i 7 8 
A COLONY IN THE MAKING 
CHAP. 
though it lies near Nairobi—only some 60 miles to the 
south-west—it had until recently been comparatively 
little explored. (To whom the original discovery was 
due I am not sure, but among the first to visit it were 
Mr. V. M. Newland and Captain Riddell.) The reason 
of this is that not only is there no surface water 
within many miles of the lake, but the approach to it 
in every direction is through singularly barren, difficult, 
and waterless country. The value of the soda has long 
been realised in the country and more than one option 
has been taken on it, but until 1909 the great cost 
connected with extracting and transporting the soda to 
the coast had prevented its exploitation. In that year 
a large expedition was formed under the auspices of 
Messrs. M. Samuel & Co. to examine the commercial 
properties of the soda, with a view to its acquisition. 
The principals of the party were Messrs. W. H. Levy 
and A. E. Herz, with Captain Shelford as consulting 
engineer and Mr. A. Trobridge as chemical expert, 
the whole being under the guidance and organisation 
of Mr. H. F. Ward. The results of the expedition, 
which was splendidly managed, exceeded all expecta¬ 
tions. Captain Shelford discovered a route for the 
railway in which the engineering difficulties were com¬ 
paratively few ; Mr. Trobridge reported that at a low 
estimate there were 200 million tons of crystalline soda 
of extraordinary purity, and that moreover this soda 
might by a very simple process be converted into a soda 
ash equal in chemical purity to any on the market. 
The result has been the formation of a huge company 
with splendid prospects before it. The branch railway 
is already under construction. 
The lake itself merits a word or two of description. 
It is some 15 miles long and has a total area of more 
