68 In the Heart of Africa 



at botany — the lobelia giberroa Hemsl., which rises up like im- 

 mense candles, often to the height of a man. A powerful hollow 

 stem, more like a trunk, bearing narrow, reversed, spear-shaped 

 leaves, 40 to 50 centimetres in length, crowded together rosette- 

 like, and above these a long, thick spike of green, or pale blue 

 blossoms, resembling immense cylindrical sweepers. The measure- 

 ments of one species were: leafless lower stem, 2.30 metres; 

 leafed part, 1.25 metres; spike, 1.85 metres; together, 5.40 

 metres. Later I found specimens of more than 7 metres at 

 Kwidschwi. When I first espied these strange shapes in the 

 gorge at Katandaganja my heart beat fast at the realisation of a 

 long-hoped-for sight, a feeling that is comparable only to that 

 of a hunter at the first sight of some rare game. Later on their 

 appearance was quite an indifferent everyday occurrence, for they 

 are typical phenomena in all the mountainous districts from 

 Lake Kiwu to Mount Ruwenzori. 



" Charming as this fertile and luxuriant green wilderness of 

 brake-fern was, however, the pleasure it afforded was marred by 

 the thought of its origin. Where it now covers the mountain- 

 side, not long ago there grew a proud forest of noble trees, which 

 were ruthlessly hacked and burned down to make room for a 

 few miserable pea-fields. The immediate effect of this wilful 

 destruction could be seen in all its mournful nakedness on the 

 edge of the forest — an utterly devastated zone. A few isolated 

 giants, whose lives had for some reason been spared, still 

 towered aloft ; some still resplendent in all their beauty, others 

 stretching out their sterile, fire-blackened, or weather-blanched 

 and withered trunks as if in complaint to Heaven. 



" In further evidence of this fact I quote the following passage 

 from a report of one of the members of the Urubengera Evan- 

 gelical Mission at Mecklenburg Creek, which happened to fall 

 into my hands : 



" ' When I arrived at this forest (Bugonde) I experienced a 

 certain feeling of sadness. You must know that certain 

 " patriarchs " dwell here — one always more ancient and hoary- 

 headed than the others — who systematically devastate all that is 



