n iron girder, the
slopes leading up to it banked up on either side, and the permanent way
laid on an easy grade.

Then, also, a water supply had to be established; and this meant some
very pleasant work for me in taking levels up the banks of the river
under the cool shade of the palms. While doing this, I often took my
camp-kit with me, and a luncheon served in the wilds, with occasionally
a friend to share it--when a friend was available--was delightful. On
one occasion in particular, I went a long way up the river and was
accompanied by a young member of my staff. The day had been exceedingly
hot and we were both correspondingly tired when our work was finished,
so my companion suggested that we should build a raft and float
down-stream home. I was rather doubtful, of the feasibility of the
scheme, but nevertheless he decided to give it a trial. Setting to work
with our axes, we soon had a raft built, lashing the poles together
with the fibre which grows in abundance all over the district. When it
was finished, we pushed it out of the little backwater where it had
been constructed, and the young engineer jumped aboard. All went well
until it got out into midstream, when much to my amusement it promptly
toppled gracefully over. I helped my friend to scramble quickly up the
bank out of reach of possible crocodiles, when, none the worse for his
ducking, he laughed as heartily as I at the adventure.

Except for an occasional relaxation of this sort, every moment of my
time was fully occupied. Superintending the various works and a hundred
other duties kept me busy all day long, while my evenings were given up
to settling disputes among the coolies, hearing reports and complaints
from the various jemadars and workpeople, and in studying the Swahili
language. Preparations, too, for the principal piece of work in the
district--the building of the railway bridge over the Tsavo river--were
going on apace. These involved, much personal work on my part; cross
and oblique sections of the river had to be taken, the rate of the
current and the volume of water at flood, mean, and low levels had to
be found, and all the necessary calculations made. These having at
length been completed, I marked out the positions for the abutments and
piers, and the work of sinking their foundations was begun. The two
centre piers in particular caused a great deal of trouble, as the river
broke in several times, and had to be dammed up and pumped