The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-07-27
BY WARRINGTON DAWSON.

l27.-There are many peculiar things
about this little city, Nairobi, which
Col Roosevelt makes his hunting
headquarters, and TO which place he
will return the end OF July for resi-
and TO prepare for another expedi
ton.
The climate is the most peculiar
Look at the map and you will find
Nairobi about three degrees from the
equator. You might expect, therefore
10 broil "a hours at time. be exposed
TO all fhe terrible tropical diseases
and insects, and be surrounded by
all kinds Of Africa's savagest animals
Nothing much doing.
When you get here you find your
self In an altitude OF some 5000 feet
in pleasant little village which might
be an American outpost town. with
sun which Is certainly laden a,
midday. but which sets to allow a de-
lightfnl breeze at night, with no fero-
cious beasts and few noxious insects
visible, and In no particular danger
from disease.
Then you are rather apt to conclude
that you are nearer the temperate
zone than the tropical, but this last
idea is a distinctly dangerous one
10 get into your head. Venture out
between sunrise and sunset without
a cork helmet and the vertical sun
rays will give you a stroke and fever
as sure as fate. though the weather
may appear cool and the sky may be
covered. Dress To warmly at noon SO
as to get overheated, or too lightly
at dusk so as to get chilled, and you
will scarcely escape being III.
"Jigsers" Burrow Into Feet.
AS for beasts and insects. rejoice
at their not being conspicuous, but
do not wander too far out of town at
night without light. for there are
leopards still prying about after small
dogs, which they love, and there are
awful insects called jiggers, which
turrow into your feet and lay sacks
of eggs there. and II you allow the said
eggs to hatch out I'm the flesh, you
will have serious trouble, which, ia
some cases, has resulted in the loss
OF q foot.
However, taken all In all, there are
slight risks fro mammals or insects.
and rs for health, II depends entirely
on two or three precautions which
are so elementarily simple that a man
must needs be a fool to neglect them.
The consequence Is that NairoDi
makes one OF the most delightful year
round resorts one could imagine, good
for both heart and lungs, and general
bodily conditions.
Nevertheless. II All American or Eu.
ropean stays more than two or three
years at stretch, he becomes de-
pressed to the verge OF melanchoiia
and SO violent in temper and unreason-
able In ideas that his best friends
would not know him. This IL an ef-
feet of the sun on the head in spite
of cork helmets, say climatologists,
but few months in q temperate zone
suffices to set everything right again.
and man may return to Nairobi and
feel good for several years more.
Stone Buildings Spring Up.
The houses in Nairobi are Designed
to resist heat, dust and moisture
rathen than tor durability and beauty.
Even the well-paid officials live In tin
bungalows, and the government Offices
and the dailroad station are also or
tin. They are one-storied. with peaked
roofs of corrugated tin. All the
houses stand In expansive grounds to
allow gardens and trees, generally
blue gums. to be planted. This prev
alence OF tin was due party to diff
culties In transportation and partly
to the sense of uncertainty about the
duration OF the town itself. IL Is only
some six years since the project OF
moving the entire town some miles
further up the line to better site
was seriously discussed and came
very near being adopted. Now that
the old site has won out. stone build.
ings are beginning TO grow up on all
sides, and the government Is putting
I'D a stone treasury and a stone post
Office In the middle of the plain.
The hotels are one-storied like the
houses, but are built of stone, as are
the leading stores. especially the head
auartrs OF the various safari outfitters.
But the person who comes TO Nairobi
to- see a new phase OF life. will prob
ably prefer the native stores round
the bazar. where Indian vendors keep
shop behind gratings or curtains and
put their cord beds out on the veran-
da9 to allow room inside for client
oil two.
Still the Negroes Country.
Nairobi's streets present many pict-
uresque scenes. Natives are every
where. and you do not forget that this
Is still the Negroes country. Walk
any day down the main thoroughfare.
called Governmental. which marks
the very center of the town, and leads
past the government Offices to the
shopping district and the railroad sta
ton. and at what should be the busiest
part you will find a rude cart sur
rounded by n swarm of Kikuyus block
ing the entire road. What may seem
almost stranger than their presence.
is the fact that they are in nobody's
way, since there are few people who
require TO pass; and you may have
only a few hundred yards to walk be-
fore your progress is blocked by 4
herd OF young ostriches being driven
along as if the town belonged TO them