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8/25/1953 - Samburu Safari by David E. Reed

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS DER Barclays Bank Samburu Safari Queensway Nairobi Kenya August Mr Walter S Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Mr Rogers Roger Brown I stopped Isiolo gasoline before prgceedin6 S mburu District northern Kenya government veterinary officer Nanyuki miles south European highlands jurisdictlon extends north Samburu H invited accompany three safari inspect Samburu cattle mouth disease Samburu situated Rift Valley Province Northern Province known Northern Frontier District which borders north A large Samburu practiclly Northern Province barren desert areas supoort population Samburu itself Kenya finest areas toral tribe similar cloaly relcted famous Masai southern Kenya While Somali attendants filled Studebaker pickup truck allon extra gasoline I Isiolo The village hundred Moslem Hindu Cristlan Pagan souls cannot considered Knya tourist attractions Dusty weather muddy during rains consists series corruat shacks sprawled along Nanyuki Most these shcks house Indian operated duka____s residences The important buildius teleohone exchnge operated African youth district commis headquarters The weather alternates The altitude compa chilly highlands At Isiolo first encounters haggaya blows strongly steadily south The African pooul includes besides Somalis Boran Meru Mau penetra north Bwana about unarmed Bamburu popul Europeans population density square Total square miles The Northern Province withal miles sliTbtly total Kenya Europeans Isiolo lookin south station started north alted white strioed barrier cross Northern Province reach Samburu Northern Province closed gener public It stranded tourists would likely thirst before being found Tribal warfare erupts frequently although Europeans seldom attacked aUthorities better A European police officer Norther Province cited these reasons I asked province closed added And Europeans coming upsettin people slaughtring We Just Roger signed sentry government official African as_kari_ Beau G pillbox saluted raised barrier A miles further forks One leads Somalia miles Mogadishu Th R other leads Ethiopia Addis Ababa miles direction We chose Ethiopic Way proceeded Archer Post miles further desert began Rock gravel dotted thorn trees bushes dusty weeds stretched either direction DR3 A later arrived square Irsabit ationl Reserve sharedbyam Samburu herds Ror swung truck saying wanted wonder desert after swirl track stopped truck three crystal clear pools water It famous Buffalo Springs tepid water bubbles limestone tumbles through three pools wends stream Uaso Nyiro river Dead dozen burnt oalms rattled fierce hay_a_ The needed water little effect desert It palms fringe grass Beyond thorns tumbleweed The flash floods caused carried topsoil existed Back truck pounded winding rocky Neil Englebrecht manager veterinary department abattoir Archer Post Roger hoped Nell would there could spend night We brou6ht camping equipment Just turned Nell Nell Afrikaner birth Afrikaner temperment He lives alone abattoir dchshund One hundred African laborers nearby Neil formerly lived thatched house recently replaced story auster structure three rooms The floor concrete walls rough plaster His meals prepared nearby Nandi years Some chairs chairs these seats backs hides Thompson azell Neil telephone running water electricity neighbors Every drive Isiolo roceries He battery operated radio which picture Queen daily contact world H rises dines sunset listens radio minutes When asked Nell Nil broke usual silence replying thick Afrikaner accent I I lived myself H never married Later Roger You could Afrikaner An Englishman might stand while dances parties The farther Afrikaner other people better II Nell shert spars white He wears shorts short sleeved shirts slouch sandals The dsert given He brought Kenya parents Just after Boer War They country opning wanted their They trekked inland later began farming European highlands Nll farin becaus considered highlands That night hyenas howled outside windows W inspected battoir Up cattle slaughtered dressed there daily There operations morni though arrived The abattoir government program market native cattle about later newsletter Operations carried either thatched Nell directed Africans movln equipment DER3 The abattoir Arch Post reclpint There plenty nerby roaring Uaso Nyiro river Buffalo Springs promotes little vegettion cause toosoil The hundred yards Neil house hscut gorge limestone desert Its muddy water crashs through sries ctracts The water added resnt sounds pounding storm tossed beach In flood river rises almost filling gorge There strip vetation along river nothing savage desert distcont mountains A crocodiles drawn blood bttoir waste water marabou storks drawn slaughtering inhabit nothing There lonely harsh beuty plsce The Uaso Nyiro rises trickle Aberdre mountains cascades through desert disappears It started trickle Lorian Swamp DER Dbrls recent flood blocked channel temporarily futile river dried before reaching swamp The swamp refuge quickly became desert elephant rhino hippo other animals perlshd hundreds The river started swamp resumir there Inspannin8 Studebaker struck Wamba miles across three hours travelir The described route motorable track It suited dozer excursions Even Kenya standards A vehicle passes Flash floods cutdeepor eroded ravines across Only sturdy vhicle batter desree sandy slopes these luEga_ Worse still breakir miniature depth They practically invisible until almost Th track through Marsabit Reserve sighted sorts small cheetah Once pased solitary Samburu mora___n guardin8 native cattle spear The rotected wtchin lu__a_As Eoger contin ually pointed I would looked Like completely fascinated strnge beauty Samburu I safaris those areas often posible And government officials I combination sportsman competent admiristrator somehat intellectual Roger husky He wears heavy black beard mustache Darn nuisance shaving He quiet manner pursues golng determination He years ceived veterinary trainin London University colonial service appointment sfter Kenya He Austrian refugee London comforable Nanyuki They three small children Roger shooting fishing rifles camera photographing If Judged library Roger would receive His bookshelves filled volumes fiction poetry drama philsophy fiction books general interest There volumes veterinary medicine Roger fathe schoolteacher England Roger first wanted newspaperman La prompted interest livestock doors veterlnsry medicine In dealings Africans Roer crusader neither those regard Africans animals likeable though mischievious children He interest develop friendships Africans educated handful quite critical wheat regards African traits Yet Africans safari seemed 0recis trests Unlike Europeans hesitation about rolling sleeves sowing African Job dirty should He believes theft inculcates respect because makes Africn inclined follow example He believes Europesns their government promote maximum African advancement stages first ilding sound societal fotuadstions This He cites educstion saying theft present curriculm which includes considers academic should replaced mnual trsining acsdemic brightest young Africans A pesent there African craftsmen clerks balanced modern society among Africsns DER Roger views unique Europeans thing varying degrees sincerity And Roger Kenya refrain These people savages How expect short years O00 years It years least Whatever number years Africans I encountered generally civilization My first impression effort could advance being government individual EU ropean citizens Roer Britons appalled petty thievery committed Africans I suspect colors attitude toward The British sense public private honesty enuinely shocked American might inclined dismiss shrug As example Roger during conversation about Africans another European veterinary officer African veterinary officer taken motor safari At Journey European found chocolate missin glove compartment Do Africn pluched ordeclred heatedly dertin hisul composure The Eurooean asked ffrican about admitted I heard intentioned Englishman sweeping conclusions about African honesty petty instances Equally exagorated reaction several Europeans Nalrobi hearing I AlO hotel African taken They insisted I should rewrd Teu pounds incidentally represents couple months wages frican hotel employe dravna Africa scope Africa expanses The altruistic ortunlties played major bettr England still watch shilling closely At would examining cattle functions public health officer livestock several hundred squre miles plans carries inoculation programs controls movements herds supervises aspects cattle purchasing progzms DER Surprisingly still intact arrived Wamba It green northern Knya stand certainly verdant A brackish stresmo mountain reason settlont greenery There houes telegraph regular streets rtuquin water sewage system doctor Wamba The uropean popultion totals persons elderly missionary women veterinry deprtment stock officer their The Indian storekeeper family One important Kikuyu government District Officer Several Samburu Somali families complete opulation Roger repeatedly cattle street reality We bought lunch Somali operated duk___a Harsh Somali music forth tuned station British Somaliland The Samburu greeted Bwana Doctare friendly respect A pastoral people medicine cattle seale things amburu herdsmen employod veterinry deprtment drove steers coral One Samburu right performance steer wrestling Roger busied himself prying reluctant mouths hoisting reluctant hooves examination He found active mouth several healing cases Orders isolating Samburu irdsmen Later visited Samburu The Samburu characteristics their Masai cousins Like Masai rather slender features their Hamitic origin Unlike Masal though cooperate eagerly Europeans askaris But though fiercely independent retain pride manly bearing They somewhat similar moran yourz warrior system tossed blankets nothing dwellings The ma_nyatta_ outer circle Of brush sticks protection against mauradin beast Inside circle sticks plastered Inside circle another circle brush sticks which functions corral Each waist diameter There indows Entrance gained crawling hunched scratching fleas inside Although Samburu doing their cookln fires inside Despite presence smoke holes roofs smoke thick insid The smell quite strong intensified presence several goats Adults children animals alike covered flies several dults diseases which transmitted flies The Samburu effort brush flies understa ndable The flies tenacious would fanning hands doing nothing flies An opthalmo logist recently government Wamba field tretin Samburu flocked clinic The Samburu nystta veterinry department employes Plans build European style houses always Samburu accept living He cited instance where government built cottae Samburu family A goverumnt official returned later found family pitched corner cottage living under leaving cottage unused DER lunch mountain Wamba Roger stopped truck We lowered tailgate table camp_ chairs There another truck along month RoGer Roger outlined government cattle program Samburu follows The Kenya Meat Commission years purch tsing monopoly country The government controlling interest Because Roger described settler pressure commission purchased cattle European ranches European better grade better weight shenzi native cattle lleauwhile African cattle population continued dangerous increase Africans generally raise cattle prestige dotty purposes The increase population results overrazir consequent surface erosion This further reduces grazing increasing csttle popul thinner thinner But right African He wants numbers Th ruining cattle concern The veterins department tugged KMC purchase native cattle overgrazin5 KMC refused The department pressed permission undertake purchases itself authorized finally African Live stock Irketing 0r6anization AI which began operations Under present E C still ourchasi marketing Eurgpean diion sluhemsn ALMO Thwos ofhniv1 NllsAmhesPsbtolm An xplon hovell Is Nznz ALMO sllsnlvledle hUn4mk In Samburu destockin5 compulsory The Ssmburu O00 month overnment which mrket price Taxes collected while money still table Tax money profits Archer Post abattoir African District Council Samburu welfare projects These projects include needed holes A native hospital doctorless Wsmba being these funds DER Once ourchased government there Job moving cattle abattoirs This history examined Roger Wamba They collected Wamba originally outbreak mouth disease discovered They cleared fitfully moved Archer Post miles Journey From there driven miles Nanyukl there entrained IC slathter house Nairobi miles further Roger decided Wamba check mouth Otherwise would risky through European settled north Nanyukl However KMC plant broke Because there grazing Archer Post cattle driven toWamba where there water consequence grazir This urgency Roger decided anyway There veterinary medical Samburu except imposing quarantines mouth disease until course Tick diseases worst East Africa there ticks Roger The sterilizers jackals hyenas clean garbage When inoculation programs carried Samburu other Africans They chared East African cents O7 shots rabies which shillings O Europeans shillings O5 When inocUlmtions compulsory there charge That afternoon several rhino elephant Back Archer Post evening decided baths With Nell piled truck drove miles Buffalo Sorings A elephants drinking pools moved hundred yards roach headlights They remained there waiting finish Sincerely Received New York