THE ALBERT NYANZA 



alone at once drew us together. B and Reynolds 



had been at school together in the old days. 



It was several hours before P and the carriers 



turned up, for he had considerable trouble with the boys 

 and the mules while coming down the escarpment. 

 Some of the carriers dropped their loads, and sat down 

 and cried like children. Many offered all their earthly 

 belongings to any one who would carry their loads, but 

 of course they appealed in vain, at least the majority 

 did. Some were really of inferior stamina, and to the 

 weakling the descent of the escarpment with a sixty 

 pound load on his head is indeed a trying experience. 

 Eventually, however, the complete safari reached us at 

 Butiaba with everything intact, excepting our case of 

 champagne — the best antidote against blackwater fever 

 — which had been dropped. On opening the case, how- 

 ever, we found that only two bottles had been smashed. 

 It was a certainty that we should be here for at least 

 two days, so there was nothing for it but to put up the 

 tents and look happy. Placing most of the loads in 

 the store-sheds on the wharf, we sent back the boys who 

 were unable to travel to the Congo with us. We now 

 had but sixty-four boys all told for our tramp to the 

 Congo. 



We strolled round and had a look at the fine new 

 paddle steamer Samuel Baker, which was being built 

 up at the shipyard under the supervision of Reynolds, 

 assisted by Messrs. Joe Durham and Bamber, who had 

 come out from Scotland to reassemble the various parts 

 of the vessel and to stay until after the launching. 

 Since February 7 , 191 1, a trip down the Nile can be taken 

 with all the attendant comforts one finds on the large 

 ocean-going liners. It is a great improvement on the 

 old whale-boats, reeking with old fish steaks drying on 

 the awnings, strong smelling natives huddled up at one's 

 feet, the journey from Koba to Butiaba, a distance of 



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