TREKKING THROUGH THE THIRST 155 
water, so, by dawn, they were unyoked and driven down to 
drink before the drift was attempted, the wagons being left 
a mile or two back* The approaches to the drift were steep 
and difficult, and, with two spans to each, the wagons 
swayed and plunged, over the twisted bowlder-choked trails 
down into the river-bed, crossed it, and, with lurching and 
straining, men shouting and whips cracking, drew slowly 
up the opposite bank. 
After a day’s rest, we pushed on, in two days’ easy travel¬ 
ling, to the Guaso Nyero of the south. Our camps were 
pleasant, by running streams of swift water; one was really 
beautiful, in a grassy bend of a rapid little river, by huge 
African yew-trees, with wooded cliffs in front. It was 
cool, rainy weather, with overcast skies and misty morn¬ 
ings, so that it seemed strangely unlike the tropics. The 
country was alive with herds of Masai cattle, sheep, and 
donkeys. The Masai, herdsmen by profession and war¬ 
riors by preference, with their great spears and ox-hide 
shields, were stalwart savages, and showed the mixture 
of types common to this part of Africa, which is the edge 
of an ethnic whirlpool. Some of them were of seemingly 
pure negro type; others except in their black skin had 
little negro about them, their features being as clear-cut 
as those of ebony Nilotic Arabs. They were dignified, 
but friendly and civil, shaking hands as soon as they came 
up to us. 
On the Guaso Nyero was a settler from South Africa, 
with his family; and we met another settler travelling with 
a big flock of sheep which he had bought for trading pur¬ 
poses. The latter, while journeying over our route with 
cattle, a month before, had been attacked by lions one night. 
