THE SEMLTKI VALLEY AND CONGO EOllEST 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, l^efore 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 desci'ibing a curve, the limit of th(- 

 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 Kiver at the point where Fort ."\lbeni 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 

 extends to the north- 

 western flanks of Kuwen- 

 zori. There is a slight 

 dip at the back of Fort 

 Mbeni in the higlilands, 

 west of the Semliki Kiver, 

 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, which re- 

 mains a grass-land, and 

 ■ex[)ands northwards (west 



156. A BOK.ISSUS PALM, SEMLIKI VALLEY 



