XX 
THE UGANDA RAILWAY 
201 
Reserve, and then ascending to the very prosperous 
Limoru district. Here we have essentially the home 
of small homesteads. Mixed farms, fruit farms, coffee 
and wattle plantations are intermixed. All do well 
and as the soil and rainfall are good and the climate 
glorious, land here is as valuable as any in the 
Protectorate, being at the average price of from two 
to four pounds an acre. 
After a few miles there is a steep and very beautiful 
descent through the forests of the Kikuyu escarp¬ 
ment into the great Rift valley, which lies below us in 
a glorious vista ; and in another hour we are in the 
sheep country. The change comes incredibly quick, 
for we are now in a dry, warm climate, passing through 
undulating plains and hills of short, sweet pasture. 
Homesteads are nestling under hills and great flocks 
of sheep are grazing far and wide. Tea is at Naivasha 
station where there is a pretty little town on the lake 
of that name famous for its ducks and hippopotamus, 
and erstwhile for the thousands of Grant’s gazelle 
which browsed along its shores and whose place has 
now to a great extent been usurped by the more 
profitable sheep. We shall get some splendid English 
eggs here, about which we need have no suspicions 
whatever. After tea we shall be passing through the 
same type of country for two or three hours, while the 
sun sinks and the wood sparks from the furnace begin 
to glow. Wood fuel, cut and supplied along the line 
itself, is now used exclusively. It is likely, however, 
that, with the traffic increasing daily, a change will be 
made. Coal or oil may be used as far as Nairobi. 
Beyond, wood will probably always be used. Not 
only is there a good natural supply, but the wattle 
industry will have an ever-increasing quantity to 
