A JOURNEY TO THE LOEIAN SWAMP 127 
they obtain the leaves from Kikuyu, where the tree is well 
known under the name of ‘ Mairungi.’ The identification of 
‘ Mairungi 5 as Catha edulis is due to Mr. Battiscombe, who 
states that when young it resembles a coffee tree ; it is called 
Kat or Khat by Arabs and Somalis. 
It has a strong stimulating action, and is used in Arabia in 
much the same way as coca in Peru. Its active principle is an 
alkaloid about which little is known except that it is not 
identical with caffeine. The Somalis state that it prevents 
them sleeping too soundly when on cattle-trading expeditions 
and thus, if thieves appear, they readily wake up. Some, how- 
ever, take it to excess and become intoxicated and stupid from 
the effects. The leaves are generally chewed raw. 
Dr. Warburg considers that it will become an important 
article of food in the future and enter into competition with 
tea and coffee. It has recently appeared on the London market, 
where it commanded a price of Is. to 2s. per lb. 
Farmers who possess Mairungi trees on their land are then 
advised to see that they are not unwittingly destroyed. The 
tree belongs to the natural order of Celastracece. 
A JOURNEY TO THE LOEIAN SWAMP 
Communicated (Editors) 
A traveller recently visited this little known part of the 
country and the following information, which was verbally 
communicated, may interest some readers. 
The swamp was visited in March 1911 with the view of 
obtaining specimens of the white waterbuck. About half a 
dozen were seen and two were shot. They do not appear to 
occur in herds ; but one, or at most two, will be seen in a herd. 
In every case the eye is of normal colour ; so the presumption 
is that they are not cases of albinism. 
At the time of the visit the Euaso Nyiro was very low and 
was not running into the swamp, but formed a series of long 
disconnected pools. These pools, some as much as two miles 
in length, were practically a solid mass of myriads of fish, 
Vol. II.— No. 4. 
K 
