VIII 
SETTLERS AND OFFICIALS 
81 
the greatest offender of all is possibly the Govern¬ 
ment. 
Leaving out the planters, who are a class in them¬ 
selves, the great variety of settlers is due to the great 
variety of soil and climatic conditions. Thus round 
Nairobi, and in the Kiambu and Limoru districts, we 
have a very rich soil, well watered and timbered and 
having two distinct seasons, which forms an ideal 
block for small farmers, fruit-growers, coffee-planters, 
and market-gardeners. This small homestead area 
will increase year by year as transport facilities increase, 
though it is very unfortunate that it should be so 
largely curtailed by the unnecessarily large Kikuyu 
Reserve. Then there is the considerable block of 
country round Naivasha Lake, which, owing to its 
comparatively scanty rainfall, is at present only suit¬ 
able, and admirably so suitable, for sheep farms. 
Further north again is Nakuru which is at present, 
perhaps, the headquarters of the cattle industry, and 
then again Njoro with a greater rainfall and better 
soil, at present the headquarters of the wheat-growers. 
All these changes are in a very small portion of the 
country and are repeated almost ad libitum through¬ 
out the Highlands. 
With all this variety of occupation there are 
naturally an extraordinary variety of immigrants. 
Thus in a small population we have the public school¬ 
boy hailing from Eton downwards (please excuse an 
old Etonian), the crofter, the farmer from all parts of 
England, the townsmen, the planter, the Canadian, the 
Australian, the Africander, and the Boer. It is 
wonderful how well they fit in. As in older colonies, 
there are no class distinctions. Jack is as good as his 
master, and thinks himself better. But perhaps we 
G 
