this priceless trophy, V. also gave us samples of the cattle bells, both
wooden and metal, ivory ear ornaments, bead bracelets, steel collars,
circumcision knives, sword belts, and other affairs of like value. But I
think that the _apogée_ of his kindliness was reached when much later he
heard from the native tribes that we were engaged in penetrating the
defiles of the higher mountains. Then he sent after us a swift Masai
runner bearing to us a bottle of whisky and a message to the effect that
V. was afraid we would find it very cold up there! Think of what that
meant; turn it well over in your mind, with all the circumstances of
distance from supplies, difficulty of transportation and all! We none of
us used whisky in the tropics, so we later returned it with a suitable
explanation and thanks as being too good to waste.

Next morning, under guidance of our friend's boy, we set out for the
Lower Benches, leaving N'gombe Brown and his outfit to camp indefinitely
until we needed him for the return journey.

The whole lie of the land hereabout is, roughly speaking, in a series of
shelves. Behind us were the high mountains--the Fourth Bench; we had
been travelling on the plateau of the Loieta--the Third Bench; now we
were to penetrate some apparently low hills down an unexpected thousand
feet to the Second Bench. This was smaller, perhaps only five miles at
its widest. Its outer rim consisted also of low hills concealing a drop
of precipitous cliffs. There were no passes nor cañons here--the streams
dropped over in waterfalls--and precarious game trails offered the only
chance for descent. The First Bench was a mere ledge, a mile or so wide.
From it one looked down into the deep gorge of the Southern Guaso Nyero,
and across to a tangle of eroded mountains and malpais that filled the
eye. Only far off in an incredible distance were other blue mountains
that marked the other side of the great Rift Valley.