2 In the Heart of Africa 



territory which had hitherto contributed but little of zoological 

 interest to the national museums. 



Accompanied by Count Giinther Pfeil and Captain von Jena, 

 together with Laboratory Director Knuth and my servant, I 

 made my way to Mombasa via Naples, and from there by the 

 English railway to Lake Victoria. After an exciting journey 

 across the lake, to an accompaniment of thunderstorms and gales, 

 in a fragile English steam-launch, which offered but little 

 resistance to the elements, we arrived at the small military outpost 

 of Schirati, where we were heartily welcomed by the commander. 

 Captain Goring. From there we broke off in the direction of 

 Ikoma, and after roaming for months through the district watered 

 by the Rivers Orangi and Boledi, which abounded in game and 

 had scarcely been trodden by man, we felt a greater interest 

 than ever in this protectorate of ours. 



It was here that I first met the energetic leader of my last 

 expedition. Lieutenant von Wiese and Kaiserswaldau, who had 

 been entrusted with the very responsible duty of defending the 

 outpost station of Olgoss against the attacks of the Masai. 



In conjunction with him, in Berlin, a year later, I planned 

 the scheme of the expedition which I have endeavoured to 

 describe in the following chapters and which should be of some 

 value for the systematic and scientific exploration of unknown 

 stretches of country, a scheme which, certainly, was subjected 

 to a good many variations, until it assumed its final and concrete 

 shape. 



The original intention of reaching the source of the Nile from 

 Lake Tschad presented so many difficulties that it had to be 

 abandoned as impracticable. Instead, after prolonged consulta- 

 tion with our most famous specialists and scientists. Professors 

 Brauer, Matschie, von Luschau, Waldener, Engler and Branca, 

 I determined to march via Lake Victoria to Ruanda, and also to 

 visit the district between Lake Kiwu and Lake Albert, whence, 

 travelling westwards, we should reach the basins of the Rivers 

 Ituri-Aruwimi and Uelle. 



When first I made my plans known to the various scientific 



