34 CIVILIZED UGANDA 



hard to equal anywhere. Forty miles away on the 

 southern horizon lie the Sese Islands, so brilliantly 

 described by Sir Harry Johnston, and toward the 

 east headland after headland and more islands, like 

 the isles of Greece, as far as the eye can reach. 

 Inland are dark green forests, flat plains of papyrus, 

 and range upon range of grass-topped hills. 



Entebbe is almost purely and simply a Govern- 

 ment station. Of the Europeans who live there, 

 there are not more than half a dozen who have no 

 connexion with the administration. There are four 

 European trading firms, only one of these being 

 English, while the rest of the trade is carried on by 

 Indian merchants. So far as I could find out, there 

 was in the year 1905 only one genuine colonist in 

 the whole of Uganda. There had been three or 

 four others at different times, who had either died 

 or had become bankrupt, until only one remained ; 

 but perhaps rumour exaggerated the tale. 



Twenty miles north of Entebbe is Kampala, or 

 Mengo, as it is variously called ; strictly speaking, 

 Kampala is the name of the Government part of 

 the town, and Mengo the name of the missionary 

 quarter and the part about the royal palace. There 

 will no doubt be a light railway from Entebbe 

 before long, but at present you go along a broad 

 high road on a bicycle (if you have one), or by 

 rickshaw, or by mule-cart — horses are few and far 

 between in Uganda. It was my fate to go by 

 rickshaw, drawn by two relays of four sturdy 



