Through the Semliki Valley 219 



he had much better proceed from Beni to Mboga. We arrived 

 at Beni again on the 23rd of February. 



" From there Schubotz left for Lake Albert whilst I and our 

 non-commissioned officer, Czeczatka, took the nearest way to 

 Irumu. I selected that route as, except for a short distance 

 before reaching Irumu, it leads through the easternmost portion 

 of the great equatorial primeval forest, in the study of which I 

 was deeply interested. Our march offered no further noteworthy 

 episodes as we made our way along the broad barrabarra. 

 Shortly before reaching Ngombe Njama we emerged from the 

 stifling forest and breathed again as though freed from an 

 oppressive weight, as our eyes swept once more across the free, 

 beautiful, undulating steppe, resplendent in its garb of fresh 

 green, and dotted at intervals with strips of woodland." 



I may speedily pass over the marches that led us through the 

 country at the foot of the mountain chain, as it was devoid of 

 charm and presented nothing of interest. Tall elephant grass, 

 radiating terrible heat, again retarded our march. The chopping 

 knife had to cut a path through for us every day. This painful 

 method of progression was, however, relieved in the Butalinga 

 district by innumerable ravines about a kilometre in width, on 

 the bottom of which extensive banana plantations were found ; 

 but climbing through these was a severe tax on the power of the 

 carriers. 



The path we struck was the old Stanley route. It seemed to 

 us as though very little could have altered since the time of the 

 great traveller. After a night march in full moonlight we 

 reached Lepenge on the Semliki, which we immediately crossed. 

 The few variations from the general monotony at this time, and 

 not particularly enjoyable ones either, Vv-ere a wound on my hand 

 from an axe-stroke, really intended for a liane, which necessi- 

 tated my going with my arm in a sling for a week ; the falling 

 of Veriter into an elephant pit, whereby he was somewhat 

 severely hurt ; and finally the disappearance of our two guides, 

 whom it had cost us considerable trouble to obtain. The terri- 



