CHAPTER II 



LAKE VICTORIA AND THE KAGERA BASIN 



On the 13th of May I embarked at Naples with the other 

 members of the expedition on the ss. Biir germeister of the D.O.A. 

 Line for Mombasa, which we reached on the 30th of the same 

 month. To my surprise I found all our goods, even those sent 

 by the last steamer, already stowed in the Customs' sheds, for 

 I had thought them to be at sea. Thus we were forced to look 

 after the forwarding of them ourselves. However, through the 

 kind courtesy of the English authorities, whose broad-minded 

 business methods always work so beneficently, all difficulties 

 were smoothed over. 



Soon the great collection of chests and cases was on its way 

 to the railway station, where we started loading up the trucks. 

 Two passenger carriages for myself and party were courteously 

 placed at my disposal for the journey to Kisimu, the terminus 

 of the railway at Lake Victoria, where we arrived safe and sound 

 on the 6th of June. 



Here the Sybil was lying, one of those smart English 500-ton 

 boats which negotiate the traffic on Lake Victoria. 



After a brisk run over the lake we reached the capital, 

 Entebbe, which is at the same time the seat of the Government 

 of Uganda. In the evening we were present at a very successful 

 entertainment at the house of the Acting-Governor, which wound 

 up delightfully with a grand illumination of the great drive 

 which winds in and out in serpentine form from the palace of 

 the Governor to Kai. Then we clambered aboard the Sybil again 

 for the night. 



The sleepers' eyes were still heavy and tired as we weighed 



