Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-03-13
NO. H..


The British Royal Geographical Socisiy's
expedition to Mount K-rrin aud Lake Veto
ria Nyal "a, in 1884, the account Of which
has Just been published 10 England, was
fruitful in the collection OF interesting infor-
nation concerning the SNOW clad volcanic
mountains and the strange tribes OF Eastern
Equatorial Africa. II is stated that more
charming region cannot be found 10 all Atri-
ca. Though living at a general elevation Of
6000 feet, 1t is not mountainous, but extends
In bllowy, swelling reaches, characterized by
every thing that makes pleasing landscape
There are great parks enlivened by groups Of
game. Vast herds Of cattle or Aocku Of sheep
and goats can be seen wandering knee-deep
in the splendid pastures. The climate and
fora Of the district by no means realize the
popular idea OF the tropics. The eye rests
upon conlferous trees, forming pine like
woods white sprigs Of heath, sweet-scented
clover, anemone and other familiar forms
can be readily gathered Within q mile Of
the equator Mr.. Thomson, the leader of the
expedition, found his camp enveloped in a
dense Scotch mist, very cold while the grass
was sprinkled with hoRr frost. On another
occasion violent hail storm burst over the
exploring party, and the country lay abso-
lutely white for sixteen hours. This elevated
region is trsversed north aud south by lofty
chaiu of mountains, termed The Aberdare
Range" the land further westward suddenly
sinking down into a trough two thousand
feet below the general level of the table land,
and inclosed by almost preopitous 'escarp-
ment walls" This Is the stronghold Of the
Massal tribes, who are described as robbers
and blackmailers by profession, aud the big
gest bulles Of Africa" A line OF lakes oc-
oupies the lowest level of the trough and re-
ceives its rainfall, the two chief lakes being
Nj o,A nba IaNt haa
visible outlet, while its basin Of l8 miles by
10 receives a large vslume Of water in the
form of some half a dozen considerable
streams. The level Of ihs lake, however,
rises very little, and, to make the enigma
more complete, the water is quite sweet and
harbors enormous numbers of hsh, with hip
popotami and crocodiles, although it is per-
picking to understand where the last named
can have come from. Mr. Thomson's nara
tive Is full Of other wonders, for he tells. us
of the mysterious caves of Lgonyi, out into
the hard rock for unknown distances all
round a particular level in a mountain twen-
ty miles in circumference, and 30 enormous
10 size as to be able to contain whole villages
and herds Of cattle. The exploring party
satisfied themselves that these caves
we're purely Of artificial origin, and that they
had been hewn out in the search for the pre-
cious metals but who the people were by
whom they were constructed, and whittier
they have gone, remains for the present lone
Of the strangest problems Of African arob@.
ology." An idea Of the sport to be had in
these regions Of Eastern Equatorial Africa
may be gathered from the fact that on one
occasion four rhinoceroses, four zebras, one
giraffe and four sntelopes fell before the rife
Of the leader OF thu expedition in six hours.
10 the broken country around Lake Baringo
Elephants were met in great numbers at
Lake Naivasha herds of zebras raced within
stone throw OF the camp; while even in
the most desert tracts trsversed between KIN
manjAro and the Victoria Nyanza big
game" was met in profusion.