ON THE SHORES OF I^AKE ALBERT 203 



These huts are only 25 yards from the water. Imagination 

 might draw quite a pleasant picture from certain given facts : — 

 a private hut close to the sea, the only European within hun- 

 dreds of miles, summer heat, shallow water, and patches of 

 sandy beach. But the reality is a climb down from any lofty 

 flights indulged in bv the imagination : the hut leaks like a sieve, 

 no European help is near in case of danger or illness, every 

 precaution is necessary to avoid sun-stroke, the water harbours 

 crocodiles, and the beach is rendered offensive and injurious by 

 savages untrammelled by hygienic or any other considerations. 



On my third journey across Lake Albert, I was entrusted 

 with the duty of taking arrears of pay and rations to the Mahaji 

 garrison, and of installing Nur Abdel Ba'in Effendi as officer in 

 command. I was also to select a number of men to form the 

 new garrison under Nur Effendi, and to bring the others back 

 with me. For this purpose some native dug-outs were to ac- 

 company me. The v.^eather was unsettled and threatening, and 

 Imam Effendi advised us to wait for a day or two. Both sides 

 of the lake are bordered by mountains, and until the weather is 

 sufficiently clear to see the opposite mountains, it is considered 

 unsafe to venture across the lake in an open boat. On the first 

 fine day, we embarked. As the dug-outs take longer to cross, 

 we gave them a start of four hours. At 5 p.m. I followed in 

 Her Majesty's steel-boat Alexandra, Sixteen men are required 

 to row this boat across the lake, eight on, eight off alternately, 

 four men to each side. A little grass-thatch awning, supported 

 on four sticks, is put up near the stern, in order to provide the 

 European with some shelter against the tropical sun. I had 

 shot that afternoon a young crocodile, and some of the Soudanese 

 had asked me to let them eat it. This inspired my Swahilies 

 with an impromptu boat-song, the chorus of which was — 



" Wanubi Kula mamba, 



Kula mamba, Kula mamba, 

 Wanubi Kula mamba ! " 



The last syllable of each word was yelled out fortissimo, with 

 the mouth as wide open as possible ; what Milton would call 

 " linked sweetness long drawn out." The translation is— 



" The Soudanese eat crocodiles, 

 Eat crocodiles, eat crocodiles, 

 The Soudanese eat crocodiles ! " 



