422 



ACROSS LEiKIPIA 



very far from us, on the north, we could see the rugged edge of 

 the volcanic plateau, stretching away eastward and enclosing 

 at a depth of some 600 feet a flat landscape, from which rose, 

 here and there, little isolated hills, many of them with steep 

 sides and table-like summits. The mountain on which we stood 

 rose abruptly from the river, and was bounded on the east 

 by the gneiss highlands already so often mentioned. We 

 could see the Guaso Nyiro flowing along in an easterly direc- 

 tion and maintaining an equal breadth for about seven and 

 a half miles across the plain, but we could not make out 

 where it went after that, so I was unable to take the desired 

 observations, and we retraced our steps down the mountain. 

 The men loaded themselves with the flesh of the rhinoceros, 

 and at four o'clock we were back in camp, where we had long 

 been impatiently expected. 



It had been a very hot and tiring day, and I was so tired 

 that I should have been glad of a rest myself. I decided to 

 try and return by the river-path, and so avoid all the circuitous 

 climbing. If this path were practicable, we should do the 

 march back in two or two and a half hours, and I could get a 

 rest that same day. So we started the next morning, hoping 

 to carry out this programme. All went well at first ; the 

 morning was cool and fresh, the sun not penetrating into the 

 valley with its lofty protecting walls till later in the day, and 

 walking over the soft grass at the edge of the water under 

 the shade of mighty sycamores and acacias in full leaf was 

 simply delightful. On our left tumbled the loam-coloured 

 waters of the Guaso Nyiro, now in rapids, now in waterfalls 

 and cascades, the foam dashing up far above our heads. But 

 soon the valley grew narrower and more winding, whilst 

 the sides became steeper and more densely covered with thorny 

 euphorbias, aloes, acacias, and parasites. The beautiful trees 

 which had lined the banks disappeared ; perpendicular walls and 



