THE SEMLIKI VALLEY AND CONGO EOUEST 191 



the Semliki Valley, on both sides of the stream, and is carried thence 

 south-westwards in a great loop over high mountain ranges to within 

 sight of Tanganyika. 



The great Congo Forest, which, before the invasion of the Arabs and 

 the destruction of the trees for making plantations, extended almost up 

 to the western shores of Lake Tanganyika, leaves the vicinity of the 

 north end of that lake, and retreats in a north-westerly direction well 

 into the Congo basin ; then after describing a curve, the limit of the 

 forest begins to extend towards the north-east, and, leaving this loop of 

 high and dry country west of Lake Albert Edward untouched, it descends 

 to the Semliki River at the point where Fort ■Nlbeni is situated, or pretty 

 nearly in the middle of the Semliki's course between Albert Edward and 

 Albert Nyanza. A little 

 lower down the stream 

 than the station of Fort 

 Mbeni, the forest crosses 

 the Semliki River, and 

 f'xtends to the north- 

 western flanks of Ruwen- 

 zori. There is a sliglit 

 dip at the Ijack of Fort 

 ^Nlbeni in the highlands, 

 west of the Semliki River, 

 which constitute the 

 water - parting between 

 the systems of tlie Congo 

 and the Nile. The Congo 

 Forest pours over this 

 lowering of the mountain 

 ridge into the valley of 

 the Semliki. Some dis- 

 tance to the north of 

 Fort Mbeni, however, the 

 heights of the Congo 

 watershed soar to alti- 

 tudes of over 8,000 feet 

 in the so-called Bulega 

 country, and the forest 

 does not climb to this 

 lofty plateau, whieli re- 

 mains a grass-land, and 

 •expands northwards (west 156. a bok.issus palm, semliki valley 



