The Eastern Congo 



armed with five rifles, and a load of ammunition, not to 

 mention our two policemen. 



As mentioned previously the Barundi do not make good 

 porters ; thus it was that the fourth day out from Kitega, 

 and having crossed the Ruvubu River, we had to obtain 

 a fresh lot to take us on our way. To ourselves, as well 

 as the carriers, these long steep-sided downs became very 

 fatiguing ; so as a rule we made camp at midday, spending 

 the afternoon in collecting insects and recuperating for the 

 following day's trek. My collecting boys were now, after a 

 month's training, beginning to prove useful and often brought 

 me something new and interesting, anything good being 

 rewarded with a small amount of tobacco as an encourage- 

 ment. Thus the days passed in hard physical exercise which 

 toughened our muscles for the many hundreds of miles we 

 had yet to go, and presently brought us to Lake Chohoa, 

 within the boundary of that highly interesting riverine district 

 situated directly between Lake Kivu and the Victoria-Nyanza. 



Before closing this chapter, however, and for the infor- 

 mation of would-be travellers in the region we had just 

 traversed, let me offer a note of warning to anyone attempting 

 to pass through Central Urundi in the rains. Nothing more 

 inhospitable or depressing can well be found than these 

 vast and monotonous steppes in the rainy season, and to 

 be caught in a heavy storm on the summit of one of these 

 great wind-swept downs, away from shelter of any kind, 

 might well lead to disaster. The only time to make the 

 trip is between the months of May and August, and then 

 the help of the Government is necessary or one is indeed 

 likely to find oneself stranded without a single porter, all 

 having disappeared in the night. 



34 



