Through the Semliki Valley 217 



replaced it the next day with another. It proved, as we already 

 were aware, that in 1906 a Belgian officer named Bogaerts and 

 a non-commissioned officer, Joissan, had been there, and, what 

 we did not know, that on the 14th of December, 1907, Mr. J, S. 

 Coates, of the Anglo-Belgian Boundary Commission, had ' drunk 

 to the health of his predecessors.' Now I understood why the 

 so-called ' Belgian camp ' had looked so fresh. In passing, just 

 a hint for those desiring to record their visit in bottle form at 

 other spots : Take a slip of paper, not too large, and roll it so 

 that the writing is on the outside, and place it in the neck of 

 the bottle with the writing against the glass, so that it can be 

 easily read by all who may come after. 



" It was time to return, but I had good reason to feel satisfied, 

 for, favoured by a radiantly sunny day — a great rarity on 

 Ruwenzori — I had seen everything that I could under such condi- 

 tions. I had enjoyed a clear view of the mightiest peak of the 

 group. Mount Stanley, and had at least obtained some conception 

 of the snows and wildness of its glaciers. The huge sentinels 

 crowning the highest ridges particularly attracted my attention, 

 with their colossal icicles hanging down from jagged rocks and 

 ice blocks, or leaning against them like columns. They are, 

 doubtless, the result of powerful sun effects alternating with 

 long, cold nights. Unfortunately I was not privileged to get 

 as far as the glaciers, as the deep cleft in which the lake lay 

 was unsurpassable from this direction. If I had decided to 

 make a circuit, it would have necessitated my encamping on 

 Ulimbi, and our equipment was not adequate for that. First 

 and foremost we possessed no so-called ' patrol-tents ' and 

 sleeping bags, not to mention any Alpine tourist kit, ice-axes, 

 ropes, etc. 



" It appears to me that the route through the Butagu valley 



is very well adapted for attaining the highest summit of Mount 



Stanley. In the first place, it is not necessary to traverse any 



of the swampy valleys of which the Duke d'Abruzzi complains so 



much. Up to our fixed camp, direct north-east of the junction 



of the three great streams, there is still cultivated country, and 

 2 c 



