416 



ACROSS LEIKIPIA 



to find a way back to the Nyiro. Tlie edge of tlie volcanic 

 plateau, wliicli had been previously quite near the river bank, 

 now stretched far away from it in a westerly direction, and, 

 judging from the occurrence of metamorphic rocks in the deep 

 watercourses, there is little room for doubt that beneath the 

 layers of lava on the Leikipia plateau are formations similar 

 to those we had now to cross. In our march up hill and down 

 dale we never once caught sight of the river, though from many 

 a summit we got a splendid view of a wide-stretching landscape. 



After a tramp of many hours we came upon a deserted 

 "Wandorobbo village romantically situated in a thicket between 

 huge rocks of gneiss, reminding us very much of some robber 

 haunt in the Abruzzi. We examined the place with very great 

 interest, and found several huts in good preservation. The 

 discovery of this village was rather disheartening, as it made 

 us fear that we were a long way from the river. There were 

 plenty of animal tracks about, but no ash-strewn paths, so there 

 was nothing for it but to make a M'^ay eastwards for ourselves 

 as best we could. We pressed on through thick and thin till 

 we reached a height, from the top of which we were able to 

 take our bearings, finding to our delight that the river valley 

 was just behind the next ridge. We went straight down to it 

 at once, and found the stream broad and rapid, though shallow. 



It was some time before we decided on a suitable camping- 

 place, and more careful examination showed us that the 

 widening of the valley was purely local, the river above and 

 below this spot flowing in a narrow channel between steep 

 walls of rock, so that it was hoj^eless to attempt to follow its 

 course further. The barometer gave us some assistance in 

 determining the probable nature of this portion of the course 

 of the river, which during our mountain march had escaped 

 our notice. It now registered only 4,250, which represents a 

 fall of some 770 feet, so that for this stretch of about 18 miles 



