File NLW MS 24187B. - Kenyan safari journal

Diary, 9 April-16 June 1900, of Morgan S. Williams of Aberpergwm House, Neath, recounting an expedition to British East Africa [now Kenya] on safari with two companions identified only as Godfrey [probably his eldest son, Godfrey Herbert Joseph Williams] and Rhys (ff. 1 verso-23 verso), together with thirty-six photographs taken on the safari (pasted in on ff. 25-60, rectos only).
The group left London on 9 April and set sail from Marseille the following day (f. 1 verso), reaching Mombasa on 28 April (f. 3 verso). They made preparations there (ff. 3 verso-6) and left on the Uganda Railway for the interior on 2 May, along with fifty-one local porters and fifteen others. From the rail head beyond Nairobi the group trekked northwards to the vicinity of Lakes Naivasha, Elementaita and Nakuru, where the three men hunted game for several days, 9-14 May (ff. 7 verso-14). The trip was cut short due to Godfrey falling ill; he and Morgan left Rhys and returned to Mombasa, sailing to Zanzibar, where Godfrey was hospitalised, and finally sailed back to Europe on 27 May (f. 20), arriving in London on 14 June (f. 23). The photographs mostly comprise various groups of Maasai people (ff. 25-32, 34-39, 43-48, 53), the group's encampments (ff. 33, 54, 59-60) and trophies including two dead rhinos (ff. 49-53, 55-58); an European appearing in three photographs is probably Williams himself (ff. 54, 56, 60). The inclusion of a photograph labelled 'Lake Baringo' (f. 42) suggests they were taken by Rhys, as the only one to continue north to that location. Also included are various memoranda and lists relating to the safari (ff. 97 verso-100) and a pencil sketch of Mt Kilimanjaro, dated 3 May (f. 100).