Lake Victoria to Khartoum 



Then round the whole show comes the bark- 

 cloth tree, out of which the natives make the 

 long strips of Indian-red cloth that they dress 

 themselves in. This has a curious look of corduroy, 

 but is poorly woven and does not wear well. 



A very good way of making a hedge in Uganda 

 is to cut a number of poles from bark-cloth trees 

 and just stick them in the ground where you want 

 them to grow, before the rains, and afterwards 

 you will find that they have all "struck," and 

 produced leaves like so many Aaron's rods. 



Some " shambas," as these patches of culti- 

 vation are called, boast the presence of the papaw 

 tree, which bears a fruit which is quite palatable 

 when a few drops of fresh lime-juice — also grown 

 on the premises — are squeezed over it. 



These children of nature are oreat on chickens 

 and eggs, and are delighted to produce them as 

 a solace to the weary traveller, but the eggs are 

 best poached or fried for obvious reasons. The 

 inhabitants are a quiet, submissive people, keep- 

 ing the road near their abodes carefully weeded, 

 as much in obedience to their local chief as in 

 accordance with time-honoured custom. They 

 take off their hats in a most polite manner when 

 they meet one on the road, and say *' Ow ! " with 

 broad grins in return to one's salutation of 

 " Weywully ! " We taught our regimental dog, 

 Peter, that, and he always responded with a low 

 growl. They aren't bad porters, and they don't 



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