The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-08-16


WHO LET ROOSEVELT SHOOT
HIS PRIVATE HIPPOPOTAMI.
NAIVASHA, British East Afri-
ca, June 28.-The tiny town of
Naivasha, which boasts six
roomed hotel, a white store, four
Indian stores, a postoffice, a rail-
way station and perhaps 20 houses
scattered in groups of four or five,
with long stretches of stone
studded weld between, was the
nearest point of civilization to
Col. Roosevelt on the last two
months of his hunting expedition
to the north of Mombasa.
Naivasha used to be great
cattle center, because it was the
headquarters of the Nasal tribe,
and when the British took posses
sion they profited by this circum-
stance to make Naivasha the
chief point of district. But now
business has moved down to Mai
robi and officialdom moved up to
Nakuru, on the lake of the same
name, between here and Lake Vic
toria Nyanza, and Naivasha has
left to 1t only it's delightful eli
mate, since its altitude of 5000
ieet makes it .tolerable even al
midday, and at night a strong,
cool breeze always springs up.
Best of all is its beautiful
lake, also called Naivasha, with
the volcano Longanot to one side
and round 1t broad plains leading
to tall distant mountains hem
ming it in on every side like the
rim of gigantic basin.
(Note.-It was on Naivasha
lake that Col. Roosevelt had his
exciting battle with five infuriat-
ed hippopotami, about the middle
of July.-Editor.
The lake is believed to be the
crater of an old volcano, and sci
|entists 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 might waters.
Now it is very different, and
while Lake Naivasha is eight
miles across, no soundings have
proved 1t to be more than 80 feet
deep, although it is probably that
at different points there are riffs
in the bottom of the old crater
forming its bed which 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 sc
thick that 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 IL one intends to go sailing.
Lake Naivasha boasts two or
three little sailing boats, belong
ing to settlers along it's banks, but
it's principal source of pride is a
steam launch, belonging to a re-
tired British naval officer, Com
mander Attenborough, who has
created a superb estate on the
southwestern side. just opposite
Naivasha, where Col. Roosevelt
will come out from the Sotik,
camping on Attenborough's
ground. 1t seems odd that by re-
firing from the navy Attenbor-
ough should have got promotion;
but whereas in England he was
only q commander, here he is
called Admiral Of the Lake
Fleet"
(Note.-Admiral Attenborough
showed Roosevelt q royal good
time early in July, letting him
shoot some of the admiral's own
private hippopotami.--Editor.)
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 q circle
round kraal. into which the oat-
tie are brought at night. There
are entrances from without at
every 10 or IL huts. the rest pre-
senting to the outside world 81
solid wall of mud and tree branch.
The huts ara 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