124 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. IV 



being unable to bear any burden, was driven listlessly 

 along behind the caravan. 



On the 29th we had reached a point where the coun- 

 try through which the Guaso Nyiro flowed was park- 

 like in appearance ; groves of tall dhum palms were seen 

 extending 500 yards from the river bank, and here and 

 there were groups of magnificent acacias. The going 

 became delightfully smooth and easy. We seemed to 

 have reached the end of the lava flow from the Jombeni 

 range. In the branches of these trees innumerable 

 birds had their nests. Some of these birds have sweet 

 voices, the notes of one or two sounding purely liquid 

 to the ear. In shaded places, flowers like our morning- 

 glories peeped up from the soil, mostly of a pale purple 

 with red centres. Small herds of zebra and antelope 

 wandered about, or fed placidly beneath the trees. The 

 soil appeared to be extraordinarily rich, and with irri- 

 gation this portion of the country should yield large 

 crops of rice and millet. On this day I shot a beautiful 

 lesser koodoo, the only one we saw upon this journey. 



On the following clay's march we came to a point 

 where the river made a sharp bend to the north. It 

 flowed eight miles in that direction, and then abruptly 

 turned to the east upon reaching the foot of a high 

 plateau. Motio told us that this plateau was called 

 Marisi Alugwa Zombo ; and from its top we expected 

 to see Lake Lorian. 



We cut across the plain to the eastern end of the 

 plateau, and reached it about half an hour before sun- 

 set. Near camp I shot a fine female oryx beisa and two 

 pallah. I also killed a fine female antelope, of what I 

 considered a previously unknown species. We took a 



