January 3, 1890.] 



SCIENCE. 



tude of 50 feet above the lake. All this part can only recently 

 have been formed ; say, the last few hundred years. In one of its 

 crooked bends nearer the south-eastern range, we stumbled suddenly 

 upon the Semliki River, with an impetuous volume, from 80 to loo 

 yards wide, and an average depth of 9 feet. Its continually crum- 

 bling banks of sandy loam rose about 6 feet above it. One glance 

 at it revealed it to be a river weighted with fine sediment. When 

 we experimented, we found a drinking-glass full of water contained 

 nearly a teaspoonful of sediment. We need not wonder, then, that 

 for miles the south end of Lake Albert is so shallow that it will 

 scarcely float a row-boat. , 



Beyond the grassy portion of the valley, a few acacias begin to 

 stud it, which, as we proceed south-westerly, become detached 

 groves, then a continuous thin forest, until it reaches the dense and 

 rank tropical forest, with tall trees joined together by giant creep- 

 ers, and nourishing in its shade thick undergrowths. Every thing 

 now begins to be sloppy wet ; leaves and branches glisten with 

 dew ; weeping mosses cover stem, branch, and twig. The ground 

 is soaked with moisture : a constant mist rises from the fermenting 

 bosom of the forest. In the morning it covers the valley from end 

 to end, and during the early hours, stratum after stratum rises, 

 and, attracted by the greater drought along the slant of Ruwenzori 

 slopes, drifts upwards until the summits of the highest mountains 

 are reached, when it is gradually intensified until the white mist 

 has become a storm-cloud, and discharges its burden of moisture 

 amid bursts of thunder and copious showers. 



The valley sensibly rises faster in the forest region than in the 

 grassy part. Knolls and little rounded hills crop out, and the 

 ground is much more uneven. Violent streams have ploughed 

 deep ravines round about them, and have left long narrow ridges, 

 scarcely a stride across at the summit, between two ravines a cou- 

 ple of hundred feet deep. At about 75 miles from the Albert Ny- 

 anza the valley has attained about 900 feet of altitude above it, and 

 at this junction the forest region abruptly ends. The south-west 

 angle of Ruwenzori is about east of this, and with the change of 

 scene a change of climate occurs. We have left eternal verdure, 

 and the ceaseless distillation of mist and humid vapors into rain, 

 behind, and we now look upon grass ripe for the annual fire 

 and general droughtiness. From this place the valley becomes 

 like . a level grassy plain until the Albert Edward Nyanza is 

 reached. 



The southernmost stretch of the Ruwenzori range projects like 

 a promontory between two broad extents of the ancient bed of the 

 Albert Edward. To avoid the long detour, we cross this hilly 

 promontory in a south-easterly direction from the Semliki valley, and 

 enter eastern Usongora, and are in a land as different from that at 

 the north-western base of Ruwenzori as early summer is from mid- 

 winter. As we continue easterly, we leave Ruwenzori on our left 

 now, and the strangely configured Albert Edward Nyanza on our 

 right. The broad plains which extend between were once covered 

 by this lake. Indeed, for miles along its border there are breadths 

 of far-reaching tongues of swamp penetrating inland. Streams of 

 considerable volume pour through these plains toward the Nyanza 

 from Ruwenzori, without benefiting the land in the least. Except 

 for its covering of grass, — at this season withered and dried, — it 

 might well be called a desert ; yet in former times, not very re- 

 mote, the plains were thickly peopled. The zeribas of milk-weed, 

 and dark circles of Euphorbia, wherein the shepherds herded their 

 cattle by night, prove that, as well as the hundreds of cattle-dung 

 mounds we come across. The raids of the Waganda and the 

 Warasura have depopulated the land of the Wasongora, the former 

 occupants, and have left only a miserable remnant, who subsist by 

 doing work for the Warasura, their present masters. 



From Usongora we enter Toro, the Albert Edward Nyanza 

 being still on our right, and our course being now north-easterly, 

 as though our purpose was to march to Lake Albert again. After 

 about 20 miles' march, we turn east, leave the plains of the Albert 

 Edward, and ascend to the uplands of Uhaiyana, which having 

 gained, our course is south until we have passed Unyampaka, 

 which I first saw in 1876. 



South of Unyampaka stretches Ankori, a large country, and 

 thickly peopled. The plains have an altitude of over 5,000 feet 

 above the sea, but the mountains rise to as high as 6,400 feet. As 



Ankori extends to the Alexandra Nile, we have the well-known 

 land of Karagwe south of this river. 



Since leaving the Albert Nyanza, between Kavalli and the 

 Semliki River, we traversed the lands of the Wavira and Babegga. 

 On crossing the Semliki, we entered the territory of the Awamba. 

 When we gained the grassy terrace at the base of the Ruwenzori 

 range, we travelled on the border-line between the Wakonju, who 

 inhabit the lower slopes of Ruwenzori, and the Awamba, who in- 

 habit the forest region of the Semliki valley. The Wakonju are 

 the only people who dwell upon the mountains. They build their 

 villages as high as 8,000 feet above the sea. In time of war — for 

 the Warasura have invaded their country also — they retreat up to 

 the neighborhood of the snows. They say that once fifty men took 

 refuge right in the snow region, but it was so bitterly cold that 

 only thirty returned to their homes. Since that time they have a 

 dread of the upper regions of their mountains. 



As far as the south-west angle of Ruwenzori, the slopes of the 

 front line of hills are extensively cultivated. The fields of sweet- 

 potatoes, millet, eleusine, and plantations of bananas, describe all 

 kinds of squares, and attract the attention ; while between each 

 separate settlement the wild banana thrives luxuriantly, growing 

 at as high an altitude as the summits of the highest spurs, where- 

 on the Wakonju have constructed their villages. 



Though we were mutually hostile at first, and had several little 

 skirmishes, we became at last acquainted with the Wakonju, and 

 very firm, close friends. The common enemy were the Warasura ; 

 and the flight of the Warasura, upon hearing of our advance, re- 

 vealed to the Wakonju that they ought to be friends with all those 

 who were supposed to be hostile to their oppressors. Hence we 

 received goats, bananas, and native beer in abundance. Our loads 

 were carried, guides furnished us, and every intelligence of the 

 movements of the Wanyoro brought us. In their ardor to engage 

 the foe, a band of them accompanied us across Usongora and 

 Toro to the frontier of Uhaiyana. 



South-west of Awamba, beyond the forest region of the Semliki 

 valley, begins Usongora. This country occupies the plains border- 

 ing the north-west and north of Lake Albert Edward. The 

 people are a fine race, but in no way differing from the finer types 

 of men seen in Karagwe and Ankori, and the Wahuma shepherds 

 of Uganda. Their food consists of milk and meat, the latter eaten 

 raw or slightly warmed. 



The Toro natives are a mixture of the higher class of Negroes, 

 somewhat like the Waganda. They have become so amalgamated 

 with the lower Wanyoro that we can find nothing distinctive. The 

 same may be said of the Wahaiyana. What the royal families of 

 these tribesmay be, we can only imagine from having seen the 

 rightful prince of Usongora in Ankori, who was as perfect a speci- 

 men of a pure Galla as could be found in Shoa. But you need not 

 conclude from this that only the royal families possess fine fea- 

 tures. These Ethiopic types are thickly spread among the Wa- 

 huma of these Central African uplands. Wherever we find a land 

 that enjoys periods of peace, we find the Wahuma at home, with 

 their herds ; and in looking at them one might fancy one's self 

 transported from the midst of Abyssinia. 



Ankori is a land which, because of its numbers and readiness to 

 resistance, enjoys long terms of uninterrupted peace ; and here the 

 Wahuma are more numerous than elsewhere. The royal family 

 are Wahuma : the chiefs, and all the wealthier and more im- 

 portant people, are pure Wahuma. Their only occupation, besides 

 warring when necessary, is breeding and tending cattle. The 

 agricultural class consists of slaves ; at least, such is the term by 

 which they are designated. The majority of the Wahuma can 

 boast of features quite as regular, fine, and delicate as Europeans. 



The countries to the south of the Albert Edward are still unex- 

 plored, and we have not heard much respecting them ; but what we 

 have heard differs much from that which you find illustrated by 

 that irregular sheet of water called Muta Nzige, in the " Dark 

 Continent " map. 



Ruanda bears the name of Unyavingi to the people of Ukonju, 

 Usongora, and Ankori, and is a large compact country lying be- 

 tween the Alexandra Nile and the Kongo watershed to the west, 

 and reaching to within one day's long march of the Albert Edward. 

 It also overlaps a portion of the south-west side of that lake. The 



