The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-08-02
BY WARRINGTON DAWSON
Special Correspondence to The Press

THI v "A vi " n Mls
BY WARRINGTON DAWSON
Special Correspondence to The Press
NAIVASHA, British East Africa,
June 28.-The tiny town of Naiva-
sha, which boasts a six-roomed no
tel, white store, four Indian
stores, postoffice, railway sta
ton and perhaps 20 houses scat
tered in groups of four or five, with
long stretches of stone-studded
welt between, was the nearest point
of civilization to Col. Roosevelt on
the last two months of his hunting
expedition to the north of Nom
basa
Naivasha used to be a great cat
tie center, because it was the head
quarters of the Nasal tribe, and
when the British took possession
they profited by this circumstance
to make Naivasha the chief point
of district. But now business has
moved down to NairODi and Official
dom moved up to Nakuru, on the
lake of the same name, between
here and Lake Victoria Nyanza,
and Naivasha has left to it only it's
delightful climate, since its alti-
tude of 5000 feet makes it tolerable
even at midday, and at night a
strong, cool breeze always springs
up.
Best of all is it's beautiful lake,
also called Naivasha, with the vol
cano Longanot to one side, and
round it broad plains leading to
am distant mountains hemming 1t
III OIL every side like the rim of a
eiga1hic basin.
'No.o. 1T was on Naivasha lake
that colonel Rous~uelt had his ex-
citing battle with five Infatuated
hippopotami, about the middle of
July.-Editor.)
The lake is believed to be the
crater of an old volcano, and scien-
fists say that once it must have
reached the distant mountains
which shaped its bed, for many
rocks now 10 miles away from the
waters of the lake are marked by
the wear of mighty waters.
Now it is very different, and
while Lake Naivasha is eight
miles across, no soundings have
proved it. to be more than 30 feet
deep, although it is probable that
at different points there are riffs
in the bottom of the old crater
forming it's bed when give 1t con-
siderable depth. The shores, prin-
cipally on the Naivasha side, are
skirted with papyrus swamp and
water lilies. the water being so
shallow and the vegetation so
thick than even where the shore
is more or less free from papyrus
one must wade out to a rowboat
which cannot quite come in. and
then go in the rowboat to a sail
boat If one intends to go sailing.
Lake Naivasha boasts two or
three little sailing boats, belonging
to settlers along it's banks, but it's
principal source OF pride is a steam
belonging to a retired Brit |
ish naval officer, Commander At
tenborough, who has created SUI
perb estate on the southwestern
side, just opposite Naivasha, where |
Colonel Roosevelt will come out
from the Sotik, camping on Atten-
borough's ground. 1t seems odd
that by retiring from the navy AT
tenborough should have got pro-
motion; but whereas in England he
was only a commander, here he is
called Admiral of the Lake |
Fleet"
(Note.-Admiral Attenborough
showed Roosevelt a royal good |
time early in July, letting him
shoot some of the admiral's own
private MISREPRESENTATION
Four miles from Naivasha is the |
great Nasal village. where 400
members of that famous warrior |
tribe live in 40 little mud huts. The
huts are built in circle round a |
corral into which the cattle are
brought at night. There are en-
frances from without at every 10 !
Or IL huts, the rest presenting to |
the outside world solid wall of
mud and tree branch. The huts are
eight feet long by five or six feet |
IN breadth, and some four or five !
feet in height, and in there 10 men,
women and children will sleep |
quite happily. piled one upon an |