ii6 THE PLAINS OF RUISAMBA 



Cornwall. We went on a few yards and saw what 

 must be by far the fairest view in Africa. At our 

 feet lay the great blue lake, with its bays and islands 

 and canoes, stretching for sixty miles into the 

 southern haze. Beyond, out of the haze, towering 

 up for 13,000 feet, rose the huge cones of the 

 Mfumbiro volcanoes. On our right — that is, the 

 west — the nameless blue mountains of the Nile and 

 Congo water-parting sloped steeply into the lake. 

 On our left flat lands by the lake-shore and a belt 

 of forest gave way to range upon range of the hills 

 of Ankole, where two racing thunderstorms threw 

 black shadows on the brilliant distance. Behind us 

 rose abruptly the mighty mass of Ruwenzori — not 

 the topmost snows, which lay hidden far behind, but 

 forest-covered heights and tremendous precipices, 

 with two deep gorges hewn into the very heart of 

 the mountain. 



The few miles down a gentle slope to Katwe, 

 with this glorious view constantly changing before 

 us, were quickly covered, and we halted for a short 

 time in the village near the lake-shore, looking in 

 vain for some little shelter from the sun. The 

 headman of the place and most of the population 

 came out to greet us, and we asked them for 

 bananas ; but Katwe produces nothing but salt, so 

 they could not help us beyond escorting us past the 

 old British fort,* long since abandoned, and pointing 

 out to us the track to Kasindi, which could be seen 

 * Fort George. 



