CHAPTER V 



THE PROVINCE OF TORO 



' And then I looked up toward a mountain tract, 

 That girt the region with high cHff and lawn.' 



Tennyson. 



As one travels westward from the Victoria Nyanza 

 across Uganda, the country becomes daily poorer 

 and less populated. The rich elephant-grass country 

 of the kingdom of Uganda is left behind, and the 

 road traverses the rocky highlands of Unyoro. The 

 latter is more picturesque ; there are more flowers, 

 and occasionally one can see a distant view of hills 

 and valleys ; but one day's march is very like another, 

 up hill and down dale yesterday and to-day and 

 to-morrow. Indeed, I found it so wearisome that 

 I registered a vow never to return through Uganda, 

 but to go straight on until I came to the sea on the 

 other side ; as a matter of fact, I did return by the 

 same route, only to make preparations for the journey 

 to the sea. 



I was glad enough when, after nearly a fortnight's 

 march, we arrived at Toro, the capital of the Western 

 Province of Uganda, and the most westerly British 

 post. Like many other places in Africa, Toro is 

 known by a variety of names. Strictly speaking, 



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