The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume IX, No. 4 [‎198r] (66/172)

TWO YEARS’ TRAVEL IN UGANDA, UNYORO, AND ON THE UPPER NILE. 383
From a high hill called Teito the view was magnificent, and I was
able to fix the position in longitude ver}’’ accurately by bearings on
Alagabiet hill and Eldalat hill, which bore 345£ and 350° respectively;
I also took observations for variation of the compass. A good path led
down to the valley, and it was quite like going from winter into
summer. There was a great quantity of cultivation, principally mtama,
which was ripe, and also a few sweet potatoes, which we had not yet
found in this country. We ascended gradually again up the valley
towards the gap, until the high bluff called Usun was close to our left.
■On reaching this point, which is called Kabarer, or Kamwentowe, we
found a deep ravine in front of us, and on the far side there were what
looked like a series of buttresses jutting out from the Mau escarpment,
and the country looked very rugged and mountainous. Below us lay
the Sagane river, which works its way almost from the very edge of the
mountains through a lovely valley, completely enclosed by enormous
hills, to the north called Engoroboby, and to the south Tinderait.
We descended by a steep path under a cliff, and some natives amused
themselves by throwing down rocks, which came hurtling over the heads
of the caravan. Fortunately only a few were thrown, and only three
men were injured by splinters. We reached the Sagane river in one
hour, at a point 5352 feet above the sea ; it flows through a gap in the hills
to Ugowe bay. There were a good many Nandi living in this valley and on
■the hills around. At the head of it we commenced the ascent of Mau by
a native track through the forest, which commences almost immediately.
We got among the bamboos near the top, and eventually camped at an
altitude of 8900 feet, in an open space surrounded by clamps of bamboo
forest. The difference between this point and our camp in the Sagane
valley was 2860 feet, and it was a hard climb for loaded porters. The
.top of Mau consists of an undulating plateau, broken up in places by
deep ravines, covered with short grass, and in places by clumps of
forest. There are no inhabitants on the top of Mau, except some
occasional Wanderobbo hunters, and the few tracks we saw were the
paths used by Nandi raiding-parties. Although at this height, we were
not safe from the Nandi, who hung round the column, and one woman
was killed and another wounded, when going out a short way to draw
water. It was very cold, and wretched for the men, and we usually had
a cold sleet driving in our faces when on the march, also accompanied
by a dense mist. We entered a series of small valleys, and had to cross
several swampy streams, passing also a small lake. Some ac son s
hartebeest were seen, and there were also a very few tracks o u a o,
rhinoceros, and elephant. Our highest camp was 9100 feet above the
sea, and from here we had to cut our way down through thick forest o
reach the Uganda-Mombasa road. We spent nine hours cutting con
tinuously, and I never was so glad as when we emerged on to the
-caravan road at a point called Campy ya Mwiba, or by the Masai Jsgaie