II 
THE UGANDA RAILWAY 
21 
descends 1,400 feet, then passes along the valley to 
Naivasha station (390 miles) within sight of the lake. 
Along this beautiful valley game of all kinds is plentiful; 
antelope, zebra, ostrich, and birds of large size or beautiful 
plumage can be seen from the train. This part of the 
line is wonderful, not only from the variety and 
abundance of birds and animals which inhabit or visit 
it, but also from the weird scenery caused by the 
changing colour along the escarpment and around the 
two extinct volcanoes Longonot and Suswa. The large 
herds of cattle, the flocks of sheep, and of goats 
belonging to the pastoral Masai are additional features 
of interest in this extraordinary and fertile valley. 
The Rift Valley in the neighbourhood of Lake 
Naivasha is 6,300 feet above the level of the sea ; its 
floor is clothed with grass and clover, with here and 
there a collection of small trees. The turf is much like 
what we are accustomed to see in England ; indeed, 
when covered with herds of cattle and flocks of sheep it 
resembles an English park, except that the cattle are 
humped and a few Thomson’s gazelles may be seen 
running among the cattle. 
The third section of the railway ends at Nakuru, 
which is a town lying under the extinct volcano 
Menengai, and is approximately the centre of the Rift 
Valley. This town is the starting point of excursions 
to Lake Baringo. 
After leaving Nakuru the train climbs the Mau 
Escarpment (460 miles), where it attains an altitude of 
8,300 feet. Here it leaves the Rift Valley and traverses 
the fertile land and the forests of large trees in the 
Kisumu Province. The line then descends through the 
Nyando Valley to Muhoroni, where the country becomes 
comparatively flat. The most conspicuous features in 
this part of the route are the enormous number of 
acacia trees, whose stems and branches resemble inverted 
umbrellas, the kigelia or sausage-tree, and huge can¬ 
delabra euphorbias. 
