DESCRIPTION OF LAKE STEFANIE 



189- 



could not be induced to take part. The evening before we had 

 discussed the plan of sending a few men to the Marie, in spite 

 of the small-pox, which some of them would most likely have 

 taken, but now Baringo, who really knew the neighbourhood 

 well, though he had shammed ignorance, offered to go alone 

 towards Sapari and see if he could find any of his people. We 

 employed the interval in the necessary scientific observations, 

 and in making a more thorough examination of our immediate 

 neighbourhood. The view of the lake from our camp was very 

 restricted, so I betook myself to a height conveniently situated 

 close to the water and commanding the greater part of the 

 lake. This hill, of volcanic formation and with rugged, clifF-like 

 sides, was almost entirely bare of vegetation, but encrusted to 

 a height of some sixty to eighty feet with countless lacustrine 

 shells, a sure sign it had once been under water. I could only 

 just make out the northern shore of the lake from where I 

 stood, but it seemed to be flat, with a background of forest. 

 There were six small islands to be seen at a little distance from 

 the southern end, all mere barren rocks. The shore on the 

 west was flat and bare, whilst on the east it was fringed with 

 tall grass or reeds. The flat landscape on the south is dotted 

 with rugged volcanic hills. The specimens of rock brought by 

 Qualla from the base of the Trr mountains were of similar 

 origin, so that that range is probably the edge of a plateau. 

 Similar hills croj) up also on the south-eastern side of Lake^ 

 Stefanie, all of them covered with an incrustation, from two 

 to four inches thick, of oyster shells. 



The day before an elephant and a rhinoceros had shown 

 themselves near the camp, but had disappeared too quickly to 

 be hunted. The Count set ofi" the next morning in the hope 

 of coming upon similar game, but he only secured a Beisa 

 antelope and a gazelle Wallerii. In the afternoon, however, a 

 number of animals approached, the colour of the hair of whick 



