DISCOVERY OF THE VICTORIA N'YANZA. 85 



this district being in the hands of its present owners, 

 it were ruled by a few scores of Europeans, what an 

 entire revolution a few years would bring forth ! An 

 extensive market would be opened to the world, the 

 present nakedness of the land would have a covering, 

 and industry and commerce would clear the way for 

 civilisation and enlightenment. At present the na- 

 tural inert laziness and ignorance of the people is 

 their own and their country's bane. They are all 

 totally unaware of the treasures at their feet. This 

 dreadful sloth is in part engendered by the excessive 

 bounty of the land in its natural state ; by the little 

 want of clothes or other luxuries, in consequence of 

 the congenial temperature ; and from the people 

 having no higher object in view than the first - 

 coming meal, and no other stimulus to exertion by 

 example or anytliing else. Thus they are, both 

 morally and physically, little better than brutes, 

 and as yet there is no better prospect in store for 

 them. The climate is a paradox quite beyond my 

 solving, unless the numerous and severe maladies 

 that we all suffered from, during the first eight 

 months of our explorations, may be attributed to too 

 much exposure ; and even that does not solve the 

 problem. To all appearance, the whole of the country 

 to the westward of the east-coast range is high, dry, 

 and healthy. No unpleasant exhalations pollute the 

 atmosphere ; there are no extremes of temperature ; 

 the air is neither too hot nor too cold ; and a little 



