
audiobook
by A. (Alfred) Arkell-Hardwick
AN IVORY TRADER IN NORTH KENIA
PREFACE
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
THROUGH KIKUYU TO GALLA-LAND - INTRODUCTION.
CHAPTER I. PREPARATIONS AND START.
CHAPTER II. FROM KRIGER’S TO MARANGA.
CHAPTER III. FROM THE TANA TO M’BU.
CHAPTER IV. FROM M’BU, ACROSS EAST KENIA, TO ZURA.
CHAPTER V. ZURA TO M’THARA, AND A VISIT TO EMBE.
CHAPTER VI. OUR MOVEMENTS IN M’THARA AND MUNITHU.
A determined trader sets out from Cairo in the waning years of the 19th century, threading his way through the bustling ports of Zanzibar and Mombasa before venturing deep into the highlands of East Africa. The early chapters follow his arduous trek across the Athi River, the rugged Waso Nyiro basin, and the rolling plains of what was then called Galla‑land, all in pursuit of the increasingly scarce ivory that fuels his ambitions. Along the route, he confronts the harsh realities of the terrain—flooded valleys, fierce wildlife, and the ever‑present danger of disease—while forging uneasy alliances with local leaders.
Interwoven with the adventure are vivid observations of the peoples he meets. He records the customs of the Kikuyu, the nomadic Rendili, and the little‑known Burkeneji, using the Swahili convention of “Wa‑” to denote each group. Illustrated with rare photographs and a detailed map, the narrative brings the colors, sounds, and rituals of these societies to life, offering listeners a rare glimpse into a world on the brink of change.
Language
en
Duration
~10 hours (627K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
New York: Longmans, Green, and Co, 1903.
Credits
Bob Taylor, deaurider and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2023-10-27
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1878–1912
An adventurer turned travel writer, he moved from life at sea and years in East Africa to the early world of aviation. His surviving work captures the restless energy of a man whose life was cut short in a 1912 flying accident.
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