Lake Tanganyika 



wear, and probably unshaven, but in the eyes of each, in 

 their ovm particular way, lurking the indomitable spirit of 

 the Anglo-Saxon. 



The old mango tree, growing at the place where they 

 met, is known to the natives as the " White Man's Tree " ; 

 underneath it the Belgians have caused to be made a solid 

 block of masonry and cement with the words " Livingstone 

 Stanley. 1871 " engraven on it. This spot is now some 

 hundreds of yards away from the water's edge, but in 1871 

 it might be described as " on the bank close to the shore," 

 thus telling of the sinking or drying-up process of Lake 

 Tanganyika. Moreover, this drying-up process is inevitably 

 going on all over Africa, more noticeable in some places than 

 in others, but not slowly anywhere, due in no small measure 

 to the continual deforestation that takes place year after 

 year throughout the continent. 



With a population of twenty-four thousand, Swahilis and 

 coast natives, Ujiji has always been a great Arab trading 

 centre, principally for slaves and ivory in years gone by. 

 It is an exceedingly interesting old town with a maze of 

 streets and picturesque Arab houses half hidden amongst 

 the thick foliage of mango and palm. It is interesting to 

 remember that the first steamer on Lake Tanganyika was 

 launched by missionaries in 1884. The town came under 

 German rule in 1890 and was occupied without resistance 

 by the Belgians on July 29th, 1916. 



Shortly after our arrival at Kigoma news was received 

 that Peace had been signed, which event was duly celebrated 

 in a general holiday, firing of guns, blowing of whistles, 

 and a probable ending of sore heads. The death-blow, many 

 of us must hope, to German aspirations over Lake Tanganyika. 



15 



