DOWN SOUTH TO NKOSI 91 



all the islands to the north being seen to stand out very 

 sharply and clearly, and there being a thick smoky haze 

 to south and west. 



Next day at sunrise huge masses of black thunder 

 cloud were seen over Bugalla, which evidently was getting 

 a heavy storm : our camp got a sharp squall at seven 

 o'clock, which nearly blew the tent away and split to 

 ribbons the outer fly. 



For a few minutes the rain fell in sheets, but soon passed, 

 and by 8*30 a breeze cleared it up. The sun came out, 

 and the day eventually turned out gloriously, with 

 sufficient wind and waves to make the lake interesting. 

 We had a stiff fight southwards against the breeze, and 

 stopped for a brief rest among the pretty grottoes on 

 the rocky fern clad islet Lukiusa, eventually reaching 

 Nkosi at 10- 30. 



We first coasted along the south-east side, fully exposed 

 to the breakers coming up from the open lake, so could 

 not approach the shore very closely, especially as it was 

 very rocky, and no risk could be run of staving in the canoe. 

 Nkosi is a little over a mile long and a few hundred yards 

 broad ; it is low, flat and bush covered, but the trees do 

 not grow high, presumably owing to exposure to the 

 constant winds from the lake. We rounded a tail of rocks 

 at the south end, and got under the lea of the island into 

 sheltered water, almost at once finding a most picturesque 

 little grassy dell, with the lush green grass close cropped 

 as if by rabbits. This was the work of Situtunga antelopes, 

 of which one was soon seen quietly grazing. Their presence 

 on this small, very isolated and exposed island is of 

 considerable interest ; it is so covered with thick bush 

 that open spaces are few and small, and they can only 

 traverse the bush by definite paths. Since there can be 

 no check on their increase save the amount of food 

 available, disease and the physiological effects of in- 

 breeding, the number on the island must long ago have 



