Through Ruanda to Lake Kiwu 8i 



waiting for us, who came from Tanganjika, chiefly Manjema, and 

 who had been secured through the mediation of Captain Goring 

 in Udjidji. We still had an abundant supply of stores and 

 provisions. Two thousand loads were stored up here to meet all 

 requirements, and we had sixty oxen and six hundred goats in 

 our possession. 



The night which followed was nearly fatal to a successful 

 continuance of our expedition. Through the carelessness of a 

 carrier a house behind the depot in which the whole of the loads 

 and all the valuable instruments were lying caught fire and was 

 burnt down. We had hardly laid ourselves down to sleep when 

 we were roused by shoutings and the sounding of the fire 

 signal. Clad only in pyjamas, we made for the scene of the con- 

 flagration at the double. The Askari and the carriers were all 

 flocking to it, and by working hard together, and incessantly 

 flooding the thatched roof of the magazine, our efforts to avert 

 the threatened disaster were eventually successful. 



Grawert sailed off on the 22nd of August to the south end of 

 the lake in order to inspect the post at Ischangi. We ourselves 

 spent the day in paying a visit to Ngoma, the neighbouring Bel- 

 gian post, whose leader. Lieutenant Ogg, had come to greet us 

 on the previous day. We were welcomed in the most amiable 

 fashion, and here we received our first experience of the lavish 

 Belgian hospitality, for which we had good reason to be very 

 grateful in later months. Ngoma cannot be compared in any 

 way with Kissenji. It has a depressing influence, and with the 

 exception of the officers' house, which was in course of erection at 

 the time, it consisted only of miserable thatched huts. It shares 

 with Kissenji a position in the debatable territory. The powers 

 of authority vested in the officer stationed at Ngoma are very 

 small, and are limited to the place itself and the immediate sur- 

 rounding district. It forms part of the Russisi-Kiwu district, 

 and, like Kissenji, is built entirely on lava, which also forms the 

 building material for the majority of the houses. 



Kissenji possesses an excellent climate, for by virtue of its 

 1,500 metres altitude above the sea level all enervating heat is 



