FORESTS AND PYGMIES 187 



solid foundation of beans. It is quite possible that 

 many of them drink only milk, as water is ex- 

 cessively scarce ; springs are very rare above 

 6,000 feet, and the only available water is that 

 which is collected in pools after rain. We crossed 

 a tiny stream of running water at about 6,400 feet, 

 the last Nile water that we saw ; after that we saw 

 no sign of water until we came to Lake Kivu, about 

 forty miles south as the crow flies. 



Above the level of cultivation, which extends to 

 an altitude of about 7,000 feet, the mountain-sides 

 are clothed with dense forests of bamboos and big 

 trees, which appeared to be the same as those that 

 occur at the same level in Ruwenzori. The possi- 

 bility of finding big forests in the volcano region 

 was one of the strongest reasons which had made 

 us choose the Lake Kivu route from Uganda to the 

 Congo, and it was a very bitter disappointment to 

 us to pass through it without having a chance of 

 investigating its birds and plants. We were still so 

 feeble from the effects of our fever that it was the 

 utmost we could do to struggle along the path, 

 such as it was, much less could we have climbed 

 the steep mountain slopes above us. Added to this 

 was the difficulty of obtaining water, which would 

 have entailed engaging a larger force of porters 

 than we could conveniently have compassed ; and 

 the Belgians said that if we wanted to wander in 

 the volcanoes, we must have an escort to protect 

 us against the doubtfully friendly natives, and 



