308 AFRICA SPEAKS 



Next morning thousands of the sacred ibis of Egypt 

 flew about the boat and covered the trees along both 

 shores hke white blossoms. The country teemed with 

 game. FamiHes of hippopotami disported near the 

 banks, while on the sandbars, crocodiles yawned in the 

 sun. At near to noon my boy shouted *'Tembu, 

 bwana," and sure enough there were four elephants 

 slowly walking along the water's edge on the eastern 

 bank. They surveyed the passing boat for a few 

 seconds, then with trunks flung high, wheeled about 

 and ambled away through the high swamp grass. 



This trip down the Nfle was one of abounding inter- 

 est. On the western side are many viUages of the 

 Lugwari and Alulu tribes, while the eastern shore is 

 unpeopled. It is a closed area — closed to both 

 white and black, for its swamps are deadly with 

 sleeping sickness. 



At the different stops along the river, to discharge 

 cargo or take on wood for fuel, we were met by the 

 entire population. These were a primitive people, 

 both men and women wearing only what nature pro- 

 vided, but they seemed to be a happy lot, running 

 aboard the boat with their loads of wood as if it were 

 a great lark. 



After leaving the wood station of Panyngoro, it 

 only required two hours to steam to Pakwach, another 

 fuel depot on the west bank. This place was twice 

 the size of Mahaji Port, boasting of two grass huts I 

 We were now a total of seven hundred four miles 

 from Nairobi, the last fifty-four being by boat from 

 Butiaba. While the naked men and women of this 

 viUage were putting the wood on board, I took a look 

 around and decided to land. This proved a ticklish 



