488 THE SOUTH-EAST FACE OF MOUNT KENYA 
up as follows : A network of rivers spreads from the mountain 
like the sticks of a fan, all eventually finding their way into 
the Tana Eiver. The gorges in which these rivers run are 
all far deeper and much rockier than those of the rivers on 
the other sides of the mountain ; the country is decidedly 
more wooded, and numerous signs exist of an age recently 
passed when the forest was of a much greater extent. This 
very broken nature of the country naturally tends to perpetuate 
and accentuate peculiarities of all sorts, both of the inhabitants 
and of the flora and fauna. It may therefore fairly be claimed 
that the south-east side of the mountain is really the most 
interesting. 
The expedition upon which I made the following notes 
was conducted from the eastern side of the mountain, while 
my general course was towards the peak, but with a trend 
which brought me eventually almost due south of the peak 
at the highest point which I reached. It must be explained 
that the local natives, although they do not live at a greater 
height than 6000 feet, frequent the forest up to 10,000 feet, 
or even more ; native tracks being found fairly well kept at 
an even greater height. These are used occasionally as short 
cuts by men wishing to cross spurs of the mountain, but 
chiefly by wandering bee-keepers — honey-boxes being found 
occasionally as high as 11,000 feet. In the course of my 
official duties, it became necessary for me to investigate the 
alleged existence of raiding parties on the higher slopes of 
the mountain, and I therefore formed a camp a little above 
10,000 feet. The unaccustomed altitude and cold of this 
camp, however, produced some little sickness in my caravan, 
and I was forced to wait there for four or five days for the 
recovery of the invalids. I therefore took advantage of this 
short time to make a rapid trip towards the peak. Treating 
this camp as a base, I left the greater part of my baggage 
there, taking with me a small light tent for myself, and another 
for the two policemen who accompanied me. I started at 
daybreak, and made a camp at about 12,500 feet, sending 
the porters back again the same afternoon. We spent the 
night under very miserable conditions, as I had made little 
preparation for such an expedition, and we suffered consider- 
