PREFACE ix 



Of scientific literature on British East Africa there is 

 unfortunately little to record. There is nothing which can 

 compare with the magnificent series of works issued in descrip- 

 tion of German East Africa, such as Stuhlmann's Mit Emiii 

 Pascha im Her::: von Afrika, Oscar Baumann's Zur Nil-Quellen, 

 and the elaborate monographs in the volumes of PJlansemvelt 

 Ost-Afrikas, and Die TJiierzvelt Ost-Afrikas. The anthropo- 

 logical chapters in Stuhlmann and Baumann, and the botanical 

 papers of Volkens, show that these authors unite the learning of 

 the scientific specialist with the courage of the pioneer. The 

 only work on Tropical Africa in English that can compare 

 with these in scientific accuracy is The Flora of Tropical Africa, 

 the last part of which was published in 1877 ; but this barely 

 mentions British East Africa. The last 100 pages (vol. iii. 

 pp. 425-525) include abundant references to Abyssinia, Somali- 

 land, Monbuttu, Karagwe, Kilima Njaro, etc. ; but of the 214 

 species therein described, British East Africa only contributed 

 four. 



Dr. H. R. Mill has remarked {Knozvledge, Jan. 1 896, p. 2) 

 that in pioneer exploration England has led the way, but that 

 in scientific geography we have always been beaten by our 

 German rivals. The history of the exploration of Equatorial 

 Africa is one to which Englishmen can look back with feelings 

 of such just pride, that we may ungrudgingly admit the 

 superiority of German scientific work in this region. 



The Expedition of which the narrative is given in this 

 volume was undertaken in 1892 and 1893. The delay in 

 writing the account of it is due partly to my having returned 

 — thanks to African fever — with lessened powers of work, and 

 partly to arrears of work which had accumulated during my 

 absence. Hence the book has had to be written in scraps at 

 odd hours, generally at the end of days devoted to work on 



