GEOGRAPHY AND ANTIQUITIES. 389 



fruit trees, and here and there an occasional baobob, which raises its enor- 

 mous head high above the highest giant of the forest. The southern coast of 

 the lake is considerably elevated, and the -water is so closely fringed by exten- 

 sive belts of reeds and rushes, that it is only accessible in a few places, or 

 where the native cattle have broken through these natural defences. The 

 west shore of the lake is also somewhat raised, though the water is very 

 shallow; but it deepens considerably towards its eastern extremity. The 

 1ST garni must have undergone considerable changes at different periods. The 

 natives have frequently pointed out to me places, now covered with vegeta- 

 tion, where they used to spear the hippopotamus. Again, there are unmis- 

 takeable proofs of its having been at one time of smaller dimensions than at 

 present ; for submerged stumps of trees are constantly met with. This is not, 

 I believe, to be attributed to the upheaving, or to the sinking of the land, but 

 that, in all probability, the lake was originally of its present size, or nearly so, 

 when a sudden or unusually large flood poured into it from the interior, 

 which, on account of the flatness of the country, could not be drained off" as 

 quickly as it flowed in, but caused the water to rise above its usual height, 

 which, remaining in that state some time, soon destroyed the vegetation. * * 

 A great variety of animals are found in the lake regions, more especially in 

 the vicinity of the rivers, such as elephants, rhinoceroses, buffaloes, giraifes, 

 koodoos, pallahs, &c., as also two new species of antelopes, the nakong and 

 the leche. The leche bears some resemblance to the pallah, but is altogether 

 a larger animal. In size, indeed, it almost equals the water-buck (Aigocerus 

 ellipsiprymnus), and the horns are very similar to those of the male of that 

 beast. The general color of the skin is a pale brown ; chest, belly, and orbits, 

 white ; and front of legs dark brown. The fur (which hi the young animal is 

 long, soft, and often curly) of the adult is short and "adpressed." The upper 

 part of the nape and withers are provided with a small whorl of hah 1 . The 

 tip of the tail (slender at the base) is adorned with a tuft of black hair. The 

 leche is a species of water-buck ; for though not actually living in water, he 

 is never found any distance from it. When pursued, the leche unhesitatingly 

 plunges into the water, however deep. Great numbers are annually destroyed 

 by the Bayeye, who convert their hides into a kind of rug for sleeping on, 

 carosses, and other articles of wearing apparel. * * The nakong is a water- 

 buck. By means of its peculiarly long hoofs (which are black), not unfre- 

 quently attaining a length of six to seven inches, it is able to traverse with 

 facility the reedy bogs and quagmires with which the lake country abounds 

 localities only fit for the feathery tribe. When at the K"gami, I offered very 

 tempting rewards to the natives if they would bring me this animal either 

 dead or alive ; but they protested that though they frequently kill the nakong 

 by pitfalls and spears, it was not then possible to gratify my wishes, as, at 

 that season, the beast dwelt almost entirely in muddy and watery localities, 

 where any attempt to follow it would be certain destruction to a man. * * 

 The aquatic birds were particularly numerous and varied. A friend who 

 visited the lake assured me that here, and on the Zouga, he had, at one time 

 and another, killed specimens of no less than nineteen species of ducks and 

 geese. One of the latter varieties is not larger than a common teal, but 



