206 TO LAKE NAIVASHA [ch. ix 
like a well-watered country ; but it was of porous, 
volcanic nature, and the soil was a sieve. After night¬ 
fall we came to where we hoped to find water; but 
there was not a drop in the dried pools, and we had to 
make a waterless camp. A drizzling rain had set in, 
enough to wet everything, but not enough to give any 
water for drinking. It was eight o’clock before the last 
of the weary, thirsty burden-carriers stumbled through 
the black, boulder-strewn ravine on whose farther side 
we were camped, and threw down his load among his 
fellows, who were already clustered around the little 
fires they had started in the tall grass. We slept as 
we were, and comfortably enough ; indeed, there was 
no hardship for us white men, with our heavy overcoats, 
and our food and water—which we shared with our 
personal attendants ; but I was uneasy for the porters, 
as there was another long and exhausting day’s march 
ahead. Before sunrise we started; and four hours 
later, in the bottom of a deep ravine, Cuninghame 
found a pool of green water in a scooped-out cavity in 
the rock. It was a pleasant sight to see the thirsty 
porters drink. Then they sat down, built fires and 
boiled their food, and went on in good heart. 
Two or three times we crossed singularly beautiful 
ravines, the trail winding through narrow clefts that 
were almost tunnels, and along the brinks of sheer cliffs, 
while the green mat of trees and vines was spangled 
with many-coloured flowers. Then we came to barren 
ridges and bare, dusty plains ; and at nightfall pitched 
camp near the shores of Lake Naivasha. It is a lovely 
sheet of water, surrounded by hills and mountains, the 
shores broken by rocky promontories, and indented by 
papyrus-fringed bays. Next morning we shifted camp 
four miles to a place on the farm, and near the house, 
