RELIGIOUS FERVOUR OF PORTERS 59 



definitely recognized as a snow range, and for very 

 nearly twenty years more they remained as little 

 known and as mysterious as ever. 



After several days' delay at Toro, I eventually 

 dragged my porters away, sick and convalescent 

 and malinoerinp-, and set out almost due south for 

 the camp of the expedition in Ruwenzori. It was 

 a great relief to change the direction and no longer 

 to march with the sun burning one's back through 

 all the long hours of the morning. This is a point 

 quite worthy of the attention of other travellers in 

 Africa ; if possible, go into the country at the west 

 and travel eastwards rather than in the reverse direc- 

 tion. Not only was the direction changed, but the 

 climate seemed to be changing too ; the nights 

 became colder and the mornings chilly enough to 

 keep the porters late abed. There were no regular 

 camping-places along this road, and the porters built 

 for themselves little beehive-shaped shelters of sticks 

 and grass. When they were slow at turning out in 

 the morning, I went the round of those huts and 

 prodded with a stick, like a douanier searching for 

 contraband, through the flimsy grass walls, until I 

 felt something soft and fleshy, and then it was 

 astounding to see how they skipped out through the 

 rabbit-hole opening. 



Whether it was that the porters had committed 

 many and grievous sins in Toro, which must be 

 expiated, or because they felt that they were coming 

 into a strange and fearful land, I do not know, but 



