Coming out of this district, we passed
through the Rift Valley and part of our _safari_ went up to Lake
Hannington. So, from personal experience, I can speak with knowledge of
only these sections. Along the Tana we were in fever country, the
altitude being only about thirty-five hundred feet. And yet only two of
our party had touches of fever, so light that they readily yielded to
quinine. This was tick country, and we had been led to believe that we
should be fearfully pestered with these insects. But there was almost no
annoyance from them, due, perhaps, to a good deal of care in keeping
them out of our clothes. There were many mosquitoes in this section, but
effective mosquito nets over our cots protected us from them.

On Mount Kenia, the high Guas Ngishu Plateau and Mount Elgon, the
thought of sickness was entirely absent. These districts were found to
be salubrious and free from ticks and mosquitoes.

Snakes

Before going to Africa, I must admit that the thought of serpents
occasioned much anxiety. I didn't like the idea of tramping around
through grass and reeds where poisonous snakes might be found. And yet,
after a few days in the field, I never seriously thought of snakes as a
possible, or rather probable, source of danger. In four and a half
months, in all kinds of country, much of the time on foot, I saw only
six live snakes. They were all small and only two, a puff adder and a
little viper, were known to be venomous. Our porters, with bare feet and
legs, penetrated all kinds of snaky-looking spots and yet not one was
bitten. In fact, I have never heard of any one being bitten by snakes in
East Africa, and for this reason I can not avoid the conclusion that the
fear of snakes need not be seriously considered as an element of danger
in the country.

The Natives

So many hunting parties have gone over the game fields that the natives
are familiar with white men and are not at all likely to be hostile or
troublesome. Our _safari_ at one time went into a district where we were
warned to expect trouble, but there was none and I think there never
need be any if the white men are considerate and fair. If a district is
known to be particularly troublesome, the government authorities would
not permit a hunting party to go into it, so for that reason the hunters
need apprehend no dangers from that source.

Game

Game is found in varying degrees of abundance in most parts of the East
African highlands. W