The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume XVI, No. 6 [‎339v] (31/232)

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AN EXPEDITION BETWEEN LAKE RUDOLF AND THE NILE.
On the next day we rose over 1500 feet to Mega, a beautiful broad
open meadow or series of meadows between mountain peaks, into
which tiny watercourses trickle, and where there was a delightful
freshness in the atmosphere and in everything living. Besides the
many cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys which were to be seen grazing
on the fine green grass, we were much impressed by the numerous
droves of sleek ponies. For some reasons the natives west of Egder
did not wish us to be a witness of their wealth, and whenever we
managed to get a guide from them, he persisted in taking us by the
most unfrequented paths, and away from the western course, which I
ay as determined to pursue. I had finally to give up trusting in guides
altogether, load up a two days’ supply of water on camels, and march
ahead. We camped when we got tired, irrespective of water or people,
and then sent men in all directions to prospect. As it turned out, we
usually found water and villages not far from camp, though with a
considerable amount of trouble. We marched rapidly along easy paths
after leaving Mega, through the same green upland basins, for a little
over four hours, all of us revelling in the delicious cool atmosphere.
The good old Gurkha Havildar Custodian; police sergeant; jail or prison guard. voiced the sentiment of the crowd by
exclaiming, “Ah ! Sahib, if we could always have it like this.”
We were at an elevation of over 5000 feet, when suddenly, on
rounding a little promontory, the caravan was brought to an abrupt halt.
We found ourselves perched on the edge of a precipice that sheared ofi‘
almost perpendicularly down to a broad plain 1700 feet below us.
Across the plain, some 30 miles to the west, rose what appeared to
be a low mountain range, the southern extension of the Tertala moun
tains; but the plain itself we found to be over 3000 feet above the sea
leV , 61 ’ a , n ° m ' an elevati °a compared to the valleys of Lake Stefanie
and Rudolf On my first journey I crossed this plain 80 miles north
of here, where it was only a narrow valley running up to its origin
m the Amara mountains. The view was, indeed, magnificent from this
great wall, the western edge of the Boran highlands, which run from
the Amara to Marsabit, but it was appalling when I came to consider
how my poor camels were to get beyond it. To my surprise, we found
a winding path had been laboriously made by the natives for their
onkeys many stones, weighing two or three tons, having been rolled
aside M e set to work on this road, and after a day’s hard labour o- 0 t it
m fit enough condition to take the camels down empty.. AH the bads
were carried down by my men, and then the long Le of 'rn
stumbhog patient‘‘ounte” were shoved and lifted after. iLpi^of
the inimitable Kiphng, I have the greatest respect for the long suffer
ng camel. On this occasion only one animal was injured but he was
7; ramed ^ us Ms ^t marrow-bone. Thus you see
at the good that a camel does is not interred with his bones
here were numerous villages about the foothills and on the plain