Our first day's voyage was delightful. The lake was calm, the sky

cloudy, and the scenery most lovely. At times the mountains on the west

coast were not discernible, and the lake appeared of indefinite width.

We coasted within a hundred yards of the east shore; sometimes we passed

flats of sand and bush of perhaps a mile in width from the water to the

base of the mountain cliffs; at other times we passed directly

underneath stupendous heights of about 1,500 feet, which ascended

abruptly from the deep, so that we fended the canoes off the sides, and

assisted our progress by pushing against the rock with bamboos. These

precipitous rocks were all primitive, frequently of granite and gneiss,

and mixed in many places with red porphyry. In the clefts were beautiful

ever-greens of every tint, including giant euphorbias; and wherever a

rivulet or spring glittered through the dark foliage of a ravine, it was

shaded by the graceful and feathery wild date.

Great numbers of hippopotami were sporting in the water, but I refused

to fire at them, as the death of such a monster would be certain to

delay us for at least a day, as the boatmen would not forsake the flesh.

Crocodiles were exceedingly numerous both in and out of the water;

wherever a sandy beach invited them to bask, several monsters were to be

seen, like trunks of trees, lying in the sun. On the edge of the beach

above high-water mark were low bushes, and from this cover the

crocodiles came scuttling down into the water, frightened at the

approach of the canoe. There were neither ducks nor geese, as there were

no feeding-grounds: deep water was close to the shore.

Our boatmen worked well, and long after dark we continued our voyage,

until the canoe was suddenly steered to the shore, and we grounded upon

a steep beach of perfectly clean sand. We were informed that we were

near a village, and the boatmen proposed to leave us here for the night,

while they should proceed in search of provisions. Seeing that they

intended to take the paddles with them, I ordered these important

implements to be returned to the boats, and a guard set over them, while

several of my men should accompany the boatmen to the reported village.

In the meantime, we arranged our angareps upon the beach, lighted a fire

with some drift-wood, and prepared for the night. The men shortly

returned, accompanied by several natives, with two fowls and one small

kid. The latter was immediately consigned to the large copper pot, and I

paid about three times its value to the natives, to encourage them to

bring supplies on the following morning.

While dinner was preparing, I took an observation, and found our

latitude was 1 degree 33 minutes N. We had travelled well, having made

16 minutes direct northing.

On the first crowing of our solitary cock, we prepared to start;--the

boatmen were gone!

As soon as it was light, I took two men and went to the village,

supposing they were sleeping in their huts. Within three hundred paces

of the boats, upon a fine turfy sward, on rising ground, were three

miserable fishing huts. These constituted the village. Upon arrival, no

one was to be found: the natives had deserted. A fine tract of broken

grassland formed a kind of amphitheatre beneath the range of cliffs.

These I scanned with the telescope, but I could trace no signs of man.

We were evidently deserted by our boatmen, and the natives had

accompanied them to avoid being pressed into our service.

On my return to the canoes with this intelligence, my men were quite in

despair: they could not believe that the boatmen had really absconded,

and they begged me to allow them to search the country in the hope of

finding another village. Strictly forbidding any man to absent himself

from the boats, I congratulated ourselves on having well guarded the

paddles, which there was no doubt would have been stolen by the boatmen

had I allowed them to remain in their possession. I agreed to wait until

3 P.M. Should the boatmen not return by that hour, I intended to proceed

without them. There was no dependence to be placed upon these

contradictory natives. Kindness was entirely thrown away upon them. We

had Kamrasi's orders for boats and men, but in this distant frontier the

natives did not appear to attach much importance to their king:

nevertheless, we were dependent upon them. Every hour was valuable, as

our only chance of reaching Gondokoro in time for the boats depended

upon rapidity of travelling. At the moment when I wished to press

forward, delays occurred that were most trying.

Three P.M. arrived, but no signs of natives. "Jump into the boats, my

lads!" I cried to my men; "I know the route." The canoes were pushed

from the shore, and my people manned the paddles. Five of my men were

professional boatmen, but no one understood the management of paddles

except myself. It was in vain that I attempted to instruct my crew. Pull

they certainly did; but--ye gods who watch over boats!--round and

round we pirouetted, the two canoes waltzing and polking together in

their great ball-room, the Albert N'yanza. The voyage would have lasted

ad infinitum. After three hours' exertion, we reached a point of rock

that stretched as a promontory into the lake. This bluff point was

covered with thick jungle to the summit, and at the base was a small

plot of sandy beach, from which there was no exit except by water, as

the cliff descended sheer to the lake upon either side. It poured with

rain, and with much difficulty we lighted a fire. Mosquitoes were in

clouds, and the night was so warm that it was impossible to sleep

beneath the blankets. Arranging the angareps upon the sand, with the raw

oxhides as coverlets, we lay down in the rain. It was too hot to sleep

in the boat, especially as the temporary cabin was a perfect mosquito

nest. That night I considered the best plan to be adopted, and resolved

to adapt a paddle as a rudder on the following morning. It rained

without ceasing the whole night; and, at break of day, the scene was

sufficiently miserable. The men lay on the wet sand, covered up with

their raw hides, soaked completely through, but still fast asleep, from

which nothing would arouse them. My wife was also wet and wretched. It

still rained. I was soon at work.

Cutting a thwart in the stern of the canoe with my hunting-knife, I

bored a hole beneath it with the large auger, and securely lashed a

paddle with a thong of raw hide that I cut off my well-saturated

coverlet. I made a most effective rudder. None of my men had assisted

me; they had remained beneath their soaked skins, smoking their short

pipes, while I was hard at work. They were perfectly apathetic with

despair, as their ridiculous efforts at paddling on the previous evening

had completely extinguished all hope within them. They were quite

resigned to their destiny, and considered themselves as sacrificed to

geography.

I threw them the auger, and explained that I was ready to start, and

should wait for no one; and, cutting two bamboos, I arranged a mast and

yard, upon which I fitted a large Scotch plaid for a sail. We shoved off

the boat; fortunately we had two or three spare paddles, therefore the

rudder paddle was not missed. I took the helm, and instructed my men to

think of nothing but pulling hard. Away we went as straight as an arrow,

to the intense delight of my people. There was very little wind, but a

light air filled the plaid and eased us gently forward.

Upon rounding the promontory we found ourselves in a large bay, the

opposite headland being visible at about eight or ten miles' distance.

Should we coast the bay it would occupy two days. There was another

small promontory farther in shore; I therefore resolved to steer direct

for that point before venturing in a straight line from one headland to

the other.

Upon looking behind me, I observed our canoe consort about a mile

astern, amusing herself with pointing to all parts of the compass--the

lazy men not having taken the trouble to adapt the rudder as I had

ordered them.

We travelled at about four miles an hour, and my people were so elated

that they declared themselves ready to row, without assistance, to the

Nile junction. The water was perfectly calm, and upon rounding the next

promontory I was rejoiced to see a village in a snug little bay, and a

great number of canoes drawn up on the sandy beach, and others engaged

in fishing. A number of natives were standing on the sand close to the

water's edge, about half a mile from us, and I steered directly towards

them. Upon our close approach, they immediately sat down, and held up

their paddles above their heads; this was an unmistakeable sign that

they intended to volunteer as boatmen, and I steered the boat upon the

beach. No sooner had we grounded, than they rushed into the water and

boarded us, most good-humouredly pulling down our mast and sail, which

appeared to them highly absurd (as they never use sails); and they

explained that they had seen on the other side the headland that we were

strangers, and their chief had ordered them to assist us. I now begged

them to send six men to the assistance of the lagging canoe; this they

promised to do, and, after waiting for some time, we started at a

rattling pace to pull across the wide bay from point to point.

When in the centre of the bay we were about four miles from land. At

this time a swell set in from the southwest. While at Vacovia I had

observed, that although the mornings were calm, a strong wind generally

arose at 1 P.M. from S.W. that brought a heavy sea upon the beach. I was

now afraid that we should be subject to a gale before we could reach the

opposite headland, as the rising swell betokened wind from the old

quarter, especially as dark thunderclouds were gathering on the western

shore.

I told Bacheeta to urge the rowers forward, as our heavy canoe would

certainly be swamped in the event of a gale. I looked at my watch: it

was past noon, and I felt sure that we should catch a south-wester by

about one o'clock. My men looked rather green at the ominous black

clouds and the increasing swell, but exclaimed, "Inshallah, there will

be no wind." With due deference to their faith in predestination, I

insisted upon their working the spare paddles, as our safety depended

upon reaching the shore before the approaching storm. They had learnt to

believe in my opinion, and they exerted themselves to their utmost. The

old boat rushed through the water, but the surface of the lake was

rapidly changing; the western shore was no longer visible, the water was

dark, and innumerable white crests tipped the waves. The canoe laboured

heavily, and occasionally shipped water, which was immediately baled out

with gourd shells by my men, who now exclaimed, "Wah Illahi el kalam

betar el Hawaga sahhe!" (By Allah, what the Hawaga says is true!) We

were within about a mile and a half of the point for which we had been

steering, when we could no longer keep our course; we had shipped

several heavy seas, and had we not been well supplied with utensils for

baling, we should have been swamped. Several bursts of thunder and vivid

lightning were followed by a tremendous gale from about the W.S.W.

before which we were obliged to run for the shore.

In a short space of time a most dangerous sea arose, and on several

occasions the waves broke against the arched covering of the canoe,

which happily protected her in a slight degree, although we were

drenched with water.

Every one was at work baling with all their might; I had no idea that

the canoe could live. Down came the rain in torrents, swept along with a

terrific wind; nothing was discernible except the high cliffs looming

through the storm, and I only trusted that we might arrive upon a sandy

beach, and not upon bluff rocks. We went along at a grand rate, as the

arched cover of the canoe acted somewhat as a sail; and it was an

exciting moment when we at length neared the shore, and approached the

foaming breakers that were rolling wildly upon (happily) a sandy beach

beneath the cliffs. I told my men to be ready to jump out the moment

that we should touch the sand, and to secure the canoe by hauling the

head up the beach. All were ready, and we rushed through the surf, the

native boatmen paddling like steam engines. "Here comes a wave; look

out!" and just as we almost touched the beach, a heavy breaker broke

over the black women who were sitting in the stern, and swamped the

boat. My men jumped into the water like ducks, and the next moment we

were all rolled in confusion on the sandy shore. The men stuck well to

the boat, and hauled her firmly on the sand, while my wife crawled out

of her primitive cabin like a caddis worm from its nest, half drowned,

and jumped upon the shore. "El hamd el Illah!" (thank God!) we all

exclaimed; "now for a pull--all together!" and having so far secured

the boat that she could not be washed away, I ordered the men to

discharge the cargo, and then to pull her out of the lake. Everything

was destroyed except the gunpowder; that was all in canisters. But where

was the other canoe? I made up my mind that it must be lost, for

although much longer than our boat, it was lower in the water. After

some time and much anxiety, we perceived it running for the shore about

half a mile in our rear; it was in the midst of the breakers, and

several times I lost sight of it; but the old tree behaved well, and

brought the crew safe to the shore.

Fortunately there was a village not far from the spot where we landed,

and we took possession of a hut, lighted a good fire, and wrapped

ourselves in Scotch plaids and blankets wrung out, while our clothes

were being dried, as there was not a dry rag in our possession.

We could procure nothing to eat, except a few dried fish that, not

having been salted, were rather high flavoured. Our fowls, and also two

pet quails, were drowned in the boat during the storm; however, the

drowned fowls were made into a stew, and with a blazing fire, and clean

straw to sleep upon, the night's rest was perhaps as perfect as in the

luxury of home.

On the following morning we were detained by bad weather, as a heavy sea

was still running, and we were determined not to risk our canoes in

another gale. It was a beautiful neighbourhood, enlivened by a

magnificent waterfall that fell about a thousand feet from the

mountains, as the Kaiigiri river emptied itself into the lake in a

splendid volume of water. This river rises in the great marsh that we

had crossed on our way from M'rooli to Vacovia. In this neighbourhood we

gathered some mushrooms--the true Agaricus campestras of Europe--

which were a great luxury.

In the afternoon the sea subsided, and we again started. We had not

proceeded above three miles from the village, when I observed an

elephant bathing in the lake; he was in water so deep, that he stood

with only the top of his head and trunk above the surface. As we

approached, he sunk entirely, only the tip of his trunk remaining above

the water. I ordered the boatmen to put the canoe as close to him as

possible, and we passed within thirty yards, just as he raised his head

from his luxurious bath.

I was sorely tempted to fire, but remembering my resolve, refrained from

disturbing him, and he slowly quitted the lake, and entered the thick

jungle. A short distance beyond this spot two large crocodiles were

lying upon the beach asleep; but upon the approach of the canoe they

plunged into the water, and raised their heads above the surface at

about twenty-five paces. I was uncertain about my Fletcher rifle, as it

had been exposed to so much wet; therefore, to discharge it, I took a

shot at the nearest crocodile just behind the eye. The little rifle was

in perfect order--thanks to Eley's "double waterproof central

firecaps," which will resist all weathers--and the bullet striking the

exact spot, the great reptile gave a convulsive lash with his tail, and

turning on his back, with his paws above the water, he gradually sunk.

The native boatmen were dreadfully frightened at the report of the

rifle, to the great amusement of their countrywoman, Bacheeta, and it

was with difficulty that I persuaded them to direct the canoe to the

exact spot. Being close to the shore, the water was not more than eight

feet deep, and so beautifully clear, that I could, when just above the

crocodile, perceive it lying at the bottom on its belly, and distinguish

the bloody head that had been shattered by the bullet. While one of my

men prepared a slip-knot, I took a long lance that belonged to a

boatman, and drove it deep through the tough scales into the back of the

neck; hauling gently, upon the lance I raised the head near to the

surface, and slipping the noose over it, the crocodile was secured. It

appeared to be quite dead, and the flesh would be a bonne-bouche for my

men; therefore we towed it to the shore. It was a fine monster, about

sixteen feet long; and although it had appeared dead, it bit furiously

at a thick male bamboo which I ran into its mouth to prevent it from

snapping during the process of decapitation. The natives regarded my men

with disgust as they cut huge lumps of the choicest morsels and stowed

them in the canoes; this did not occupy more than a quarter of an hour,

and hurrying on board, we continued our voyage, well provided with meat

--for all who liked it. To my taste nothing can be more disgusting than

crocodile flesh. I have eaten almost everything; but although I have

tasted crocodile, I could never succeed in swallowing it; the combined

flavour of bad fish, rotten flesh, and musk, is the carte de diner

offered to the epicure.

That evening we saw an elephant with an enormous pair of tusks; he was

standing on a hill about a quarter of a mile from the boats as we

halted. I was aided to resist this temptation by an attack of fever: it

rained as usual, and no village being in the neighbourhood, we

bivouacked in the rain on the beach in clouds of mosquitoes.

The discomforts of this lake voyage were great; in the day we were

cramped in our small cabin like two tortoises in one shell, and at night

it almost invariably rained. We were accustomed to the wet, but no

acclimatisation can render the European body mosquito-proof; thus we had

little rest. It was hard work for me, but for my unfortunate wife, who

had hardly recovered from her attack of coup de soleil, such hardships

were most distressing.

On the following morning the lake was calm, and we started early. The

monotony of the voyage was broken by the presence of several fine herds

of elephants, consisting entirely of bulls. I counted fourteen of these

grand animals, all with large tusks, bathing together in a small shallow

lake beneath the mountains, having a communication with the main lake

through a sandy beach; these elephants were only knee deep, and having

been bathing they were perfectly clean, and their colossal black forms

and large white tusks formed a beautiful picture in the calm lake

beneath the lofty cliffs. It was a scene in harmony with the solitude of

the Nile Sources--the wilderness of rocks and forest, the Blue

Mountains in the distance, and the great fountain of nature adorned with

the mighty beasts of Africa; the elephants in undisturbed grandeur, and

hippopotami disporting their huge forms in the great parent of the

Egyptian river.

I ordered the boatmen to run the canoe ashore, that we might land and

enjoy the scene. We then discovered seven elephants on the shore within

about two hundred yards of us in high grass, while the main herd of

fourteen splendid bulls bathed majestically in the placid lake,

showering cold streams from their trunks over their backs and shoulders.

There was no time to lose, as every hour was important: quitting the

shore, we once more paddled along the coast.

Day after day passed, the time occupied in travelling from sunrise to

midday, at which hour a strong gale with rain and thunder occurred

regularly, and obliged us to haul our canoes ashore. The country was

very thinly inhabited, and the villages were poor and wretched; the

people most inhospitable. At length we arrived at a considerable town

situated in a beautiful bay beneath precipitous cliffs, the grassy sides

of which were covered with flocks of goats; this was Eppigoya, and the

boatmen that we had procured from the last village were to deliver us in

this spot. The delays in procuring boatmen were most annoying: it

appeared that the king had sent orders that each village was to supply

the necessary rowers; thus we were paddled from place to place, at each

of which the men were changed, and no amount of payment would induce

them to continue with us to the end of our voyage.

Landing at Eppigoya, we were at once met by the headman, and I proposed

that he should sell us a few kids, as the idea of a mutton chop was most

appetizing. Far from supplying us with this luxury, the natives

immediately drove their flocks away, and after receiving a large present

of beads, the headman brought us a present of a sick lamb almost at the

point of natural death, and merely skin and bone. Fortunately there were

fowls in thousands, as the natives did not use them for food; these we

purchased for one blue bead (monjoor) each, which in current value was

equal to 250 fowls for a shilling. Eggs were brought in baskets

containing several hundreds, but they were all poultry.

At Eppigoya the best salt was produced, and we purchased a good

supply--also some dried fish; thus provisioned, we procured boatmen, and

again started on our voyage.

Hardly had we proceeded two hundred yards, when we were steered direct

to the shore below the town, and our boatmen coolly laid down their

paddles and told us that they had performed their share, and that as

Eppigoya was divided into four parts under separate headmen, each

portion would supply rowers!

Ridiculous as this appeared, there was no contesting their decision; and

thus we were handed over from one to the other, and delayed for about

three hours in changing boatmen four times within a distance of less

than a mile! The perfect absurdity of such a regulation, combined with

the delay when time was most precious, was trying to the temper. At

every change, the headman accompanied the boatmen to our canoe, and

presented us with three fowls at parting; thus our canoes formed a

floating poultry show as we had already purchased large supplies. Our

live stock bothered us dreadfully; being without baskets, the fowls were

determined upon suicide, and many jumped deliberately overboard, while

others that were tied by the legs were drowned in the bottom of the

leaky canoe.

After the tenth day from our departure from Vacovia the scenery

increased in beauty. The lake had contracted to about thirty miles in

width, and was decreasing rapidly northward; the trees upon the

mountains upon the western shore could be distinguished. Continuing our

voyage north, the western shore projected suddenly, and diminished the

width of the lake to about twenty miles. It was no longer the great

inland sea that at Vacovia had so impressed me, with the clean pebbly

beach that had hitherto formed the shore, but vast banks of reeds

growing upon floating vegetation prevented the canoes from landing.

These banks were most peculiar, as they appeared to have been formed of

decayed vegetation, from which the papyrus rushes took root; the

thickness of the floating mass was about three feet, and so tough and

firm that a man could walk upon it, merely sinking above his ankles in

the soft ooze. Beneath this raft of vegetation was extremely deep water,

and the shore for a width of about half a mile was entirely protected by

this extraordinary formation. One day a tremendous gale of wind and

heavy sea broke off large portions, and the wind acting upon the rushes

like sails, carried floating islands of some acres about the lake to be

deposited wherever they might chance to hitch.

On the thirteenth day we found ourselves at the end of our lake voyage.

The lake at this point was between fifteen and twenty miles across, and

the appearance of the country to the north was that of a delta. The

shores upon either side were choked with vast banks of reeds, and as the

canoe skirted the edge of that upon the east coast, we could find no

bottom with a bamboo of twenty-five feet in length, although the

floating mass appeared like terra forma. We were in a perfect wilderness

of vegetation: On the west were mountains of about 4,000 feet above the

lake level, a continuation of the chain that formed the western shore

from the south: these mountains decreased in height towards the north,

in which direction the lake terminated in a broad valley of reeds.

We were told that we had arrived at Magungo, and that this was the spot

where the boats invariably crossed from Malegga on the western shore to

Kamrasi's country. The boatmen proposed that we should land upon the

floating vegetation, as that would be a short cut to the village or town

of Magungo; but as the swell of the water against the abrupt raft of

reeds threatened to swamp the canoe, I preferred coasting until we

should discover a good landing place. After skirting the floating reeds

for about a mile, we turned sharp to the east, and entered a broad

channel of water bounded on either side by the everlasting reeds. This

we were informed was the embouchure of the Somerset river from the

Victoria N'yanza. The same river that we had crossed at Karuma, boiling

and tearing along its rocky course, now entered the Albert N'yanza as

dead water! I could not understand this; there was not the slightest

current; the channel was about half a mile wide, and I could hardly

convince myself that this was not an arm of the lake branching to the

east. After searching for some time for a landing place among the

wonderful banks of reeds, we discovered a passage that had evidently

been used as an approach by canoes, but so narrow that our large canoe

could with difficulty be dragged through--all the men walking through

the mud and reeds, and towing with their utmost strength. Several

hundred paces of this tedious work brought us through the rushes into

open water, about eight feet deep, opposite to a clean rocky shore. We

had heard voices for some time while obscured on the other side of the

rushes, and we now found a number of natives, who had arrived to meet

us, with the chief of Magungo and our guide Rabonga, whom we had sent in

advance with the riding oxen from Vacovia. The water was extremely

shallow near the shore, and the natives rushed in and dragged the canoes

by sheer force over the mud to the land. We had been so entirely hidden

while on the lake on the other side of the reed bank that we had been

unable to see the eastern, or Magungo shore; we now found ourselves in a

delightful spot beneath the shade of several enormous trees on firm

sandy and rocky ground, while the country rose in a rapid incline to the

town of Magungo, about a mile distant, on an elevated ridge.

My first question was concerning the riding oxen. They were reported in

good order. We were invited to wait under a tree until the presents from

the headmen should be delivered. Accordingly, while my wife sat under

the shade, I went to the waterside to examine the fishing arrangements

of the natives, that were on an extensive scale. For many hundred feet,

the edges of the floating reeds were arranged to prevent the possibility

of a large fish entering the open water adjoining the shore without

being trapped. A regular system of baskets were fixed at intervals, with

guiding fences to their mouths. Each basket was about six feet in

diameter, and the mouth about eighteen inches; thus the arrangements

were for the monsters of the lake, the large bones of which, strewed

about the vicinity, were a witness of their size. My men had just

secured the half of a splendid fish, known in the Nile as the "baggera."

They had found it in the water, the other portion having been bitten off

by a crocodile. The piece in their possession weighed about fifty

pounds. This is one of the best fish in the lake. It is shaped like the

perch, but is coloured externally like the salmon. I also obtained from

the natives an exceedingly good fish, of a peculiar form, having four

long feelers at the positions that would be occupied by the limbs of

reptiles; these looked like rudiments of legs. It had somewhat the

appearance of an eel; but, being oviparous, it can have no connexion

with that genus. The natives had a most killing way of fishing with the

hook and line for heavy fish. They arranged rows of tall bamboos, the

ends stuck firmly in the bottom, in a depth of about six feet of water,

and about five or ten yards apart. On the top of each was a lump of

ambatch-wood about ten inches in diameter. Around this was wound a

powerful line, and, a small hole being made in this float, it was

lightly fixed upon the point of the bamboo, or fishing rod. The line was

securely attached to the bamboo, then wound round the large float, while

the hook, baited with a live fish, was thrown to some distance beyond.

Long rows of these fixed rods were set every morning by natives in

canoes, and watchers attended them during the day, while they took their

chance by night. When a large fish took the bait, his first rush

unhitched the ambatch-float from the point of the bamboo, which,

revolving upon the water, paid out line as required. When entirely run

out, the great size and buoyancy of the float served to check and to

exhaust the fish. There are several varieties of fish that exceed 200

lbs. weight.

A number of people now arrived from the village, bringing a goat, fowls,

eggs, and sour milk, and, beyond all luxuries, fresh butter. I delighted

the chief, in return for his civility, by giving him a quantity of

beads, and we were led up the hill towards Magungo.

The day was beautifully clear. The soil was sandy and poor, therefore

the road was clean and hard; and, after the many days' boating, we

enjoyed the walk, and the splendid view that lay before us when we

arrived at Magungo, and looked back upon the lake. We were about 250

feet above the water level. There were no longer the abrupt cliffs,

descending to the lake, that we had seen in the south, but the general

level of the country appeared to be about 500 feet above the water, at a

distance of five or six miles, from which point the ground descended in

undulations, Magungo being situated on the summit of the nearest

incline. The mountains on the Malegga side, with the lake in the

foreground, were the most prominent objects, forming the western

boundary. A few miles north there appeared to be a gap in the range, and

the lake continued to the west, but much contracted, while the mountain

range on the northern side of the gap continued to the northeast. Due

north and northeast the country was a dead flat, and far as the eye

could reach was an extent of bright green reeds, marking the course of

the Nile as it made its exit from the lake. The sheet of water at

Magungo being about seventeen miles in width, ended in a long strip or

tail to the north, until it was lost in the flat valley of green rushes.

This valley may have been from four to six miles wide, and was bounded

upon its west bank by the continuation of the chain of mountains that

had formed the western boundary of the lake. The natives told me that

canoes could navigate the Nile in its course from the lake to the Madi

country, as there were no cataracts for a great distance, but that both

the Madi and the Koshi were hostile, and that the current of the river

was so strong, that should the canoe descend from the lake, it could not

return without many rowers. They pointed out the country of Koshi on the

west bank of the Nile, at its exit from the lake, which included the

mountains that bordered the river. The small country, M'Caroli, joined

Malegga, and continued to the west, towards the Makkarika. The natives

most positively refused to take me down the Nile from the lake into the

Madi, as they said that they would be killed by the people, who were

their enemies, as I should not be with them on their return up the

river.

The exit of the Nile from the lake was plain enough, and if the broad

channel of dead water were indeed the entrance of the Victoria Nile

(Somerset), the information obtained by Speke would be remarkably

confirmed. Up to the present time all the information that I had

received from Kamrasi and his people had been correct. He had told me

that I should be about twenty days from M'rooli to the lake; I had been

eighteen. He had also told me that the Somerset flowed from Karuma

direct to the lake, and that, having joined it, the great Nile issued

from the lake almost immediately, and flowed through the Koshi and Madi

tribes. I now saw the river issuing from the lake within eighteen miles

of Magungo; and the Koshi and the Madi countries appeared close to me,

bordering it on the west and east. Kamrasi being the king, it was

natural that he should know his own frontier most intimately; but,

although the chief of Magungo and all the natives assured me that the

broad channel of dead water at my feet was positively the brawling river

that I had crossed below the Karuma Falls, I could not understand how so

fine a body of water as that had appeared could possibly enter the

Albert lake as dead water. The guide and natives laughed at my unbelief,

and declared that it was dead water for a considerable distance from the

junction with the lake, but that a great waterfall rushed down from a

mountain, and that beyond that fall the river was merely a succession of

cataracts throughout the entire distance of about six days' march to

Karuma Falls. My real wish was to descend the Nile in canoes from its

exit from the lake with my own men as boatmen, and thus in a short time

to reach the cataracts in the Madi country; there to forsake the canoes

and all my baggage, and to march direct to Gondokoro with only our guns

and ammunition. I knew from native report that the Nile was navigable as

far as the Madi country to about Miani's tree, which Speke had laid down

by astronomical observation in lat. 3 degrees 34 minutes; this would be

only seven days' march from Gondokoro, and by such a direct course I

should be sure to arrive in time for the boats to Khartoum. I had

promised Speke that I would explore most thoroughly the doubtful portion

of the river that he had been forced to neglect from Karuma Falls to the

lake. I was myself confused at the dead water junction; and, although I

knew that the natives must be right--as it was their own river, and

they had no inducement to mislead me--I was determined to sacrifice

every other wish in order to fulfil my promise, and thus to settle the

Nile question most absolutely. That the Nile flowed out of the lake I

had heard, and I had also confirmed by actual inspection; from Magungo I

looked upon the two countries, Koshi and Madi, through which it flowed,

and these countries I must actually pass through and again meet the Nile

before I could reach Gondokoro. Thus the only point necessary to swear

to, was the river between the lake and the Karuma Falls.

I had a bad attack of fever that evening, and missed my star for the

latitude; but on the following morning before daybreak I obtained a good

observation of Vega, and determined the latitude of Magungo 2 degrees 16

minutes due west from Atada or Karuma Falls. This was a strong

confirmation that the river beneath my feet was the Somerset that I had

crossed in the same latitude at Atada, where the river was running due

west, and where the natives had pointed in that direction as its course

to the lake. Nevertheless, I was determined to verify it, although by

this circuitous route I might lose the boats from Gondokoro and become a

prisoner in Central Africa, ill, and without quinine, for another year.

I proposed it to my wife, who not only voted in her state of abject

weakness to complete the river to Karuma, but wished, if possible, to

return and follow the Nile from the lake down to Gondokoro! This latter

resolve, based upon the simple principle of "seeing is believing," was a

sacrifice most nobly proposed, but simply impossible and unnecessary.

We saw from our point at Magungo the Koshi and Madi countries, and the

Nile flowing out of the lake through them. We must of necessity pass

through those countries on our road to Gondokoro direct from Karuma via

Shooa, and should we not meet the river in the Madi and Koshi country,

the Nile that we now saw would not be the Nile of Gondokoro. We knew,

however, that it was so, as Speke and Grant had gone by that route, and

had met the Nile near Miani's tree in lat. 3 degrees 34 min. in the Madi

country, the Koshi being on its western bank; thus, as we were now at

the Nile head and saw it passing through the Madi and Koshi, any

argument against the river would be the argumentum ad absurdum. I

ordered the boats to be got ready to start immediately.

The chief gave me much information, confirming the accounts that I had

heard a year previous in the Latooka countries, that formerly cowrie

shells were brought in boats from the south, and that these shells and

brass coil brackets came by the lake from Karagwe. He called also

several of the natives of Malegga, who had arrived with beautifully

prepared mantles of antelope and goatskins, to exchange for bracelets

and glass beads. The Malegga people were in appearance the same as those

of Unyoro, but they spoke a different language.

The boats being ready, we took leave of the chief, leaving him an

acceptable present of beads, and we descended the hill to the river,

thankful at having so far successfully terminated the expedition as to

have traced the lake to that important point Magungo, which had been our

clue to the discovery even so far away in time and place as the distant

country of Latooka. We were both very weak and ill, and my knees

trembled beneath me as we walked down the easy descent. I, in my

enervated state, endeavouring to assist my wife, we were the "blind

leading the blind;" but had life closed on that day we could have died

most happily, for the hard fight through sickness and misery had ended

in victory; and, although I looked to home as a paradise never to be

regained, I could have lain down to sleep in contentment on this spot,

with the consolation that, if the body had been vanquished, we died with

the prize in our grasp.

On arrival at the canoes we found everything in readiness, and the

boatmen already in their places. A crowd of natives pushed us over the

shallows, and once in deep water we passed through a broad canal which

led us into the open channel without the labour of towing through the

narrow inlet by which we had arrived. Once in the broad channel of dead

water we steered due east, and made rapid way until the evening. The

river as it now appeared, although devoid of current, was an average of

about 500 yards in width. Before we halted for the night I was subjected

to a most severe attack of fever, and upon the boat reaching a certain

spot I was carried on a litter, perfectly unconscious, to a village,

attended carefully by my poor sick wife, who, herself half dead,

followed me on foot through the marshes in pitch darkness, and watched

over me until the morning. At daybreak I was too weak to stand, and we

were both carried down to the canoes, and, crawling helplessly within

our grass awning, we lay down like logs while the canoes continued their

voyage. Many of our men were also suffering from fever. The malaria of

the dense masses of floating vegetation was most poisonous; and upon

looking back to the canoe that followed in our wake, I observed all my

men sitting crouched together sick and dispirited, looking like departed

spirits being ferried across the melancholy Styx. The river now

contracted rapidly to about 250 yards in width about ten miles from

Magungo. We had left the vast flats of rush banks, and entered a channel

between high ground, forming steep forest-covered hills, about 200 feet

on either side, north and south: nevertheless there was no perceptible

stream, although there was no doubt that we were actually in the channel

of a river. The water was clear and exceedingly deep. In the evening we

halted, and slept on a mud bank close to the water. The grass in the

forest was very high and rank; thus we were glad to find an open space

for a bivouac, although a nest of mosquitoes and malaria.

On waking the next morning, I observed that a thick fog covered the

surface of the river; and as I lay upon my back, on my angarep, I amused

myself before I woke my men by watching the fog slowly lifting from the

river. While thus employed I was struck by the fact, that the little

green water-plants, like floating cabbages (Pistia Stratiotes, L.), were

certainly, although very slowly, moving to the west. I immediately

jumped up, and watched them most attentively; there was no doubt about

it; they were travelling towards the Albert lake. We were now about

eighteen miles in a direct line from Magungo, and there was a current in

the river, which, however slight, was nevertheless perceptible.

Our toilette did not take long to arrange, as we had thrown ourselves

down at night with our clothes on; accordingly we entered the canoe at

once, and gave the order to start.

The woman Bacheeta knew the country, as she had formerly been to Magungo

when in the service of Sali, who had been subsequently murdered by

Kamrasi; she now informed me that we should terminate our canoe voyage

on that day, as we should arrive at the great waterfall of which she had

often spoken. As we proceeded the river gradually narrowed to about 180

yards, and when the paddles ceased working we could distinctly hear the

roar of water. I had heard this on waking in the morning, but at the

time I had imagined it to proceed from distant thunder. By ten o'clock

the current had so increased as we proceeded, that it was distinctly

perceptible, although weak. The roar of the waterfall was extremely

loud, and after sharp pulling for a couple of hours, during which time

the stream increased, we arrived at a few deserted fishing huts, at a

point where the river made a slight turn. I never saw such an

extraordinary show of crocodiles as were exposed on every sandbank on

the sides of the river; they lay like logs of timber close together, and

upon one bank we counted twenty-seven, of large size; every basking

place was crowded in a similar manner. From the time we had fairly

entered the river, it had been confined by heights somewhat precipitous

on either side, rising to about 180 feet. At this point the cliffs were

still higher, and exceedingly abrupt. From the roar of the water, I was

sure that the fall would be in sight if we turned the corner at the bend

of the river; accordingly I ordered the boatmen to row as far as they

could: to this they at first objected, as they wished to stop at the

deserted fishing village, which they explained was to be the limit of

the journey, farther progress being impossible.

However, I explained that I merely wished to see the fall, and they

rowed immediately up the stream, which was now strong against us. Upon

rounding the corner, a magnificent sight burst suddenly upon us. On

either side the river were beautifully wooded cliffs rising abruptly to

a height of about 300 feet; rocks were jutting out from the intensely

green foliage; and rushing through a gap that cleft the rock exactly

before us, the river, contracted from a grand stream, was pent up in a

narrow gorge of scarcely fifty yards in width; roaring furiously through

the rock-bound pass, it plunged in one leap of about 120 feet

perpendicular into a dark abyss below.

The fall of water was snow white, which had a superb effect as it

contrasted with the dark cliffs that walled the river, while the

graceful palms of the tropics and wild plantains perfected the beauty of

the view. This was the greatest waterfall of the Nile, and, in honour of

the distinguished President of the Royal Geographical Society, I named

it the Murchison Falls, as the most important object throughout the

entire course of the river.

The boatmen, having been promised a present of beads to induce them to

approach the fall as close as possible, succeeded in bringing the canoe

within about 300 yards of the base, but the power of the current and the

whirlpools in the river rendered it impossible to proceed farther. There

was a sandbank on our left which was literally covered with crocodiles

lying parallel to each other like trunks of trees prepared for shipment;

they had no fear of the canoe until we approached within about twenty

yards of them, when they slowly crept into the water; all excepting one,

an immense fellow who lazily lagged behind, and immediately dropped dead

as a bullet from the little Fletcher No. 24 struck him in the brain. So

alarmed were the boatmen at the unexpected report of the rifle that they

immediately dropped into the body of the canoe, one of them losing his

paddle. Nothing would induce them to attend to the boat, as I had fired

a second shot at the crocodile as a "quietus," and the natives did not

know how often the alarming noise would be repeated. Accordingly we were

at the mercy of the powerful stream, and the canoe was whisked round by

the eddy and carried against a thick bank of high reeds;--hardly had

we touched this obstruction when a tremendous commotion took place in

the rushes, and in an instant a great bull hippopotamus charged the

canoe, and with a severe shock striking the bottom he lifted us half out

of the water. The natives who were in the bottom of the boat positively

yelled with terror, not knowing whether the shock was in any way

connected with the dreaded report of the rifle; the black women

screamed; and the boy Saat handing me a spare rifle, and Richarn being

ready likewise, we looked out for a shot should the angry hippo again

attack us.

A few kicks bestowed by my angry men upon the recumbent boatmen restored

them to the perpendicular. The first thing necessary was to hunt for the

lost paddle that was floating down the rapid current. The hippopotamus,

proud of having disturbed us, but doubtless thinking us rather hard of

texture, raised his head to take a last view of his enemy, but sank too

rapidly to permit a shot. Crocodile heads of enormous size were on all

sides, appearing and vanishing rapidly as they rose to survey us; at one

time we counted eighteen upon the surface. Fine fun it would have been

for these monsters had the bull hippo been successful in his attempt to

capsize us; the fat black woman, Karka, would have been a dainty morsel.

Having recovered the lost paddle, I prevailed upon the boatmen to keep

the canoe steady while I made a sketch of the Murchison Falls, which

being completed, we drifted rapidly down to the landing place at the

deserted fishing village, and bade adieu to the navigation of the lake

and river of Central Africa.

The few huts that existed in this spot were mere ruins. Clouds had

portended rain, and down it came, as it usually did once in every

twenty-four hours. However, that passed away by the next morning, and

the day broke discovering us about as wet and wretched as we were

accustomed to be. I now started off four of my men with the boatmen and

the interpreter Bacheeta to the nearest village, to inquire whether our

guide Rabonga had arrived with our riding oxen, as our future travelling

was to be on land, and the limit of our navigation must have been well

known to him. After some hours the people returned, minus the boatmen,

with a message from the headman of a village they had visited, that the

oxen were there, but not the guide Rabonga, who had remained at Magungo,

but that the animals should be brought to us that evening, together with

porters to convey the luggage. In the evening a number of people

arrived, bringing some plantain cider and plantains as a present from

the headman; and promising that, upon the following morning, we should

be conducted to his village.

The next day we started, but not until the afternoon, as we had to await

the arrival of the headman, who was to escort us. Our oxen were brought,

and if we looked wretched, the animals were a match. They had been

bitten by the fly, thousands of which were at this spot. Their coats

were staring, ears drooping, noses running, and heads hanging down; all

the symptoms of fly-bite, together with extreme looseness of the bowels.

I saw that it was all up with our animals. Weak as I was myself, I was

obliged to walk, as my ox could not carry me up the steep inclination,

and I toiled languidly to the summit of the cliff. It poured with rain.

Upon arrival at the summit we were in precisely the same parklike land

that characterises Chopi and Unyoro, but the grass was about seven feet

high; and from the constant rain, and the extreme fertility of the soil,

the country was choked with vegetation. We were now above the Murchison

Falls, and we heard the roaring of the water beneath us to our left. We

continued our route parallel to the river above the Falls, steering

east; and a little before evening we arrived at a small village

belonging to the headman who accompanied us. I was chilled and wet; my

wife had fortunately been carried on her litter, which was protected by

a hide roofing. Feverish and exhausted, I procured from the natives some

good acid plums, and refreshed by these I was able to boil my

thermometer and take the altitude.

On the following morning we started, the route as before parallel to the

river, and so close that the roar of the rapids was extremely loud. The

river flowed in a deep ravine upon our left. We continued for a day's

march along the Somerset, crossing many ravines and torrents, until we

turned suddenly down to the left, and arriving at the bank we were to be

transported to an island called Patooan, that was the residence of a

chief. It was about an hour after sunset, and being dark, my riding ox,

who was being driven as too weak to carry me, fell into an elephant

pitfall. After much hallooing, a canoe was brought from the island,

which was not more than fifty yards from the mainland, and we were

ferried across. We were both very ill with a sudden attack of fever; and

my wife, not being able to stand, was, on arrival at the island, carried

on a litter I knew not whither, escorted by some of my men, while I lay

down on the wet ground quite exhausted with the annihilating disease. At

length the remainder of my men crossed over, and those who had carried

my wife to the village returning with firebrands, I managed to creep

after them with the aid of a long stick, upon which I rested with both

hands. After a walk, through a forest of high trees, for about a quarter

of a mile, I arrived at a village where I was shown a wretched hut, the

stars being visible through the roof. In this my wife lay dreadfully ill

upon her angarep, and I fell down upon some straw. About an hour later,

a violent thunderstorm broke over us, and our hut was perfectly flooded;

we, being far too ill and helpless to move from our positions, remained

dripping wet and shivering with fever until the morning. Our servants

and people had, like all natives, made themselves much more comfortable

than their employers; nor did they attempt to interfere with our misery

in any way until summoned to appear at sunrise.

The island of Patooan was about half a mile long by 150 yards wide, and

was one of the numerous masses of rocks that choke the river between

Karuma Falls and the great Murchison cataract. The rock was entirely of

grey granite, from the clefts of which beautiful forest trees grew so

thickly that the entire island was in shade. In the middle of this

secluded spot was a considerable village, thickly inhabited, as the

population of the mainland had fled from their dwellings and had taken

refuge upon the numerous river islands, as the war was raging between

Rionga and Kamrasi. A succession of islands from the east of Patooan

continued to within a march of Karuma Falls. These were in the

possession of Rionga, and a still more powerful chief and ally, Fowooka,

who were the deadly enemies of Kamrasi.

It now appeared that after my departure from M'rooli to search for the

lake, Ibrahim had been instructed by Kamrasi to accompany his army, and

attack Fowooka. This had been effected, but the attack had been confined

to a bombardment by musketry from the high cliffs of the river upon the

people confined upon one of the islands. A number of men had been

killed, and Ibrahim had returned to Gondokoro with a quantity of ivory

and porters supplied by Kamrasi; but he had left ten of his armed men as

hostages with the king, to act as his guard until he should return on

the following year to Unyoro. Ibrahim and his strong party having

quitted the country, Fowooka had invaded the mainland of Chopi, and had

burnt and destroyed all the villages, and killed many people, including

a powerful chief of Kamrasi's, the father of the headman of the island

of Patooan where we were now staying. Accordingly the fugitives from the

destroyed villages had taken refuge upon the island of Patooan, and

others of the same character. The headman informed us that it would be

impossible to proceed along the bank of the river to Karuma, as that

entire line of country was in possession of the enemy. This was

sufficient to assure me that I should not procure porters.

There was no end to the difficulties and trouble in this horrible

country. My exploration was completed, as it was by no means necessary

to continue the route from Patooan to Karuma. I had followed the

Somerset from its junction with the lake at Magungo to this point; here

it was a beautiful river, precisely similar in character to the point at

which I had left it at Karuma: we were now within thirty miles of that

place, and about eighteen miles from the point opposite Rionga's island,

where we had first hit upon the river on our arrival from the north. The

direction was perfectly in accordance with my observations at Karuma,

and at Magungo, the Somerset running from east to west. The river was

about 180 to 200 yards in width, but much obstructed with rocks and

islands; the stream ran at about four miles per hour, and the rapids and

falls were so numerous that the roar of water had been continuous

throughout our march from Murchison Falls. By observations of Casella's

thermometer I made the altitude of the river level at the island of

Patooan 3,195 feet; thus from this point to the level of the Albert lake

at Magungo there was a fall of 475 feet--this difference being included

between Patooan and the foot of Murchison Falls: the latter, being at

the lowest estimate 120 feet, left 355 feet to be accounted for between

Patooan and the top of the falls. As the ledges of rock throughout the

course of the river formed a series of steps, this was a natural

difference in altitude that suggested the correctness of the

observations.

At the river level below Karuma Falls I had measured the altitude at

3,996 feet above the sea level. Thus, there was a fall from that point

to Patooan of 801 feet, and a total of 1,276 feet in the descent of the

river from Karuma to the Albert N'yanza. These measurements, most

carefully taken, corroborated the opinion suggested by the natural

appearance of the river, which was a mere succession of cataracts

throughout its westerly course from Karuma.

To me these observations were more than usually interesting, as when I

had met my friend Speke at Gondokoro he was much perplexed concerning

the extraordinary difference in his observation between the altitude of

the river level at Karuma Falls, lat. 2 degrees 15', and at Gebel Kookoo

in the Madi country, lat. 3 degrees 34', the point at which he

subsequently met the river. He KNEW that both rivers were the Nile, as

he bad been told this by the natives; the one, before it had joined the

Albert lake--the other, after its exit; but he had been told that the

river was NAVIGABLE from Gebel Kookoo, lat. 3 degrees 34', straight up

to the junction of the lake; thus, there could be no great difference in

altitude between the lake and the Nile where he met it, in lat. 3

degrees 34'. Nevertheless, he found so enormous a difference in his

observations between the river at Karuma and at Gebel Kookoo, that he

concluded there must be a fall between Karuma and the Albert lake of at

least 1,000 feet; by careful measurements I proved the closeness of his

reasoning and observation, by finding a fall of only 275 feet more than

he had anticipated. From Karuma to the Albert lake (although unvisited

by Speke), he had marked upon his map, "river falls 1,000 feet;" by

actual measurement I proved it to be 1,275 feet.

The altitudes measured by me have been examined, and the thermometer

that I used had been tested at Kew, and its errors corrected since my

return to England; thus all altitudes observed with that thermometer

should be correct, as the results, after correction by Mr. Dunkin, of

the Greenwich Royal Observatory, are those now quoted. It will therefore

be interesting to compare the observations taken at the various points

on the Nile and Albert lake in the countries of Unyoro and Chopi--the

correctness of which relatively will be seen by comparison:--

1861.

Jan. 22. Rionga's island, 80 feet above the Nile . . . 3,864

Jan. 25. Karuma, below the falls, river level Atadaj. . 3,996

Jan. 31. South of Karuma, river level on road to M'rooli 4,056

1864.

Feb. 21. M'rooli lat. 1 degree 38' river level . . . . . . 4,061Ft.

Mar. 14. Albert N'yanza, lake level . . . . . . . . . . . 2,720Ft.

April 7. Island of Patooan (Shooa Moru) river level. . . . 3,195Ft.

By these observations it will be seen that from M'rooli, in lat. 1

degree 38' to Karuma in lat. 2 degree 15', there is a fall of sixty-

five feet; say MINUS five feet, for the Karuma Falls equals sixty feet

fall in 37' of latitude; or allowing for the great bend of the river,

twenty miles of extra course, it will be equal to about sixty statute

miles of actual river from M'rooli to Atada or Karuma Falls, showing a

fall or one foot per mile. From M'rooli to the head of the Karuma Falls

the river is navigable; thus the observations of altitudes showing a

fall of one foot per mile must be extremely accurate.

The next observations to be compared are those from Karuma Falls

throughout the westerly course of the river to the Albert lake:--

River level below Karuma Falls . . . . . . . . 3,996 feet

Rionga's island 3,864--80 feet cliff . . . . . 3,784

= 212 fall. to the west.

River level at island of Patooan (Shooa Moru). 3,195

= 589 fall. from Rionga's island.

Level of Albert lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,720

= 475 fall. from Patooan to lake.

From Karuma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,276 fall.

These observations were extremely satisfactory, and showed that the

thermometer (Casella's) behaved well at every boiling, as there was no

confusion of altitudes, but each observation corroborated the preceding.

The latitude of the island of Patooan by observation was 2 degrees 16':

we were thus due west of Magungo, and east of Karuma Falls.

CHAPTER XIII.

TREACHEROUS DESIGNS OF THE NATIVES.

We were prisoners on the island of Patooan, as we could not procure

porters at any price to remove our effects. We had lost all our riding

oxen within a few days; they had succumbed to the flies, and the only

animal alive was already half dead; this was the little bull that had

always carried the boy Saat. It was the 8th April, and within a few days

the boats upon which we depended for our return to civilization would

assuredly quit Gondokoro. I offered the natives all the beads that I had

(about 50 lbs.) and the whole of my baggage, if they would carry us to

Shooa direct from this spot. We were in perfect despair, as we were both

completely worn out with fever and fatigue, and certain death seemed to

stare us in the face should we remain in this unhealthy spot; worse than

death was the idea of losing the boats and becoming prisoners for

another year in this dreadful land; which must inevitably happen should

we not hurry direct to Gondokoro without delay. The natives, with their

usual cunning, at length offered to convey us to Shooa, provided that I

paid them the beads in advance; the boats were prepared to ferry us

across the river, but I fortunately discovered through the woman

Bacheeta their treacherous intention of placing us on the uninhabited

wilderness on the north side, and leaving us to die of hunger. They had

conspired together to land us, but to immediately return with the boats

after having thus got rid of the incubus of their guests.

We were in a great dilemma--had we been in good health, I would have

forsaken everything but the guns and ammunition, and have marched direct

to Gondokoro on foot: but this was utterly impossible; neither my wife

nor I could walk a quarter of a mile without fainting--there was no

guide--and the country was now overgrown with impenetrable grass and

tangled vegetation eight feet high;--we were in the midst of the rainy

season--not a day passed without a few hours of deluge;--altogether

it was a most heartbreaking position. Added to the distress of mind at

being thus thwarted, there was also a great scarcity of provision. Many

of my men were weak, the whole party having suffered much from fever--

in fact, we were completely helpless.

Our guide Rabonga, who had accompanied us from M'rooli, had absconded,

and we were left to shift for ourselves. I was determined not to remain

on the island, as I suspected that the boats might be taken away, and

that we should be kept prisoners; I therefore ordered my men to take the

canoes, and to ferry us to the mainland, from whence we had come. The

headman, upon hearing this order, offered to carry us to a village, and

then to await orders from Kamrasi as to whether we were to be forwarded

to Shooa or not. The district in which the island of Patooan was

situated was called Shooa Moru, although having no connexion with the

Shooa in the Madi country to which we were bound.

We were ferried across to the main shore, and both in our respective

angareps were carried by the natives for about three miles: arriving at

a deserted village, half of which was in ashes, having been burnt and

plundered by the enemy, we were deposited on the ground in front of an

old hut in the pouring rain, and were informed that we should remain

there that night, but that on the following morning we should proceed to

our destination.

Not trusting the natives, I ordered my men to disarm them, and to retain

their spears and shields as security for their appearance on the

following day. This effected, we were carried into a filthy hut about

six inches deep in mud, as the roof was much out of repair, and the

heavy rain had flooded it daily for some weeks. I had a canal cut

through the muddy floor, and in misery and low spirits we took

possession.

On the following morning not a native was present! We had been entirely

deserted; although I held the spears and shields, every man had

absconded--there were neither inhabitants nor provisions--the whole

country was a wilderness of rank grass that hemmed us in on all sides;

not an animal, nor even a bird, was to be seen; it was a miserable,

damp, lifeless country. We were on elevated ground, and the valley of

the Somerset was about two miles to our north, the river roaring

sullenly in its obstructed passage, its course marked by the double belt

of huge dark trees that grew upon its banks.

My men were naturally outrageous, and they proposed that we should

return to Patooan, seize the canoes, and take provisions by force, as we

had been disgracefully deceived. The natives had merely deposited us

here to get us out of the way, and in this spot we might starve. Of

course I would not countenance the proposal of seizing provisions, but I

directed my men to search among the ruined villages for buried corn, in

company with the woman Bacheeta, who, being a native of this country,

would be up to the ways of the people, and might assist in the

discovery.

After some hours passed in rambling over the black ashes of several

villages that had been burnt, they discovered a hollow place, by

sounding the earth with a stick, and, upon digging, they arrived at a

granary of the seed known as "tullaboon;" this was a great prize, as,

although mouldy and bitter, it would keep us from starving. The women of

the party were soon hard at work grinding, as many of the necessary

stones had been found among the ruins.

Fortunately there were three varieties of plants growing wild in great

profusion, that, when boiled, were a good substitute for spinach; thus

we were rich in vegetables, although without a morsel of fat or animal

food. Our dinner consisted daily of a mess of black porridge of bitter

mouldy flour, that no English pig would condescend to notice, and a

large dish of spinach. "Better a dinner of herbs where love is," &c.

often occurred to me; but I am not sure that I was quite of that opinion

after a fortnight's grazing upon spinach.

Tea and coffee were things of the past, the very idea of which made our

mouths water; but I found a species of wild thyme growing in the

jungles, and this, when boiled, formed a tolerable substitute for tea;

sometimes our men procured a little wild honey, which, added to the

thyme tea, we considered a great luxury.

This wretched fare, in our exhausted state from fever and general

effects of climate, so completely disabled us, that for nearly two

months my wife lay helpless on one angarep, and I upon the other;

neither of us could walk. The hut was like all in Kamrasi's country, a

perfect forest of thick poles to support the roof (I counted

thirty-two); thus, although it was tolerably large, there was but little

accommodation. These poles we now found very convenient, as we were so

weak, that we could not rise from bed without hauling by one of the

supports.

We were very nearly dead, and our amusement was a childish conversation

about the good things in England, and my idea of perfect happiness was

an English beefsteak and a bottle of pale ale; for such a luxury I would

most willingly have sold my birthright at that hungry moment. We were

perfect skeletons; and it was annoying to see how we suffered upon the

bad fare, while our men apparently throve. There were plenty of wild red

peppers, and the men seemed to enjoy a mixture of porridge and legumes a

la sauce piquante. They were astonished at my falling away on this food,

but they yielded to my argument when I suggested that a "lion would

starve where a donkey grew fat." I must confess that this state of

existence did not improve my temper, which, I fear, became nearly as

bitter as the porridge. My people had a windfall of luck, as Saat's ox,

that had lingered for a long time, lay down to die, and stretching

himself out, commenced kicking his last kick; the men immediately

assisted him by cutting his throat, and this supply of beef was a luxury

which, even in my hungry state, was not the English beefsteak for which

I sighed; and I declined the diseased bull.

The men made several long excursions through the country to endeavour to

purchase provisions, but in two months they procured only two kids; the

entire country was deserted, owing to the war between Kamrasi and

Fowooka. Every day the boy Saat and the woman Bacheeta sallied out and

conversed with the inhabitants of the different islands on the river;

sometimes, but very rarely, they returned with a fowl; such an event

caused great rejoicing.

We had now given up all hope of Gondokoro, and were perfectly resigned

to our fate; this, we felt sure, was to be buried in Chopi. I wrote

instructions in my journal, in case of death, and told my headman to be

sure to deliver my maps, observations, and papers to the English Consul

at Khartoum; this was my only care, as I feared that all my labour might

be lost should I die. I had no fear for my wife, as she was quite as bad

as I, and if one should die, the other would certainly follow; in fact,

this had been agreed upon, lest she should fall into the hands of

Kamrasi at my death. We had struggled to win, and I thanked God that we

had won; if death were to be the price, at all events we were at the

goal, and we both looked upon death rather as a pleasure, as affording

rest; there would be no more suffering; no fever; no long journey before

us, that in our weak state was an infliction; the only wish was to lay

down the burden.

Curious is the warfare between the animal instincts and the mind! Death

would have been a release that I would have courted, but I should have

liked that one "English beefsteak and pale ale" before I died! During

our misery of constant fever and starvation at Shooa Moru, insult had

been added to injury. There was no doubt that we had been thus deserted

by Kamrasi's orders, as every seven or eight days one of his chiefs

arrived, and told me that the king was with his army only four days'

march from me, and that he was preparing to attack Fowooka, but that he

wished me to join him, as with my fourteen guns we should win a great

victory. This treacherous conduct, after his promise to forward me

without delay to Shooa, enraged me exceedingly. We had lost the boats at

Gondokoro, and we were now nailed to the country for another year,

should we live, which was not likely; not only had the brutal king thus

deceived us, but he was deliberately starving us into conditions, his

aim being that my men should assist him against his enemy. At one time

the old enemy tempted me sorely to join Fowooka against Kamrasi; but,

discarding the idea, generated in a moment of passion, I determined to

resist his proposals to the last. It was perfectly true that the king

was within thirty miles of us, that he was aware of our misery; and he

made use of our extremity to force us to become his allies.

After more than two months passed in this distress it became evident

that something must be done; I sent my headman, or vakeel, and one man,

with a native as a guide (that Saat and Bacheeta had procured from an

island), with instructions to go direct to Kamrasi, to abuse him

thoroughly in my name for having thus treated us, and tell him that I

was much insulted at his treating with me through a third party in

proposing an alliance. My vakeel was to explain that I was a much more

powerful chief than Kamrasi, and that if he required my alliance, he

must treat with me in person, and immediately send fifty men to

transport my wife, myself, and effects to his camp, where we might, in a

personal interview, come to terms. I told my vakeel to return to me with

the fifty men, and to be sure to bring from Kamrasi some token by which

I should know that he had actually seen him. The vakeel and Yaseen

started.

After some days, the absconded guide, Rabonga, appeared with a number of

men, but without either my vakeel or Yaseen. He carried with him a small

gourd bottle, carefully stopped; this he broke, and extracted from the

inside two pieces of printed paper, that Kamrasi had sent to me in

reply.

On examining the papers, I found them to be portions of the English

Church Service translated into (I think) the Kiswahili language, by Dr.

Krapf! There were many notes in pencil on the margin, written in

English, as translations of words in the text. It quickly occurred to me

that Speke must have given this book to Kamrasi on his arrival from

Zanzibar, and that he now extracted the leaves, and sent them to me as

the token I had demanded to show that my message had been delivered to

him. Rabonga made a lame excuse for his previous desertion; he delivered

a thin ox that Kamrasi had sent me, and he declared that his orders

were, that he should take my whole party immediately to Kamrasi, as he

was anxious that we should attack Fowooka without loss of time; we were

positively to start on the following morning! My bait had taken! and we

should escape from this frightful spot, Shooa Moru.

On the following morning we were carried in our litters by a number of

men. The ox had been killed, the whole party had revelled in good food,

and a supply sufficient for the journey was taken by my men.

Without inflicting the tedium of the journey upon the reader, it will be

sufficient to say that the country was the same as usual, being a vast

park overgrown with immense grass. Every day the porters bolted, and we

were left deserted at the charred ruins of various villages that had

been plundered by Fowooka's people. It poured with rain; there was no

cover, as all the huts had been burnt, and we were stricken with severe

fever daily. However, after five days of absurdly slow marching, the

roar of the rapids being distinctly audible at night, we arrived one

morning at a deserted camp of about 3,000 huts, which were just being

ignited by several natives. This had been Kamrasi's headquarters, which

he had quitted, and according to native custom it was to be destroyed by

fire. It was reported that the king had removed to another position

within an hour's march, and that he had constructed a new camp. Although

throughout the journey from Shooa Moru the country had been excessively

wild and uncultivated, this neighbourhood was a mass of extensive

plantain groves and burnt villages, but every plantain tree had been cut

through the middle and recklessly destroyed. This destruction had been

perpetrated by Fowooka's people, who had invaded the country, but had

retreated on the advance of Kamrasi's army.

After winding through dense jungles of bamboos and interminable groves

of destroyed plantains, we perceived the tops of a number of grass huts

appearing among the trees. My men now begged to be allowed to fire a

salute, as it was reported that the ten men of Ibrahim's party who had

been left as hostages were quartered at this village with Kamrasi.

Hardly had the firing commenced, when it was immediately replied to by

the Turks from their camp, who, upon our approach, came out to meet us

with great manifestations of delight and wonder at our having

accomplished our long and difficult voyage.

My vakeel and Yaseen were the first to meet us, with an apology that

severe fever had compelled them to remain in camp instead of returning

to Shooa Moru according to my orders, but they had delivered my message

to Kamrasi, who had, as I had supposed, sent two leaves out of a book

Speke had given him, as a reply. An immense amount of news had to be

exchanged between my men and those of Ibrahim; they had quite given us

up for lost, until they heard that we were at Shooa Moru. A report had

reached them that my wife was dead, and that I had died a few days

later. A great amount of kissing and embracing took place, Arab fashion,

between the two parties; and they all came to kiss my hand and that of

my wife, with the exclamation, that "By Allah, no woman in the world had

a heart so tough as to dare to face what she had gone through." "El hamd

el Illah! El hamd el Illah bel salaam!" ("Thank God--be grateful to

God"), was exclaimed on all sides by the swarthy throng of brigands who

pressed round us, really glad to welcome us back again; and I could not

help thinking of the difference in their manner now and fourteen months

ago, when they had attempted to drive us back from Gondokoro.

On entering the village I found a hut prepared for me by the orders of

my vakeel: it was very small, and I immediately ordered a fence and

courtyard to be constructed. There were great numbers of natives, and a

crowd of noisy fellows pressed around us that were only dispersed by a

liberal allowance of the stick, well laid on by the Turks, who were not

quite so mild in their ways as my people. A fat ox was immediately

slaughtered by the vakeel commanding the Turks' party, and a great feast

was soon in preparation, as our people were determined to fraternize.

Hardly were we seated in our hut, when my vakeel announced that Kamrasi

had arrived to pay me a visit. In a few minutes he was ushered into the

hut. Far from being abashed, he entered with a loud laugh totally

different to his former dignified manner." Well, here you are at last!"

he exclaimed. Apparently highly amused with our wretched appearance, he

continued, "So you have been to the M'wootan N'zige! well, you don't

look much the better for it; why, I should not have known you! ha, ha,

ha!" I was not in a humour to enjoy his attempts at facetiousness; I

therefore told him, that he had behaved disgracefully and meanly, and

that I should publish his character among the adjoining tribes as below

that of the most petty chief that I had ever seen. "Never mind," he

replied, "it's all over now; you really are thin, both of you;--it was

your own fault; why did you not agree to fight Fowooka? You should have

been supplied with fat cows and milk and butter, had you behaved well. I

will have my men ready to attack Fowooka tomorrow;--the Turks have ten

men; you have thirteen; thirteen and ten make twenty-three;--you shall

be carried if you can't walk, and we will give Fowooka no chance--he

must be killed--only kill him, and MY BROTHER will give you half of his

kingdom." He continued, "You shall have supplies tomorrow; I will go to

my brother, who is the great M'Kammaa Kamrasi, and he will send you all

you require. I am a little man, he is a big one; I have nothing; he has

everything, and he longs to see you; you must go to him directly, he

lives close by." I hardly knew whether he was drunk or sober--"my

brother the great M'Kamma Kamrasi!" I felt bewildered with astonishment:

then, "If you are not Kamrasi, pray who are you ?" I asked. "Who am I?"

he replied, "ha, ha, ha! that's very good; who am I?--why I am

M'Gambi, the brother of Kamrasi,--I am the younger brother, but he is

the King."

The deceit of this country was incredible--I had positively never seen

the real Kamrasi up to this moment, and this man M'Gambi now confessed

to having impersonated the king his brother, as Kamrasi was afraid that

I might be in league with Debono's people to murder him, and therefore

he had ordered his brother M'Gambi to act the king.

I now remembered, that the woman Bacheeta had on several occasions

during the journey told us that the Kamrasi we had seen was not the true

M'Kamma Kamrasi; but at the time I had paid little attention to her, as

she was constantly grumbling, and I imagined that this was merely said

in ill temper, referring to her murdered master Sali as the rightful

king.

I called the vakeel of the Turks, Eddrees: he said, that he also had

heard long since that M'Gambi was not Kamrasi as we had all supposed,

but that he had never seen the great king, as M'Gambi had always acted

as viceroy; he confirmed the accounts I had just received, that the real

Kamrasi was not far from this village, the name of which was "Kisoona."

I told M'Gambi that I did not wish to see his brother the king, as I

should perhaps be again deceived and be introduced to some impostor like

himself; and that as I did not choose to be made a fool of, I should

decline the introduction. This distressed him exceedingly; he said, that

the "king was really so great a man that he, his own brother, dared not

sit on a stool in his presence, and that he had only kept in retirement

as a matter of precaution, as Debono's people had allied themselves with

his enemy Rionga in the preceding year, and he dreaded treachery." I

laughed contemptuously at M'Gambi, telling him that if a woman like my

wife dared to trust herself far from her own country among such savages

as Kamrasi's people, their king must be weaker than a woman if he dare

not show himself in his own territory. I concluded by saying, that I

should not go to see Kamrasi, but that he should come to visit me.

M'Gambi promised to send a good cow on the following morning, as we had

not tasted milk for some months, and we were in great want of

strengthening food. He took his leave, having received a small present

of minute beads of various colours.

I could not help wondering at the curious combination of pride and

abject cowardice that had been displayed by the redoubted Kamrasi ever

since our first entrance to his territory. Speke when at Gondokoro had

told me how he had been kept waiting for fifteen days before the king

had condescended to see him. I now understood that this delay had been

occasioned more by fear than pride, and that, in his cowardice, the king

fell back upon his dignity as an excuse for absenting himself.

With the addition of the Turks' party we were now twenty-four armed men.

Although they had not seen the real king Kamrasi, they had been well

treated since Ibrahim's departure, having received each a present of a

young slave girl as a wife, while, as a distinguishing mark of royal

favour, the vakeel Eddrees had received two wives instead of one; they

had also received regular supplies of flour and beef--the latter in

the shape of a fat ox presented every seventh day, together with a

liberal supply of plantain cider.

On the following morning after my arrival at Kisoona, M'Gambi appeared,

beseeching me to go and visit the king. I replied that "I was hungry and

weak from want of food, and that I wanted to see meat, and not the man

who had starved me." In the afternoon a beautiful cow appeared with her

young calf, also a fat sheep, and two pots of plantain cider, as a

present from Kamrasi. That evening we revelled in milk, a luxury that we

had not tasted for some months. The cow gave such a quantity that we

looked forward to the establishment of a dairy and already contemplated

cheese-making. I sent the king a present of a pound of powder in

canister, a box of caps and a variety of trifles, explaining that I was

quite out of stores and presents, as I had been kept so long in his

country that I was reduced to beggary, as I had expected to have

returned to my own country long before this.

In the evening, M'Gambi appeared with a message from the king, saying

that I was his greatest friend, and that he would not think of taking

anything from me, as he was sure that I must be hard up; that he desired

nothing, but would be much obliged if I would give him the "little

double rifle that I always carried, and my watch and compass!" He wanted

"nothing," only my Fletcher rifle, that I would as soon have parted with

as the bone of my arm: and these three articles were the same for which

I had been so pertinaciously bored before my departure from M'rooli. It

was of no use to be wroth; I therefore quietly replied that "I should

not give them, as Kamrasi had failed in his promise to forward me to

Shooa; but that I required no presents from him, as he always expected a

thousandfold in return." M'Gambi said that all would be right if I would

only agree to pay the king a visit. I objected to this, as I told him

the king, his brother, did not want to see me, but only to observe what

I had, in order to beg for all that he saw. He appeared much hurt, and

assured me that he would be himself responsible that nothing of the kind

should happen, and that he merely begged as a favour that I would visit

the king on the following morning, and that people should be ready to

carry me if I were unable to walk. Accordingly I arranged to be carried

to Kamrasi's camp at about 8 A.M.

At the hour appointed M'Gambi appeared, with a great crowd of natives.

My clothes were in rags,--and as personal appearance has a certain

effect, even in Central Africa, I determined to present myself to the

king in as favourable a light as possible. I happened to possess a

full-dress Highland suit that I had worn when I lived in Perthshire many

years ago; this I had treasured as serviceable upon an occasion like the

present; accordingly I was quickly attired in kilt, sporran, and

Glengarry bonnet, and to the utter amazement of the crowd, the

ragged-looking object that had arrived in Kisoona now issued from the

obscure hut, with plaid and kilt of Athole tartan. A general shout of

exclamation arose from the assembled crowd; and taking my seat upon an

angarep, I was immediately shouldered by a number of men, and attended

by ten of my people as escort, I was carried towards the camp of the

great Kamrasi.

In about half an hour we arrived. The camp, composed of grass huts,

extended over a large extent of ground, and the approach was perfectly

black with the throng that crowded to meet me. Women, children, dogs,

and men all thronged at the entrance of the street that led to Kamrasi's

residence. Pushing our way through this inquisitive multitude, we

continued through the camp until at length we reached the dwelling of

the king. Halting for the moment, a message was immediately received

that we should proceed; we accordingly entered through a narrow passage

between high reed fences, and I found myself in the presence of the

actual king of Unyoro, Kamrasi. He was sitting in a kind of porch in

front of a hut, and upon seeing me he hardly condescended to look at me

for more than a moment; he then turned to his attendants and made some

remark that appeared to amuse them, as they all grinned as little men

are wont to do when a great man makes a bad joke.

I had ordered one of my men to carry my stool; I was determined not to

sit upon the earth, as the king would glory in my humiliation. M'Gambi,

his brother, who had formerly played the part of king, now sat upon the

ground a few feet from Kamrasi, who was seated upon the same stool of

copper that M'Gambi had used when I first saw him at M'rooli. Several of

his chiefs also sat upon the straw with which the porch was littered. I

made a "salaam," and took my seat upon my stool. Not a word passed

between us for about five minutes, during which time the king eyed me

most attentively, and made various remarks to the chiefs who were

present; at length he asked me why I had not been to see him before? I

replied, "Because I had been starved in his country, and I was too weak

to walk." He said--I should soon be strong, as he would now give me a

good supply of food, but that he could not send provisions to Shooa

Moru, as Fowooka held that country. Without replying to this wretched

excuse for his neglect, I merely told him that I was happy to have seen

him before my departure, as I was not aware until recently that I had

been duped by M'Gambi. He answered me very coolly, saying that although

I had not seen him he had nevertheless seen me, as he was among the

crowd of native escort on the day that we left M'rooli. Thus he had

watched our start at the very place where his brother M'Gambi had

impersonated the king.

Kamrasi was a remarkably fine man, tall and well proportioned, with a

handsome face of a dark brown colour, but a peculiarly sinister

expression; he was beautifully clean, and instead of wearing the bark

cloth common among the people, he was dressed in a fine mantle of black

and white goatskins, as soft as chamois leather. His people sat on the

ground at some distance from his throne; when they approached to address

him on any subject they crawled upon their hands and knees to his feet,

and touched the ground with their foreheads.

True to his natural instincts, the king commenced begging, and being

much struck with the Highland costume, he demanded it as a proof of

friendship, saying, that if I refused I could not be his friend. The

watch, compass, and double Fletcher rifle were asked for in their turn,

all of which I refused to give him. He appeared much annoyed, therefore

I presented him with a pound canister of powder, a box of caps, and a

few bullets. He replied, "What's the use of the ammunition if you won't

give me your rifle?" I explained that I had already given him a gun, and

that he had a rifle of Speke's. Disgusted with his importunity I rose to

depart, telling him that "I should not return to visit him, as I did not

believe he was the real Kamrasi. I had heard that Kamrasi was a great

king, but that he was a mere beggar, and was doubtless an impostor, like

M'Gambi." At this he seemed highly amused, and begged me not to leave so

suddenly, as he could not permit me to depart empty handed. He then gave

certain orders to his people, and after a little delay, two loads of

flour arrived, together with a goat and two jars of sour plantain cider.

These presents he ordered to be forwarded to Kisoona. I rose to take

leave, but the crowd, eager to see what was going forward, pressed

closely upon the entrance of the approach; seeing which, the king gave

certain orders, and immediately four or five men with long heavy

bludgeons rushed at the mob and belaboured them right and left, putting

the mass to flight pell-mell through the narrow lanes of the camp.

I was then carried back to my camp at Kisoona, where I was received by a

great crowd of people.

CHAPTER XIV.

AT HOME IN KISOONA.

IT appeared that Kisoona was to be headquarters until I should have an

opportunity of quitting the country for Shooa. Therefore I constructed a

comfortable little hut surrounded by a courtyard strongly fenced, in

which I arranged a Rakooba, or open shed, in which to sit during the

hottest hours of the day.

My cow that I had received from Kamrasi gave plenty of milk, and every

second day we were enabled to make a small cheese about the size of a

six-pound cannon-shot. The abundance of milk made a rapid change in our

appearance; and Kisoona, although a place of complete "ennui," was a

delightful change after the privations of the last four months. Every

week the king sent me an ox and a quantity of flour for myself and

people, and the whole party grew fat. We used the milk native fashion,

never drinking it until curdled;--taken in this form it will agree with

the most delicate stomach, but if used fresh in large quantities it

induces biliousness. The young girls of thirteen and fourteen that are

the wives of the king are not appreciated unless extremely fat--they are

subjected to a regular system of fattening in order to increase their

charms; thus at an early age they are compelled to drink daily about a

gallon of curded milk, the swallowing of which is frequently enforced by

the whip; the result is extreme obesity. In hot climates milk will

curdle in two or three hours if placed in a vessel that has previously

contained sour milk. When curdled it should be well beaten together

until it assumes the appearance of cream; in this state, if seasoned

with a little salt, it is most nourishing and easy of digestion. The

Arabs invariably use it in this manner, and improve it by the addition

of red pepper. The natives of Unyoro will not eat red pepper, as they

believe that men and women become barren by its use.

Although the fever had so completely taken possession of me that I was

subject to an attack almost daily, the milk fattened me extremely, and

kept up my strength, which otherwise must have failed. The change from

starvation to good food produced a marvellous effect. Curious as it may

appear, although we were in a land of plantains, the ripe fruit was in

the greatest scarcity. The natives invariably eat them unripe, the green

fruit when boiled being a fair substitute for potatoes--the ripe

plantains were used for brewing plantain cider, but they were never

eaten. The method of cider-making was simple. The fruit was buried in a

deep hole and covered with straw and earth;--at the expiration of about

eight days the green plantains thus interred had become ripe;--they were

then peeled and pulped within a large wooden trough resembling a canoe;

this was filled with water, and the pulp being well mashed and stirred,

it was left to ferment for two days, after which time it was fit to

drink.

Throughout the country of Unyoro, plantains in various forms were the

staple article of food, upon which the inhabitants placed more

dependence than upon all other crops. The green plantains were not only

used as potatoes, but when peeled they were cut in thin slices and dried

in the sun until crisp; in this state they were stored in the granaries,

and when required for use they were boiled into a pulp and made into a

most palatable soup or stew. Flour of plantains was remarkably good;

this was made by grinding the fruit when dried as described; it was

then, as usual with all other articles in that country, most beautifully

packed in long narrow parcels, either formed of plantain bark or of the

white interior of rushes worked into mats. This bark served as brown

paper, but had the advantage of being waterproof. The fibre of the

plantain formed both thread and cord, thus the principal requirements of

the natives were supplied by this most useful tree. The natives were

exceedingly clever in working braid from the plantain fibre, which was

of so fine a texture that it had the appearance of a hair chain; nor

could the difference be detected without a close examination. Small bags

netted with the same twine were most delicate, and in all that was

produced in Unyoro there was a remarkably good taste displayed in the

manufacture.

The beads most valued were the white opal, the red porcelain, and the

minute varieties generally used for working on screens in England; these

small beads [These were given to me by Speke at Gondokoro] of various

colours were much esteemed, and were worked into pretty ornaments, about

the shape of a walnut, to be worn suspended from the neck. I had a small

quantity of the latter variety that I presented to Kamrasi, who prized

them as we should value precious stones.

Not only were the natives clever generally in their ideas, but they were

exceedingly cunning in their bargains. Every morning, shortly after

sunrise, men might be heard crying their wares throughout the camp--

such as, "Tobacco, tobacco; two packets going for either beads or

simbis!" (cowrie-shells). "Milk to sell for beads or salt!" "Salt to

exchange for lance-heads!" "Coffee, coffee, going cheap for red beads!"

"Butter for five jenettos (red beads) [These were given to me by Speke

at Gondokoro] a lump!"

The butter was invariably packed in a plantain leaf, but frequently the

package was plastered with cow dung and clay, which, when dry, formed a

hard coating, and protected it from the air; this gave it a bad flavour,

and we returned it to the dealer as useless. A short time after, he

returned with fresh butter in a perfectly new green leaf, and we were

requested to taste it. Being about the size and shape of a cocoa-nut,

and wrapped carefully in a leaf with only the point exposed, I of course

tasted from that portion, and approving the flavour, the purchase was

completed. We were fairly cheated, as the butter dealer had packed the

old rejected butter in a fresh leaf, and had placed a small piece of

sweet butter on the top as a tasting point. They constantly attempted

this trick.

As retailers they took extraordinary pains to divide everything into

minimum packets, which they sold for a few beads, always declaring that

they had only one packet to dispose of, but immediately producing

another when that was sold. This method of dealing was exceedingly

troublesome, as it was difficult to obtain supplies in any quantity. My

only resource was to send Saat to market daily to purchase all he could

find, and he usually returned after some hours' absence with a basket

containing coffee, tobacco, and butter.

We were comfortably settled at Kisoona, and the luxury of coffee after

so long an abstinence was a perfect blessing. Nevertheless, in spite of

good food, I was a martyr to fever, which attacked me daily at about 2

P.M. and continued until sunset. Being without quinine I tried vapour

baths, and by the recommendation of one of the Turks I pounded and

boiled a quantity of the leaves of the castor-oil plant in a large pot

containing about four gallons: this plant was in great abundance. Every

morning I arranged a bath by sitting in a blanket, thus forming a kind

of tent, with the pot of boiling water beneath my stool. Half an hour

passed in this intense heat produced a most profuse perspiration, and

from the commencement of the vapour system the attacks of fever

moderated both in violence and frequency. In about a fortnight, the

complaint had so much abated that my spirits rose in equal proportion,

and, although weak, I had no mortal fear of my old enemy.

The king, Kamrasi, had supplied me with provisions, but I was troubled

daily by messengers who requested me to appear before him to make

arrangements for the proposed attack upon Rionga and Fowooka. My excuse

for non-attendance was my weak state; but Kamrasi determined not to be

evaded, and one day his headman Quonga announced that the king would pay

me a visit on the following morning. Although I had but little remaining

from my stock of baggage except the guns, ammunition, and astronomical

instruments, I was obliged to hide everything underneath the beds, lest

the avaricious eyes of Kamrasi should detect a "want." True to his

appointment, he appeared with numerous attendants, and was ushered into

my little hut. I had a very rude but serviceable armchair that one of my

men had constructed; in this the king was invited to sit. Hardly was he

seated, when he leant back, stretched out his legs, and making some

remark to his attendants concerning his personal comfort, he asked for

the chair as a present. I promised to have one made for him immediately.

This being arranged, he surveyed the barren little hut, vainly

endeavouring to fix his eyes upon something that he could demand; but so

fruitless was his search, that he laughingly turned to his people and

said, "How was it that they wanted so many porters, if they had nothing

to carry?" My interpreter explained, that many things had been spoiled

during the storms on the lake, and had been left behind; that our

provisions had long since been consumed, and that our clothes were worn

out--thus we had nothing left but a few beads. "New varieties, no

doubt," he replied; "give me all that you have of the small blue and the

large red!" We had carefully hidden the main stock, and a few had been

arranged in bags to be produced as the occasion might require; these

were now unpacked by the boy Saat and laid before the king. I told him

to make his choice, which he did precisely as I had anticipated, by

making presents to his surrounding friends out of my stock, and

monopolizing the remainder for his share: the division of the portions

among his people was a modest way of taking the whole, as he would

immediately demand their return upon quitting my hut. No sooner were the

beads secured than he repeated the original demand for my watch and the

No. 24 double rifle; these I resolutely refused. He then requested

permission to see the contents of a few of the baskets and bags that

formed our worn-out luggage. There was nothing that took his fancy

except needles, thread, lancets, medicines, and a small tooth-comb; the

latter interested him exceedingly, as I explained that the object of the

Turks in collecting ivory was to sell it to Europeans who manufactured

it into many articles, among which were small tooth-combs such as he

then examined. He could not understand how the teeth could be so finely

cut. Upon the use of the comb being explained, he immediately attempted

to practise upon his woolly head; failing in the operation, he adapted

the instrument to a different purpose, and commenced scratching beneath

the wool most vigorously: the effect being satisfactory, he at once

demanded the comb, which was handed to each of the surrounding chiefs,

all of whom had a trial of its properties, and, every head having been

scratched, it was returned to the king, who handed it to Quonga, the

headman that received his presents. So complete was the success of the

comb that he proposed to send me one of the largest elephant's tusks,

which I was to take to England and cut into as many small tooth-combs as

it would produce for himself and his chiefs.

The lancets were next admired, and were declared to be admirably adapted

for paring his nails--they were therefore presented to him. Then came

the investigation of the medicine chest, and every bottle was applied to

his nose, and a small quantity of the contents was requested. On the

properties of tartar-emetic being explained, he proposed to swallow a

dose immediately, as he had been suffering from headache, but as he was

some distance from home I advised him to postpone the dose until his

return; I accordingly made up about a dozen powders, one of which (three

grains) he was to take that evening.

The concave mirror, our last looking-glass, was then discovered; the

distortion of face it produced was a great amusement, and after it had

been repeatedly handed round, it was added to his presents. More

gunpowder was demanded, and a pound canister and a box of caps were

presented to him, but I positively refused the desired bullets.

To change the conversation, I inquired whether he or any of his people

knew from whence their race originated, as their language and appearance

were totally different to the tribes that I had visited front the north.

He told me that he knew his grandfather, whose name was Cherrybambi, but

that he knew nothing of the history of the country, except that it had

formerly been a very extensive kingdom, and that Uganda and Utumbi had

been comprised in the country of Kitwara with Unyoro and Chopi.

The kingdom of Kitwara extended from the frontier of Karagwe to the

Victoria Nile at Magungo, and Karuma, bounded on all sides but the south

by that river and the Victoria and the Albert lakes; the latter lake

forming the western frontier. During the reign of Cherrybambi, the

province of Utumbi revolted, and not only became independent, but drove

Cherrybambi from Uganda across the Kafoor river to Unyoro. This revolt

continued until Cherrybambi's death, when the father of M'tese (the

present king of Uganda), who was a native of Utumbi, attacked and

conquered Uganda and became king. From that time there has been

continual war between Uganda and Unyoro; or, as Kamrasi calls his

kingdom, Kitwara, that being the ancient name: to the present day,

M'tese, the king of Uganda, is one of his greatest enemies. It was in

vain that I attempted to trace his descent from the Gallas; both upon

this and other occasions he and his people denied all knowledge of their

ancient history.

He informed me that Chopi had also revolted after the death of

Cherrybambi, and that he had reconquered it only ten or twelve years

ago, but that even now the natives were not to be trusted, as many had

leagued with Fowooka and Rionga, whose desire was to annex Chopi and to

form a separate kingdom: these chiefs had possession of the river

islands, which strongholds it was impossible to attack without guns, as

the rapids were so dangerous that canoes could only approach by a

certain passage.

Kamrasi expressed his determination to kill both of the refractory

chiefs, as he would have no rest during their lives; he disclaimed all

relationship with Rionga, who had been represented to Speke as his

brother, and he concluded by requesting me to assist him in an attack

upon the river islands, promising that if I should kill Fowooka and

Rionga he would give me a large portion of his territory.

He suggested that I should stand upon a high cliff that commanded

Fowooka's island; from that point I could pick off not only the chief,

but all his people, by firing steadily with the little double 24 rifle;

he continued even farther, that if I were too ill to go myself, I should

LEND him my little Fletcher 24 rifle, give him my men to assist his

army, and he would pick off Rionga himself from the cliff above the

river: this was his mild way of securing the rifle which he had coveted

ever since my arrival in his country. I told him plainly that I could

not mix myself up with his quarrels; that I travelled with only one

object, of doing good, and that I would harm no one unless in

self-defence, therefore I could not be the aggressor; but that should

Fowooka and Rionga attack his position I should be most happy to lend

him my aid to repel them. Far from appreciating my ideas of fair play,

he immediately rose from his chair, and without taking leave he walked

out of the hut, attended by his people.

The next morning I heard that he had considered himself poisoned by the

tarter-emetic but that he was now well.

From that day I received no supplies for myself or my people, as the

king was affronted. A week passed away, and I was obliged to purchase

meat and flour from Eddrees, the lieutenant who commanded the Turks'

party of nine men. I gave this man a double-barrelled gun, and he

behaved well.

One day I was lying upon my bed with a fit of ague, when it was reported

that four men had arrived from M'tese, the king of Uganda, who wished to

see me. Unfortunately my vakeel delayed the men for so long that they

departed, promising to return again, having obtained from my people all

information concerning me: these were spies from the king of Uganda,

whose object at that time was unknown to us.

The weeks passed slowly at Kisoona, as there was a tedious monotony in

the lack of incident;--every day was a repetition of the preceding. My

time was passed in keeping a regular journal; mapping; and in writing

letters to friends in England, although there was no communication. This

task afforded the greatest pleasure, as I could thus converse in

imagination with those far away. The thought frequently occurred to me

that they might no longer exist, and that the separation of years might

be the parting forever; nevertheless there was a melancholy satisfaction

at thus blankly corresponding with those whom I had loved in former

years. Thus the time slowly ebbed away; the maps were perfected;

information that I had received was confirmed by the repeated

examination of natives; and a few little black children who were allowed

to run about our courtyard like so many puppies afforded a study of the

African savage in embryo. This monotony was shortly disturbed.

At about 9 P.M. one night we were suddenly disturbed by a tremendous din

--hundreds of nogaras were beating, horns blowing, and natives

screaming in all directions. I immediately jumped out of bed, and

buckling on my belt I took my rifle and left the hut. The village was

alive with people all dressed for war, and bearded with cows' tails,

dancing and rushing about with shields and spears, attacking imaginary

enemies. Bacheeta informed me that Fowooka's people had crossed the Nile

and were within three hours' march of Kisoona, accompanied by A HUNDRED

AND FIFTY of Debono's trading party, the same that had formerly attacked

Kamrasi in the preceding year in company with Rionga's people. It was

reported, that having crossed the Nile they were marching direct on

Kisoona, with the intention of attacking the country and of killing

Kamrasi. M'Gambi, the brother of Kamrasi, whose hut was only twenty

yards distant, immediately came to me with the news: he was in a state

of great alarm, and was determined to run off to the king immediately to

recommend his flight. After some time I succeeded in convincing him that

this was unnecessary, and that I might be of great service in this

dilemma if Kamrasi would come personally to me early on the following

morning.

The sun had just risen, when the king unceremoniously marched into my

hut;--he was no longer the dignified monarch of Kitwara clothed in a

beautiful mantle of fine skins, but he wore nothing but a short kilt of

blue baize that Speke had given him, and a scarf thrown across his

shoulders. He was dreadfully alarmed, and could hardly be persuaded to

leave his weapons outside the door, according to the custom of the

country--these were three lances and a double-barrelled rifle that had

been given him by Speke. I was much amused at his trepidation, and

observing the curious change in his costume, I complimented him upon the

practical cut of his dress, that was better adapted for fighting than

the long and cumbrous mantle. "FIGHTING!" he exclaimed, with the horror

of "Bob Acres," "I am not going to fight! I have dressed lightly to be

able to run quickly. I mean to run away! Who can fight against guns?

Those people have one hundred and fifty guns; you must run with me; we

can do nothing against them; you have only thirteen men; Eddrees has

only ten; what can twenty-three do against A HUNDRED AND FIFTY? Pack up

your things and run; we must be off into the high grass and hide at

once; the enemy is expected every moment!"