GENERAL CHARACTER OF LEIKIPIA 



427 



It would take at least a week to reach Lake Baringo, so I fixed 

 December 3 for the start, and to every one's delight we were off 

 on that day in the direction of Nyemps, the name of which is to 

 the ears of the Zanzibaris as sweet as that of Taveta, and means 

 peace, rest, and, so at least we were told, fish, dhurra, eleusine, 

 gourds, and last, not least, warm nights — no little boon to our 

 poor men, who had been wandering for many months on short 

 rations in the cold, foggy highlands. 



Before we leave Leikipia, however, I must add a few words 

 of description, such as it is difficult to embody in the account 

 of the actual march. My little trip to the Guaso Nyiro had 

 not been without geographical importance, but neither it nor 

 the previous excursions are of much use considered alone ; they 

 must be taken in connection with the experiences of our later 

 journey from Lake Baringo to the Loroghi chain. 



We have already seen that the plateau of Leikipia is a 

 monotonous undulating tableland, broken on the south by 

 Mount Kenia and the Aberdare chain, which rise up like giants 

 in spite of the great altitude of the plain itself. The plateau 

 narrows between the two mountain masses to widen out again 

 towards the north, where it, more strictly speaking, merits the 

 name of a plateau, as the mountains on the frontier, which are 

 considerably lower than those mentioned above, interfere less 

 with its general uniformity. On the whole the northern and 

 southern portions are loftier than those on the east and west. 

 The average height of the plain, or rather of the two plains, for 

 the Guaso Narok cuts the plateau in two, is about 6,550 feet, 

 sinking in certain portions to some 5,250 and 4,250 feet. The 

 trend of the southern portion is north-easterly, whilst that of 

 the northern is south-westerly, the former running up into the 

 Aberdare range, whilst the latter becomes merged in the northern 

 spurs of the Loroghi chain. 



I have already more than once referred to Leikipia as of 



