ii RELATING TO HEALTH AND CLIMATE 13 
tion : that generation must come into being to prove 
the truth or otherwise of pessimistic forebodings. It 
must be pointed out, however, that British East 
Africa is not the only high plateau on the Equator 
which supports a white population. 
There is one thing certain about the climate of the 
country, apart from the question of health, and that is to 
live in it is ideal. Take Nairobi as a sample of a very 
considerable proportion of the country. The mean 
high temperature is about 76° and the mean low about 
50°. What is called the hot weather are the months of 
January, February, and March. Even then it is rare 
for the temperature to rise above 8o° or not to fall 
below 6o° at night. There is, however, an absence of 
breeze and an increase of dust which makes the 
inhabitants glad when the first showers herald the 
long rains, which usually last about six weeks during 
April and May. This is by no means an unpleasant 
time. The mornings are nearly always lovely ; there 
is a cool breeze, a bright sun, the young grass is 
springing up and the flowers are coming out. In 
the afternoon, usually about 4 o’clock, clouds come 
up and there is heavy rain for two, three, or more 
hours. During this month Nairobi used to be one 
large, muddy morass ; but new drains and metalled 
roads have altered all that. June, July, and August 
are the glory of the year : usually cool, almost cold, 
cloudy mornings, breaking out in the afternoon into 
delicious evenings. September and October are 
warmer and generally cloudless, and during November 
and December come the “ small ” rains, of about a 
month’s duration. At higher elevations it is naturally 
colder and more rainy and a frost is first met with 
between 7,500 and 8,000 feet. 
