The Eastern Congo 



interesting species of baboon, which from individuals we 

 observed must be of gorilla-Hke dimensions. 



The coast is uninhabited except by a few fishermen, 

 who have built their villages in some of the small creeks. 

 As one approaches the outlet of the Semliki River, the Rift 

 Valley Mountains take an abrupt turn to the west, leaving 

 the lake enclosed only by the low flats that form the southern 

 half of the vale of the Semliki. Here are found a few in- 

 habitants of not too pleasant notoriety. 



One may describe the Semliki valley as an extensive 

 flat-bottomed gap between the Central African Rift Valley 

 Mountains on the one hand and the Ruwenzori range on 

 the other, which, from evidences showing on every hand, 

 at one time formed a narrow extension of Lake Edward.* 

 The mouth of the Semliki is not easily seen, for it is over- 

 grown with reeds formed on a sand-bar lying athwart the 

 outlet, and the current is barely perceptible. 



From a little village near the Semliki mouth it took 

 five hours' paddling to reach Kasindi on the Uganda-Congo 

 frontier, where we were welcomed by Monsieur Ballez, the 

 customs officer in charge of the station. We stood at last 

 beneath the " Mountains of the Moon " after six months 

 of strenuous travel. 



* It is curious, when one considers the fact, that crocodiles being so numerous 

 in the lower part of the Semliki, have never been found in Lake Edward ; 

 and yet such is the case, as every native will tell you. It is said to be due to 

 the rapids which exist below Lese. But I am of the opinion there must be 

 some other reason to account for the entire absence of crocodiles from Lake 

 Edward. 



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