56 THE PROVINCE OF TOPvO 



with a mountain torrent, the Mpanga River, rush- 

 injT- through the midst. An hour's walk to the north 

 of Toro takes you to two lovely little crater-lakes, 

 full of wild-duck and water-lilies, and if you walk 

 a few miles farther still you come to one of those 

 wonderful surprises of which Africa is so fond. 

 The road, which has been ascending slowly but 

 surely all the way, suddenly disappears at your feet, 

 and you seem to be standing on the edge of the 

 world. It is another of the great African escarp- 

 ments, the Eastern edge of what has been called the 

 Albertine Depression. At the foot of the escarp- 

 ment, 3,000 feet below, are woods and yellow plains 

 and the Semliki River winding through the distance. 

 Far beyond are the pointed hills of the Congo water- 

 shed, and shimmering in the haze to the north are 

 the waters of Lake Albert. 



But the greatest glory of Toro is the superb view 

 of Ruwenzori which may often be seen from there. 

 Although Toro lies within a very few miles of the 

 north-eastern end of the range, it is often completely 

 hidden from sight ; in fact, I was myself for many 

 days within a short distance of the mountains, and 

 could not even have suspected their existence, but 

 frequently they may be seen for days together filling 

 up the western view from Toro — a mighty wall of 

 forest-covered ridges, which mount higher towards 

 the south and dwindle away towards the northern 

 plains like a headland in the sea. deep valleys filled 

 with trees and shadows, in the far distance a towering 



