, but they were soon up again, and taking refuge in 

 the thicket escaped, although they were followed for a long- 

 time. 



Our next march, of an hour and a half only, brought us to 

 a natural cistern in a volcanic rock in the midst of the barren 

 steppe. Though the water looked clear it had a horrible 

 smell, and was scarcely fit to drink. Boiling it somewhat 

 VOL. I. R 



