20 In the Heart of Africa 



was obliged to take leave of us and return to Bukoba. His 

 departure caused genuine regret, for apart from the loss of a 

 delightful companion, his presence had meant really lavish 

 victualling for us. At all the store depots at which we had so far 

 rested thousands of bananas were lying ready for use, which had 

 been collected and brought along by the natives. 



This condition of things was now quite altered. The fine 

 barrabarra came to an abrupt end. The country through which 

 we passed was most sparsely grown, the soil was bad, the natives 

 very few in number and very timid, running away and hiding 

 themselves at our approach. 



This attitude was attributable to the rebelliousness of their 

 chief, Kisliwombo, who refused allegiance to the neighbouring 

 Sultan Msinga of Ruanda, the lord of this territory. As the 

 Ruanda Residency desired the subordination of all the neighbour- 

 ing sultans to the sovereignty of Msinga, it became evident that 

 an official order on the matter was being expected, and was 

 believed to have arrived when our caravan came into view. It 

 was a difficult matter to allay the people's fears. By means of 

 repeated assurances of friendship and promises of baksheesh, 

 however, we were finally enabled to secure a few goats and other 

 articles of food. 



It is no matter for surprise, therefore, that we hurried away 

 from this poverty-stricken place in order to get forward to Rufua, 

 an abandoned station in Mpororo, where we intended to make fresh 

 plans. Shortly before, on the ist of July, we had an agreeable 

 surprise in meeting Lieutenant Wintgens, for which our thanks 

 were due to Captain von Grawert, the Ruanda Resident. Accom- 

 panied by him, we soon afterwards reached the deserted outpost, 

 the dilapidated buildings of which afforded us scant, though 

 welcome, accommodation. Its elevated position enabled us to 

 obtain a fine view of the undulating steppe. 



On arrival at Rufua we spent a few quiet days in perfecting 

 our latest specimens and in carefully packing them ready for 

 despatch. Thus on the 6th of July we were again in a position 

 to send away a large collection of ethnographical, zoological, 



