VEGETATION IN UNYORO. 53 



dragged with us required, , when wet, five men to carry it, 

 I determined to wait ; and I did well, for at two o'clock 

 it still rained as persistently as ever, so our further march 

 was put off until the following morning. My porters, who 

 last night devoured an ox, were now lying hungrily around 

 a smoking fire ; and I too had only what was absolutely 

 necessary. 



Next morning a very cloudy sky did not promise well for 

 our further journey; nevertheless we broke up camp in good 

 time (6. 1 5 A.M.) in order to reach our distant quarters at 

 the appointed hour. A very hilly country spread itself out 

 before us ; both sides of the way were flanked with solitary 

 hills, and our progress was rendered irksome by antediluvian 

 grass and bushes often ten feet high. Entada sudanica, with 

 its ripe fruit, was frequently to be seen along the road. In 

 swampy places there were groups and bushes of Phoenix sjpinosa. 

 Magnificent growths of papyrus fringed the watercourses. 

 This day, too, we did not escape the rain ; and as only grass 

 and forest lay before us, and neither huts nor plantations were 

 to be seen, we were compelled to press vigorously forwards, 

 until, about two o'clock in the afternoon, we reached a small 

 group of miserable huts, where we were obliged to remain for 

 the night. The inhabitants had fled at our approach, but 

 we found fires still burning in the huts. Matongali Yukimba, 

 the chief of the village, did not keep us long waiting, for we 

 had hardly placed our things under cover when he, accom- 

 panied by two subchiefs and several of his people, put in an 

 appearance, to pay his respects to me and to present me with 

 a goat and two sheep — quite a luxury. The people impressed 

 me favourably ; they were modest and unpretentious, and 

 satisfied with anything that was given them. If they were 

 allowed to choose between glass beads and cloth, they preferred 

 the latter. This place was called Kimanya. 



The Wanyoro appear to be very much afraid of dew and 

 rain ; at any rate they will never get up early in the morning ; 

 and if, when on the march, they come upon grass wet with 

 dew, they lay down their loads and quickly tie before them 

 either a large banana-leaf or a bunch of dry leaves in order to 

 protect themselves. A woman who was travelling with us was 



