THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 157 



Cuninghame and men back late and wet. They had 

 strung the rope, and had got across through water 

 breast deep over huge slippery boulders, only to find 

 themselves on a third island beyond which the river 

 flowed ten feet deep and forty feet wide. There was 

 nothing for this but a block and tackle, but first we had 

 to get a fine across. By means of many tosses from 

 the ends of long poles Cuninghame at last got a knot 

 to jam in a palm root. A volunteer went across on this 

 and made fast. Then they left it until to-morrow. 



Heard Kongoni express the situation thus: 



"When we had finished the bridges we thought we 

 had caught (kamata) the river; but it turned out to be 

 only a toto. " * 



One and a half hours; 5 miles; elevation, 4,200; 

 morning, 66; noon, 84; night, 68. 



September 5. — Crossed the river in two hours by (a) 

 three bridges, (b) a deep ford with handline, and (c) by 

 block and tackle. Slung the loads over first with the 

 pulley, then lowered the rope to water level and dragged 

 ourselves over hand over hand. Some of the men, 

 notably the Kavirondo, were quick and handy; but 

 others spluttered and ducked and kicked and splashed 

 something wonderful ! We camped on the high ground 

 the other side, and proceeded to dry out. Left the rope 

 in place for our return. 



After lunch Cuninghame and I scouted across a 



* Baby — ^young one. 



