DOWN THE VICTORIA NILE 147 



though slight, was perceptible. They had lain themselves down witli 

 their clothes on; their toilet was therefore the more easily arranged, 

 and they at once entered their canoe and gave orders to start. 



As they proceeded, the river gradually narrowed to about one 

 hundred and eighty yards ; and when the paddles ceased working, they 

 could distinctly hear the roar of water. The roar of the fall was 

 extremely loud, and after hard pulling for a couple of hours, during 

 which time the velocity of the stream increased, they arrived at a few 

 deserted fishing huts, at a point where the river made a slight turn. 

 There was here a most extraordinary show of crocodiles ; they lay like 

 logs of timber close together, and upon one bank they counted twenty- 

 seven of large size, and every basking-place was crowded in a similar 

 manner. From the time that they had fairly entered the river, it had 

 been confined by somewhat precipitous heights on either side, but at 

 this point they were much higher and bolder. From the roar of the 

 water there was reason to believe that the fall would be in sight if they 

 turned the corner of the bend of the river ; and he desired the boatmen 

 to row as fast as they could. They objected to this at first, wishing to 

 stop at the deserted village, and contending that, as this was to be the 

 limit of their journey, further progress was impossible. ''However/' 

 he says, 'T explained that I merely wished to see the fall, and they 

 rowed immediately up the stream, which was now strong against us. 

 Upon rounding the corner, a magnificent sight burst suddenly upon 

 us. On either side of the river were beautifully wooded clififs rising 

 abruptly to a height of about 300 feet; rocks were jutting out from the 

 intensely green foliage; and rushing through a gap that cleft the rock 

 exactly before us, the river, contracted from a grand stream-; was pent 

 up in a narrow gorge of scarcely fifty yards in width ; roaring furiously 

 through the rock-bound pass, it plunged in one leap of about 120 feet 

 perpendicular into a dark abyss below. 



"The fall of water was snow-white, which had a superb effect as 

 it contrasted with the dark cliffs that walled the river, while the grace- 

 ful palms of the tropics and wild plantains perfected the beauty of the 

 view. This was the greatest waterfall of the Nile, and in honor of the 

 distinguished President of the Royal Geographical Society, I named it 

 the Murchison Falls, as the most important object throughout the 

 entire course of the river." 



