Through Ruanda to Lake Kiwu 75 



and much other matter, but as things were we were following a 

 leader whose wish it was to get out of the wood. Miniago had 

 gone on in front ' to look after provender,' as he said ; but, 

 truth to tell, his chief idea was to escape from the 'wilderness,' 

 that district which causes the inhabitants of the colonised 

 parts of Ruanda, to say the least of it, a feeling of uneasiness. 

 In addition to this, as we had run out of water we were compelled 

 to march much further than was originally intended. The most 

 regrettable part of it was that we were approaching very near to 

 the western edge of the forest, and thus lost much valuable 

 opportunity for collecting whilst in its depths. We arrived at a 

 small brook at last, and after much difficulty found space in 

 which to pitch two tents in the narrow, thickly vegetated valley, 

 surrounded by dense, lofty, tropical forest. It was very 

 romantic, but very confined. 



" Next day we emerged from the forest, travelling through a 

 sparse vegetation of a willow-like proteaceae {Faurea usambarens'is 

 Engl.), which assumes considerable dimensions there, and then 

 into the belt of brake-fern and forest desolation. At the little 

 river Nirahindi we fell in again with Miniago. He had pro- 

 cured abundant provisions, with palm juice for the carriers, and 

 had struck another lovely camping place. We were three days* 

 march from Ischangi at this spot and quite close to Kiwu ; in fact, 

 we caught sight of the lake on the first day. We had just 

 crossed another hill when a view of such beauty presented itself 

 to our astonished eyes that we were compelled to stop and gaze 

 at it. The mountain ridges and hills dwindled away before us, 

 receding ever farther and lower, to jut out again like peninsulas 

 on the horizon and to rise up like islands from a pale-blue, silvery 

 shimmering surface — the jewel of African lakes. Tanganjika 

 may, perhaps, on the whole appear more majestic, but for a com- 

 bination of comeliness and magnitude, of peaceful bays and deep 

 fjords, of blest isles and sky-towering mountains, none can 

 rival Kiwu. 



"We marched parallel to the south-east coast of Lake Kiwu, 

 for the most part in view of the lake, camped at the brook 



