Lake Kiwu and its Islands 97 



after wave splashed over the bows of our canoes. Our threats 

 of punishment for any who ceased to row had their effect. Our 

 dug-outs flew over the water, and we glided safely into the 

 sheltering little bay of Wau Island as the torrents of descending 

 rain obsci:^red the eastern shore from our view. 



Wau belongs to the smaller of the islands of Kiwu, but is, 

 perhaps, the most beautiful of them, so far as scenery is con- 

 cerned. It v/ould make a simply idyllic haven of retreat for 

 dwellers in great cities who were in need of rest. The island 

 is about 3 kilometres long and 1.5 kilometres in breadth at 

 the two rounded ends. In the middle it is drawn in, at the waist 

 as it were, to about 100 metres, by two picturesque coves. This 

 is about the flattest part, and the land ascends to some 50 

 metres. We pitched our tents here ; in front and behind us 

 there lay a fine white sandy shore, which looked most inviting 

 for bathing purposes. Wau affords beautiful views towards the 

 west and north. In the west may be seen the northern end of 

 Kwidschwi, to the north of it two smaller islands, also densely 

 wooded, and a good 30 kilometres farther back is the immense 

 western margin of the Central African rift-valley, whose 3,000 

 metre-high ridge is covered with virgin forest. One obtains a 

 still grander view in favourable weather when looking to the 

 north. One morning, at six o'clock, I stood on the highest point 

 of the island in the clearest of weather — for it had rained in- 

 cessantly throughout the night — and the Virunga volcanoes were 

 visible. Looking northwards, the graceful outlines of Mount 

 Ninagongo, 3,391 metres high, rose up over the broad motion- 

 less surface of the lake, which was about 40 kilometres broad 

 at this point. Farther to the east the jagged giants, Mikeno and 

 Sabinjo (4,380 and 3,704 metres respectively), stood out promi- 

 nently, and finally came Karissimbi, the highest of the volcanoes, 

 whose lofty summit (4,500 metres), crowned with snow, was 

 glittering in the morning sun. 



Wau is half covered by dense forest growth, the predominat- 

 ing trees of which are a species of fig, with white trunks and 



beautiful, sometimes ball-shaped, tops, the thickly-covered 



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