8 ZOOLOGICAL EESULTS OF THE EUWENZOEI EXPEDITION. 



Fort Portal is the seat of Government of the kingdom of Toro, and it promises to 

 develop into a town of some importance in the future. The district is very healthy — 

 cows, sheep, and goats thrive well ; beans, sweet-potatoes, bananas, and maize are 

 largely grown ; and cotton and coffee are being tried with some success. In the event 

 of the gold-mines at Kilo, just over the Congo border, proving rich, a good deal of the 

 traffic will go through Fort Portal. 



The Church Missionary Society has a lai'ge and important station at Fort Portal, 

 under the care of Mr. H. E. Maddox, who has a thorough knowledge of the natives and 

 their language : to him the Expedition was greatly indebted for help and advice 

 and also for information derived from his experience of previous journeys to Ruwenzori. 

 There is a well-organized hospital for natives, where some excellent work is being done, 

 and a large brick church is now in process of construction. There is also a large 

 station of French Roman Catholic Fathers close at hand. 



Between the two Mission stations, upon the summit of the highest ridge of Fort 

 Portal, stands the " Palace " of Kasagama, the King of Toro. 



Fort Portal is the headquarters of the Sub-Commissioner of the Western Province 

 of the Uganda Protectorate, and also of the Collector of the Toro district, Mr. J. O. 

 Haldane, to whom the expedition was deeply indebted for continual help and kind 

 hospitality. 



CAMPS. 



The first camp on Ruwenzori was formed in the Mubuku Valley on the east side 

 of the range, at an altitude of 6500 feet, and was occupied for four months. From 

 this base-camp short expeditions were made up to the higher regions and snows, but 

 the impenetrable nature of the bamboo- and tree-heath-zones, as well as much of the 

 forest, coupled with the absence of native paths above 7000 feet, prohibited much 

 exploration without considerable expense in cutting roads. 



From the Mubuku Valley a move was made to the southern end of the range, 

 where another base-camp, formed at Mokia, at an altitude of about 3400 feet, was 

 occupied for two months. 



The country at the south end of Ruwenzori forms a great contrast to the dense 

 elephant-grass and damp tropical valleys of the central part of the range. Here there 

 is a distinct lack of moisture ; short grass, euphorbia and acacia trees form a 

 welcome change. On the plain, at the foot of the hills, there are several small 

 crater-lakes of salt water, and deep dry ravines with precipitous sides extend from the 

 mountains for some distance on to the plain. This dry country extends round the 

 south of Ruwenzori and down the Semliki Valley as far as the Lume River. From 

 that point to Fort Beni the road passes over open undulating plains covered with 

 spear-grass and interspersed with many tall Borassus palms. From Fort Beni nearly 

 to the north end of Ruwenzori the Semliki Valley is overspread by the Eturi Forest, 



