CARAVAN LIFE 



33 



when darkness had already set in, and these sweet-potatoes 

 were the first food the porters had received for two days. 



The journey to Uganda can be shortened by crossing 

 Lake Victoria Nyanza from Kavirondo to Port AUce. I once 

 crossed in the Church Mission Society's steel-boat. It is a 

 sailing-boat. We took three days from Sio Bay (Kavirondo) to 

 Port Alice (Uganda). We only sailed as long as we had day- 



THE CHURCH MISSION SOCIETY S STEEL-BOAT ON LAKE VICTORIA NYANZA. 



light ; then we landed, pitched tents, and passed tiie night on 

 shore. Made entirely of steel, the little cabin on the boat 

 became unbearable with the heat, as there was not a cloud to 

 take off some of the sun's rays. The boat is hired periodically 

 by the Government. My loads, men, donkey, and sheep, all 

 found room aboard. It was on this trip, that I had an accident 

 to my right hand, which produced blood-poisoning and neces- 

 sitated several operations, two of them under chloroform, per- 

 formed by the Church Mission Society's temporary doctor ; 

 but in the end 1 lost the use of the metacarpo-phalangeal joint 

 and was left with a stiff joint for the rest of my life. 



Caravan life when it rains incessantly day and night becomes 



c 



