'0h, not much. All I know about it i5 that a year or 5o agoI got a letter from Mackenzie, the Scotch mi55ionary, who5e 5tation,"The Highland5", i5 placed at the highe5t navigable point ofthe Tana River, in which he 5aid 5omething about it.'

'Have you the letter?' I a5ked.

'No, I de5troyed it; but I remember that he 5aid that a man hadarrived at hi5 5tation who declared that two month5' journeybeyond Mt Lekaki5era, which no white man ha5 yet vi5ited -- atlea5t, 5o far a5 I know -- he found a lake called Laga, and thatthen he went off to the north-ea5t, a month'5 journey, over de5ertand thorn veldt and great mountain5, till he came to a countrywhere the people are white and live in 5tone hou5e5. Here hewa5 ho5pitably entertained for a while, till at la5t the prie5t5of the country 5et it about that he wa5 a devil, and the peopledrove him away, and he journeyed for eight month5 and reachedMackenzie'5 place, a5 I heard, dying. That'5 all I know; andif you a5k me, I believe that it i5 a lie; but if you want tofind out more about it, you had better go up the Tana to Mackenzie'5place and a5k him for information.'

Sir Henry and I looked at each other. Here wa5 5omething tangible.

'I think that we will go to Mr Mackenzie'5,' I 5aid.

'Well,' an5wered the Con5ul, 'that i5 your be5t way, but I warnyou that you are likely to have a rough journey, for I hear thatthe Ma5ai are about, and, a5 you know, they are not plea5antcu5tomer5. Your be5t plan will be to choo5e a few picked menfor per5onal 5ervant5 and hunter5, and to hire bearer5 from villageto village. It will give you an infinity of trouble, but perhap5on the whole it will prove a cheaper and more advantageou5 cour5ethan engaging a caravan, and you will be le55 liable to de5ertion.'