38 



THE EASTERN PROVINCE 



high wind, being extremely brittle. Therefore it is justly considered 

 very dangerous by the natives to rest under the shade of a euphorbia. 

 The juice is extremely poisonous, while at the very best the tree can only 

 be called " quaint." It scarcely ever bears any leaves, but its dark green 

 stalks are jointed and recurved like a scorpion's tail. When leaflets do 

 appear, thev are simple, minute, and pale green. Tiny yellowish sessile 

 flowers break out during the rainy season, like little scabs of a disease, 

 along the angular edges of the expanded stalks. 



The countries bordering the east and north-east coasts of the A^ictoria 



Nyanza are much like this description of Kavirondo Bay. though Ugaya, 

 to the south of that bay, has more woodland than the opposite peninsula 

 of Uyoma, which is remarkably arid, rocky, and " euphorbiaceous." The 

 two islands of Lusinga and Mfwanganu rise high, and have a certain 

 amount of forest. The valleys between the mountain ridges that run 

 southwards from Kavirondo l^ay towards German territory are densely 

 populated and highly eulti\'ated by stalwart races of naked negroes, most 

 of whom belong to the Bantu family as regards their languages, while 

 others— the Lumbwa— are of the Nandi stock, and others, again, are related 

 to the Ja-luo or Nilotic Kavirondo. This countrv is remarkablv full of 



