HUNTING AND HUNTED IN BELGIAN CONGO 



mere hell on earth to the unfortunate white man, whose 

 net has been torn out of recognition by the hurricane 

 that invariably accompanies a heavy storm in those 

 parts. 



The waters had regained something like their usual 

 appearance when the sun, like a great ball of glowing fire, 

 rapidly arose from behind the long range of hills in 

 Uganda : we had put out on the lake only half an hour 

 before. The men at the oars were dreamily chanting, 

 ' O — O — O Zan — zi — bar ! " keeping in time with the 

 strokes. Ahead of us land was fast closing in, both 

 shores being lined with large tracts of papyrus grass. 

 After the rain over night, the fish jumped about with 

 increased vigour. From the Uganda side came the loud 

 tones of a drum rolling out to us across the smooth 

 surface of the lake. In places one could discern canoes 

 drawn up on the small sandy parts of the beach and 

 several craft were out fishing close to the shore. Trails 

 of smoke revealed where a native village still existed in 

 the middle of a district in which the tsetse fly is said to 

 thrive. It is for this reason that the Koba-Butiaba road 

 is closed to traffic. Some twelve miles after passing 

 the Victoria or Somerset Nile, we could feel the current 

 carrying us into the great White Nile, which, as far up 

 as Nimule, is between two hundred and seven hundred 

 yards in width. Small islands of papyrus floated down 

 alongside of us. I got the gramophone out and idly we 

 drifted down the river, with now and again sufficient 

 breeze to flap the sail. The sun beat down on the 

 awning until clouds of steam arose from the rotten 

 old piece of canvas under the burning rays of the sun. 

 A mirage floated to our left and partially hid the shore 

 from view. Amidst it all the tuneful strains of the 

 " Gold and Silver " waltz, from The Merry Widow, 

 reminded us of the fact that after all, though Africa had 

 its drawbacks, it was speedily making amends for the 



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