12 In the Heart of Africa 



anchor in the murky dawn after a heavy thunder-shower on the 

 9th of June, to push on to the starting point of our wanderings. 

 And again day had passed into darkness when we at last beheld 

 the lights of Bukoba in the distance. Excitement, easily to be 

 understood, seized us all as we endeavoured to pierce the dusk 

 with our telescopes. We approached closer and closer, and as 

 the smart little craft glided through the narrow straight between 

 the " Toteninsel " and the mainland of Bukoba, rockets and 

 Bengal lights shot up from the shores, conjuring up as if by 

 enchantment phantom-like silhouettes in a most effective way. 

 The Sybil still glided on a short distance, then the siren shrieked, 

 the anchor rattled down into the deep, and the ship shivered 

 and lay still. We had reached our goal. 



Presently we heard the measured strokes of the oars of a 

 cutter, and a few moments later we were able to welcome aboard 

 our Bukoba hosts, Captain von Stuemer, First Lieutenant von 

 Wiese, First Lieutenant von Einsiedel, Lieutenant Lincke 

 (recently furloughed), and Dr. Marschall. There was simply 

 no end to inquiries and reports, and it was far into the night 

 before we separated. 



An imposing entry had been planned to take place on the 

 morning after our arrival. Going up on deck at sunrise, accord- 

 ing to my custom, glass in hand, to scrutinise the river banks 

 of the country that was now to be our home for twelve months, 

 a most charming spectacle lay before my eyes. 



From the fort of Bukoba and from the houses lying farther 

 back, which were used as residences by the sultans of the 

 district when visiting the town, long, regular processions 

 gradually resolved themselves from a huge jumbled throng of 

 human beings. The people, clad for the occasion in long white 

 kansu* marched with a fanfare of trumpets and the music of 

 native bands down to the landing-stage. The sultans, who led 

 their own troops, rode at the head. The processions appeared 

 simply endless, new columns constantly coming up. It was 

 indeed a proud manifestation of the development of Germany's 

 * Kansu, long Arabian shirt. 



