10 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Jan. 4 , 1913 
African Expedition of the American 
Museum of Natural History. 
BV \V. S. RAINSFORD. 
Before leaving the United States as leader 
of this expedition, the editors of Forest and 
Stre.am asked me to send to that paper any 
notes I might make as I went along, even 
though the nature of the case caused them to be 
disjointed. I comply with this request, be¬ 
cause it lias seemed to me that the field of the 
American Museum’s present expedition—British 
East Africa—is one of great natural interest, 
not to the sportsman or naturalist only, but to 
that larger class who watch the development of 
Colonial life and Colonial adventure with the 
eyes of men who have taken part, or would 
like to take part in the great game. 
Four years ago I had ridden from Londiani 
Station to Sergoit Rock, a landmark known to 
most East .Africans, and which was now to be 
the practical starting point for my expedition. 
Four years ago the trail was bad, when there 
was any trail. And dense forest paths and 
some treacherous bog land made the porter's 
work during much of the year difficult. Now I 
find a fine road for wagon traffic, almost com¬ 
pleted. The change illustrates fairly what is 
taking place throughout the Protectorate. A 
most interesting problem is here indeed being 
worked out, in terms of human life and en¬ 
durance. Can the Englishman live, and breed, 
and make a home squarely under the equator? 
I think I am right in saying that only in 
Quito have an European people succeeded in 
doing this without great loss of life and energy. 
Quito is about 8,000 feet above the sea—if I 
remember right — and the Protectorate, or the 
better, richer part of it. ranges from 5,000 to 
8,000 feet above. Some, without any hesitation, 
declare themselves ready to answer the great 
question in the affirmative now. In my judg¬ 
ment. years must pass before the answer can 
be given. 
Four years ago in the country I rode 
through, between Londiani and Sergoit. the 
farms were very few; one or two near the 
Uganda Railroad, and one large land and tim¬ 
ber concession that had done nothing to de¬ 
velop its holdings. Now I found farms the 
whole way along and the land taken up, but 
comparatively little in actual occupation. 
The country is one mighty ridge, almost 
seventy miles across, whose highest green wave 
rises to 9,000 feet above the sea. From this 
height fall to either side great grassy folds of 
land, belted here and there by bands of splen¬ 
did dense forest, where cedar and wild olive 
trees are matted together by tropic, under- 
SW.\HILI GUNBEARER AND WATERBUCK, BRITISH EAST AFRICA. 
