290 
A COLONY IN THE MAKING 
chap. 
less able to look after themselves than forest and bush 
animals. 
The Roan Antelope is also local and comparatively 
uncommon. They are found near Muhoroni, where 
there may be 150, in the Ithanga hills, where there 
are about 50 ; there are one or two small herds north¬ 
east of the railway line from Ulu and Simba, also on the 
southern extremity of the Uasin Guishu plateau, and 
they exist in considerable numbers along the German 
border from Lake Natron, mostly, however, on the 
German side. Horns run small, 25 inches being fair 
and anything over 27 inches unusual. 
Oryx beisa is the common antelope of the northern 
deserts, though he does not penetrate as far into the 
waterless stretches as gerenuk or Grant’s gazelle. In 
the flesh he is a handsome beast with his distinct 
markings and long, rapier-like horns. The mounted 
head, however, forms a somewhat disappointing 
trophy. Oryx are first met with to the north of Liki- 
pia, and become very common along the Northern 
Guaso Nyero and again round Lake Marsabit. 
Shooters along the North Guaso Nyero probably get 
an exaggerated idea of the numbers of this antelope, 
since in all probability they are on its banks considerably 
more than half the whole total of beisa in the Protecto¬ 
rate, a total which I doubt exceeds 10,000. Oryx meat 
is good, being like eland, though somewhat tougher. 
The hide is very thick and tough, being at least an 
inch in depth over the shoulders, and is prized accord¬ 
ingly by native warriors. After giraffe and buffalo, 
it forms the best material for shields. Where molested 
oryx are very shy, but occasionally they appear 
extraordinarily tame. The further north one goes the 
greater length the general average of horns attain. 
