390 



OUR STAY AT NDOKO 



It was impossible to do any further marches in detachments, 

 as it would have delayed us far too long, so we had to resort 

 to our old plan of overloading all the men and animals, which 

 overloading would not last long, however, as five or six loads 

 were eaten np every day. 



The next two days we continued our march in a north- 

 westerly direction over the flat spurs of the Aberdare range, 

 the valleys and ravines of which were well wooded, whilst the 

 exposed portions were clad with nothing but a little dry steppe 

 grass, giving us the impression that there had been less rain 

 and that the soil was far less fertile here than in the plains. 

 We continued the march at an altitude of from about 6,500 to 

 7,000 feet above the sea, enjoying all the time an extensive 

 panorama over the undulating highlands, which, averaging some 

 6,000 feet in height, and beginning at Kenia and the Settima 

 range, stretch northwards as far as the Loroghi chain and form 

 the plateau of Leikipia. On the north of Kenia rises the 

 Doenyo lol Deika, the Pigtail Peak of the Masai. 



The second day we camped on the most southerly of the 

 four Nairotia brooks, which, uniting after a short easterly course, 

 flow into the Guaso Nyiro, giving their name to the whole of the 

 district watered by them, which is pretty constantly occupied 

 by the Wandorobbo. A little before our arrival a party of 

 nomad Masai had begun to prepare for habitation an old kraal 

 quite close to the site of our camp. We could see some of them 

 taking the ox-hide pack-saddles off the donkeys, whilst the 

 women were hurrying about with their household goods or 

 covering in the old huts with skins. It was not long before 

 some of the quarrelsome young warriors came to us, dancing 

 and singing, to ask for their hongo. 



During our march of November 7, which brought us to the 

 Guaso Songoroi, we enjoyed the very interesting spectacle of a 

 troop of nomad Masai on their vva}^ down from the western 



