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African land holdings usually consist of a two or three acre plot, surrounding a mud and wattle hut. Wattles are a specie of tree with straight trunks two or three inches in diameter, which make admirable poles. There are none of the amenities of civilized living, no electricity or plumbing. The floors are dirt, and' moat of the roofs are thatched, with here and there a tin roof, indicating a bit of prosperity or government favor. These small holdings (“shambas”) do grow enough food to aukain life for a small family. There are usually banana and mango trees growing wherever there are people. Along with millet and com and sweet potatoes, they make up the staple diet of the average African. They eat very little meat. Where the land is cultivated and watered, there are two, and sometimes three crops a year, since the climate is very benign. The Masai trible, living a semi-nomad life on the plains and in the Rift, have great herds of cattle. No doubt everyone has heard of their warrior’s diet of milk and fresh cattle blood. Other tribes do have herds of cattle, but do not follow the exotic Masai diet.
Kenya has beautiful flowering trees and bushes that are native to the country. Some of them are in bloom continuously, and of the rest, there is always something in bloom the whole year around-flowers too, of course. Particularly in the towns settled by Europeans, and especially in and around Nairobi, the plantings brought in from Australia and other countries are magnificent. There are long avenues oi Jacaranda, covered with fclti clusters of blue-purple flowers, and the Poindana, a large ornamental tree with flame-colored blossoms, and many others that those of you who are familiar with tropical plantings would recognize.
I was totally unprepared for the beautiful tropical birds. Everywhere there are lovely birds of all sizes, some little ones with long tail feathers extending twice the length of their bodies. I am sorry that I do not know the proper names of the many exotic birds of brilliant coloring, nor can I identify them for the possible
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