AND THE VICTORIA NYANZA 



79 



dangerous storms and rough seas which prevail on the o]ien water, and to 

 the fact that it is not much more than a year since the first sea-going 

 steamer was Launched, voyagers, both European and native, have been 

 careful to hug tlie coast — or, rather, the chains of islands — as closely as 

 possilile in making journeys from one point to another, this being done 

 so that the canoe, steam-launch, or sailing vessel might be able in rough 

 weather to run for shelter. Conse(iuently the lake has nev^er been 

 deliberately crossed yet over its open waters fi'om north to south or east 

 to west. Europeans and natives, however, who have at times been driven 

 far out into the centre of the lake l)v strong winds declare that thev 

 have sighted unkuown islands, and have found them inlialnted by naked 

 savages of hostile aspect. There are also persistent stories amongst the 

 natives that the waters of the Victoria Nyauza are inhabited by a monster 

 (known to the Baganda as "Lukwata"). This creature, from the native 

 accounts, might either be a small cetacean or a large form of manatee, or, 



more probably, a gigantic fish. So far, however, only one European has 

 caught a glimpse of this creature.* Some of the natives identify it 



* Sir Clement Hill crossing the Nyanza in 1900 on a small steam-launch was 

 nearly capsized by some monstrons watev-crcature which seemed to have a large 

 square-shaped, fish-like head. 



