Evening star., 1909-07-18
In Camp for Christmas

~ steeplv rising valley of the Ngari Xiii to a camp
a thousand feet higher (three thousand feet on
small tributary, the Ngari Nyiro, first stage
the ascent of the Mau At this camp en- joyed
delightfully."- cool temperature, and it indeed
great relief from our fortnight in the hot owlands
where, barring our sleeping hours constantly
streaming with sweat. Near the head of this valley
dwells small tribe of Lolita Nasal who dsown allie
glance to Lenan and besides the of their ocks
and herds, contrary to Nasal tradition and habits
till the soil and eat its produce.
Here, high up the foothills of the Mau spent
our Christmas Eve; rather silent one, for me
know very sad one, each filled with longings for
those he loves best.
Christmas day we sent our donkey loads and
twenty porters to the summit, under head
man, ourselves remaining in camp to finish curing
our trophies for heavy rain had fallen the night be-
fore. and their drying unfinished. For it
lazy day the first real rest since the start spent al
ternately making diary notes, DOING and reading
the latest New York papers (my latestD of dates
from November to 8, which till then had not had
time to open,-papers with the first news have
read other than three-line Reuter- despatch, of
the result of our elections and stating that President
Roosevelt has delayed his sailing date for Mombasa
until March "a. This would bring him there the end
of April still really month too early; for the big
rains usually do not stop before the end of May.
Up to the Heights of the Mau
THE morning of the twenty y-sixth we were off at
daylight for the ascent of the Mau over Outram
Pass, the only accessible point known for nearly
hundred miles north of the border. The buttressing
foothills and higher slopes of the range that
offer easy to the summit prove trial to be
only comparatively isolated uplifts either hopeessy
preciptous on the far side or leading to downright
impossible cliffs above. While guide to the I'm
perial Boundary Survey four years ago, Outram
discovered this pass, and there in the
try only two men besides himself who know it.
BY desperate hard work drenched within by per
spration and without by the sopping wet grass and
foliage, reached the summit six thousand five
hundred feet, an ascent from our camp of thirty
five hundred feet, in three hours Three fourths
of the way the thorn scrub on the mountainside
SO dense that progress was possible only afoot up
winding rh1no trails steep and shut in by creepers
that one could not ride. Then got up out of the
jungle into more open big timber country of less
steep slope, where occasionally we could for few
hundred yards rest tired legs and bursting lungs
Just here lost first donkey, of characteristic
tsetse fly slckness-and lucky it SO far
only one!
Just before arriving at the summit the real key to
the pass was reached lofty knifebade ridge scarcely
eight feet wide, strewn with granite bouders which
connected the buttress had ascended with the
upper escarpment. On either side this ridge fell
away almost perpendicuary for probably twenty
five hundred feet, and along rode for the several
hundred yards of its length, tagged that we did
not mind chances of mule stumble that might
easily toss man and beast the edge; for often
the scattered boulders compelled riding along its
very lip. Unfortunately heavy banks of cloud lay
fifteen hundred to thousand feet below us on
either side and deprived us of what clear day
must be a most magnificent view to north SOUTH
and east.
The summit reached we crossed superb belt of
big timber hardwood trunks five six feet through
llSllS SlAIN 10 elSnIN as shaft
and without limb, and then began rapid descent
through the richest wild grassed country have
seen; green sweet. juicy. and such thick mat that
one could not walk haf-rne through it without
exhaustion.
At five thousand four hundred feet we camped on
a high bench above the head waters of the Ngari
Kit, which a few miles away drops to the arid
eastern plains through impossible gorge, all too
tired to engage in the usual evening shoot.
An Glands Wonderful Vitality
On the twenty-seventh we travelled ten miles west
~ most of the time within few thousand wards
of the German boundary, the beautifully
grassed, timbered, and watered inter-range region
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