700 MR. G. H. GURNEY ON NATURAL HISTORY 
seemed to have left every trace of civilisation far behind. 
For the first six or seven miles we rode across wide stretches 
of sandy plain covered with short grass and as we passed 
a small hill suddenly disturbed a pair of enormous Ostriches, 
who scudded off at our approach, the cock with his splendid 
black and white feathers spread out on each side of him like 
a sail. On the horizon we saw herds of Zebras and Hartebeeste, 
but L. was anxious to get to our first camping ground as soon 
as possible so we did not bother about them, but rode on and 
presently came to a small ravine which we crossed and then 
followed its course for some little distance further until it 
was met by a river with some overhanging cliffs and big trees, 
and here was to be our first camp, very soon after we had 
arrived all was confusion, tents being put up, donkeys tethered, 
stores arranged, and large fires being lit all round the camp to 
protect us from Lions and Hyaenas at night, but presently 
order came out of the chaos and very soon I was sitting in 
front of my tent watching the busy scene in front of me, which 
also seemed to interest a solemn old Vulture who sat on the 
top of a dead tree close to us and wondered what all the fuss 
was about. The view in front of our camp was magnificent ; 
looking right across the yellow plains, dotted with moving 
herds of Antelopes, to a blue line of distant mountains many 
miles away, and beyond that again a single snow peak was 
plainly visible in the clear air, this was Mount Kenia one 
hundred miles north. 
I suppose every one knows the geographical position of 
British East Africa. German territory meets it on the south, 
while the kingdom of Uganda bounds it on the west ; in most 
places the climate is delightful, although, in the middle 
of the tropics, the elevation is so great, that except in the 
dense forests and near the low-lying coast, the air is 
fresh and invigorating and there is often a breeze ; the suii, 
of course, is all powerful and even on a cloudy day it is not 
safe to go out without one’s pith helmet on. The rainy 
season is generally supposed to begin about the middle of 
March, and then indeed the country must be beautiful, all 
the dry arid plains covered with long green grass, whilst I was 
