192 THE SEMLIKI VALLEY 



of Lake Nvanza) to tlie savannah country along the west side of the 

 White Nile. 



The southern half of the Semliki ^'alley lies at an average altitude of 

 just over 3,000 feet. The .Semliki River, in its middle course through the 

 forest regions, has a series of falls and rapids which brings its waters 

 down to the level of Lake Albert (2,170 feet). The upper part of the 

 Semliki Valley is a fine-looking country of park-like aspect, containing 

 very few inhabitants and a good deal of big game. The ground of the 

 valley is by no means tlat, l)ut much ])roken with low ranges of hills and 

 curious hollows, gullies, and gorges. The grass is long, but not generally 

 the coarse elephant grass that is such a burden to humanity in the well- 

 watered parts of East and Central Africa. This park-like scenery along 

 the L^pper Semliki is picturesquely dotted with fine Borcissus fan ]>alms 

 and umbrageous acacias, looking sometimes almost like cedars in their 

 growth, with short red trunks and great flat masses of dark green foliage. 

 The waterbuck inhabiting all this region carry exceptionally fine horns, 

 and constitute a niarkcd and l)eautiful feature, moving aliDUt in large 

 numbers, and looking singularly like red deer. Both males and females 

 of this variety tend to considerable redness of coat, the male having 

 portions of the head and chest quite a bright chestnut. There are still a 

 few buffalo of the South African type lingering on the Upper Semliki. 

 It is curious, however, that the instant you enter the Congo Forest you 

 meet with other buffalo of the most exaggerated Congo type — that is to 

 "say, small in size, covered with thin red hair, and carrying small horns, 

 which are little more than a ni()>t exaggerated frontal boss with a hook- 

 like horn growing out of it. Zebras are also found on the Upper Semliki 

 and to the west of Lake Albert Edward — that is to say, to the very verge 

 of the Congo Forest. Large griffon and eared ((Jtoqyps) vultures haunt 

 this grass country of the Upper Semliki, thereby adding to its East 

 African appearance. As is ^Tobably known to most of my readers, the 

 forest regions of Africa are, to a great extent, without vultures, the only 

 species of vulture ever found in tliem being the small dark brown 

 Necrosyrtes, familiar to any one who has visited Sierra Leone, in which 

 town it is a great scavenger. 



The Upper Semliki is not even bordered with many trees other than 

 a few wild date palms and acacias. It flows for the most part a broad, 

 white ribbon through a grassy country. There are but few human beings 

 inhabiting this region at the present time. What there are are mainly 

 Eakonjo, the same people who inhabit the western, southern, and south- 

 eastern flanks of Kuwenzori up to an altitude of 7,000 feet ; and the 

 Banande, who seem to be usually the people of the lowlands, as contrasted 

 with the Bakonjo, the people of the highlands. The Bakonjo extend in 



