28 EASTERN ETHIOPIA in 



grass-covered hill, when suddenly the Ripon Falls, or 

 cascades of Jinja, come into view. The river at its 

 origin divides Uganda on the west from Busoga on its 

 east bank. Speke on his second journey (1863) saw the 

 falls from the Uganda side ; tourists are conducted to 

 them by a well-kept pathway on the east side. As we 

 traversed the footway, humped cattle grazed amidst a 

 flock of buff-backed herons, busy picking ticks from the 

 backs of oxen. On reaching the falls w r e found the 

 rushing water carrying over large fish ; the natives 

 were busy securing some of them with spears. The 

 ferry, as in Speke's time, runs across the gulf above the 



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Bayru* docmac. The rushing deep green waters carry large fish over 

 the falls ; the natives who haunt the coves with their spear- 

 like harpoons secure some of them. 



falls, but the crocodile and hippopotamus have retreated 

 to the deep and silent pools a mile or so below, where 

 the shores, thickly covered with trees, reeds, and rushes, 

 are rendered dangerous by the dreaded tsetse-fly. 



The rocks and trees in the river immediately below 

 the falls are crowded with herons, cormorants, and 

 egrets. One of the most conspicuous birds around the 

 lake and head-waters of the Nile is the Vociferous Sea- 

 Eagle. This, the handsomest of all the sea-eagles with 

 its white head, neck, breast and tail, but chestnut belly, 

 looks superb perched alone on the top of a high tree and 

 sometimes on a telegraph post for hours, occasionally 



