WE SLEEP IN THE OPEN AIE 



255 



tliere was so little water tliat we puslied on again after a short 

 micl-day rest. 



We liad a very good view from this halting-place, in a west 

 and north-westerl}'- direction, of the mountains of Karamoyo, 

 which appeared to consist of several rows of plateau-like heights, 

 rising in terraces on the west. In view of our near approach 

 to Karamoyo, and the very unsatisfactory water supply in the 

 districts on the south, we almost decided to march westwards 

 now. We were informed that we could reach the frontier of 

 Karamoyo in three or four days, and that its physical confor- 

 mation resembled that of Turkana. It was arid, sandy, and 

 without grass. The natives were very like the Turkana in every 

 respect, breeding cattle and cultivating dhurra in a few very 

 limited areas only. We were not exactly warned against the 

 natives, but no Turkana dared offer to act as guide, for, nearly 

 related as they were, the people of the two districts were deadly 

 enemies. Jumbe Kimemeta's assurance, however, that when 

 once we were at the Trrawell our difficulties would be over, as 

 there were as many buffaloes, rhinoceroses, and elephants tliere 

 as grains of sand in Turkana, finally turned the scale in favour 

 of the southern route, and we gave up the idea of Karamoyo. 



We pushed on then through an open, undulating district 

 with a very decided westerly trend, but in every other respect 

 exactly like that we were leaving behind, for the bluish-green 

 fringe of vesretation markino- the course of the Trrawell, but 

 we did not reach its dried-up bed until just before sunset, after 

 an extremely arduous march. It was no use hoping to pitch a 

 regular camp at this late hour, for the men were all too tired 

 and too busy digging for water. So we spent the night lying 

 here, there, and everywhere on the dry, sandy ground, beginning 

 to put things straight the next morning, when we also, for the 

 first time, noticed what a wildly romantic spot we had reached. 

 Gigantic primnsval trees, with a dense undergrowth of bush, 



