THE START—MOMBASA TO TAITA. 
51 
cliilus genus border the pathway, and display their 
graceful heads of blossoms, which are mauve, or 
bright yellow, or yellow and purple, according to the 
species. Then there are spotted-leaved aloes, with 
sprays of waxy-pink flowers, great prickly candelabra 
euphorbias, with tiny green inflorescence, and other 
smaller euphorbias with large, weird flowers of a dull, 
dead purple-brown. White and blue clitoreas trail 
over harsher shrubs, and enliven the grey-green bush 
with tender colour. Grin am lilies are lavish in 
squandered bloom, and the air is fragrant with a thou¬ 
sand odours, to which the flowers of acacias, climbing 
jessamines, and corissas powerfully contribute. 
We reached Gora that night by the light of the 
moon, but as my tardy porters had lagged behind, I 
arrived at the camping-place without tent, bed, or 
provisions, and not only had to lie down to sleep sup¬ 
perless, but blanketless; and, as the night air was 
unusually chilly, my health was not improved by these 
privations. The next day we fortunately had but a 
march of sixteen miles to accomplish; nevertheless 
the men went very badly. We stopped in the morning 
at Samburu, a pleasant place, with once-cultivated 
plantations run wild. Here there was indifferent 
water in clefts in the rocks, and we set to work to 
prepare our midday meal. We waited for the laggards 
of the caravan until four o’clock, and then, too impa¬ 
tient to delay any longer, I took advantage of the cool 
afternoon and limped on to my next camping-place. 
By midnight all were at length reassembled, but I 
resolved in future, if it were only to avoid anxiety, to 
walk behind instead of before the caravan, and not to 
pass any one on the road; thus, I should always arrive 
simultaneously with my baggage. The following day 
e 2 
