ACROSS THE VICTORIA NYANZA 27 



they manage in the same way as we do. When 

 the net comes into shallow water, the women wade 

 out with large baskets of a fine mesh, with which 

 they scoop up quantities of small fry. These little 

 fish, prepared by the cook on board, were excellent, 

 and not unlike whitebait. 



The voyage down the Gulf was made in a 

 succession of heavy thunder-storms, which came 

 sweeping" down from the hills on the south and 

 east, the last foot-hills of the Mau range. It was 

 astonishing how quickly the sea rose even in this 

 land-locked gulf, but when we came near to open 

 water there was such a heavy sea running that it 

 was thought advisable, although the moon was full, 

 to anchor for the night in the shelter of one of the 

 many islands. It was curious to hear the hoot of 

 an owl and the grunt of an otter, and all the while 

 to feel the roll of a ship apparently at sea. 



The voyage across the lake to Entebbe is not in 

 any way interesting. F'or a short time the ship is 

 out of sight of land, but generally the north shore is 

 in sight, or some of the innumerable islands that lie 

 along the coast. A few seagulls and cormorants, 

 the only birds that I saw, made it hard to believe 

 that this was not the sea. The only remarkable 

 thing I saw was some heavy dark clouds, which 

 rose rapidly on the horizon, and seemed to portend 

 a sudden storm. However, there was no cause for 

 alarm, as they were nothing more serious than im- 

 mense swarms of flies, which have a habit of coming 



