Through the Wilderness. 315 
Kithima at nine a.m. A spring of cool, clear water 
within a group of huge rocks was found, and here we 
made a halt. After a little breathing time and the 
luxury of a bath, I left the party absorbed in atten- 
tion to the cuisine, in order that I might take a survey 
of the spot and its surroundings. I ascended a rock 
near at hand, and found the Kithima to consist of a 
circular group of detached rocks with a crater-like 
hollow in the centre. The rock upon which I stood 
was one of the lowest, and on the northern side of the 
group. Here, as well as east and south, they are 
much lower than those which face the west ; those of 
the south-west being the highest of all, rising, as they 
do, some hundreds of feet above the plain. I ascended 
them, but could not obtain a good view from them, on 
account of the huge masses of rock by which they 
were surmounted, yawning chasms by which they 
were divided, and the dense thorn-thickets which 
'barred the way on all sides. Descending them, I made 
my way to the north-west rock, where I found an easy 
ascent, over its bare surface, to the very top. It was 
almost as lofty as those of the south-west, and com- 
manded a magnificent scene. On the east was the 
country over which we had passed, in appearance a 
level plain, broken only by the two cones of Taru ; 
on the north, as far as the eye could reach, was a 
similar tract of grey level country, the only elevation 
being a small hillock, called Kivuko, in the centre of 
the view; west and north-west presented a different 
aspect, the plain being bounded by what appeared to 
be one long range of hills and mountains, though in 
reality there were several, distinct and detached the 
one from the other. Conspicuous in the scene rose 
