BACK AT LAKE ALBERT. 139 



Magiingo, choosing a road to the north of that by which 

 we previously travelled. At Magiingo the steamer Nyanza 

 was to await us. A very steep road leads from Kiroto to 

 Khor Yaringo, and is rendered the more laborious by the 

 numerous little watercourses which run across it, and the large 

 reed thickets. The strong current of the muddy hhor — the 

 same we had previously passed lower down — reached up to 

 our knees. Leaving, to the left, a little village, we passed on 

 through park land to another Ichor, the bed of which lay at 

 a considerable depth, and its water reached up to our waists. 

 We halted for the night at Kiibia, and hastened to erect our 

 huts, for the rain threatened. The rain always seems to 

 travel with us. In Kabrega's territory, in Uganda, and here 

 too, we experienced incessant rain, and, to add to our dis- 

 comfort, this time all my men were ill. Marching in the 

 cool of the morning is very pleasant, but generally involves 

 a cold bath, because the abundant dew on the long grass 

 comes down in showers upon the traveller. Upon this 

 occasion there followed a bath proper as we waded knee-deep 

 across the numerous watercourses. 



The gentle descent towards Magiingo began here, although 

 it was as yet imperceptible. We passed the night at 

 Kangara, where one of my men fell ill with smallpox, and 

 the next morning we crossed the ridge of hills which runs 

 across the road, and from the summits of which a good 

 view is afforded of isolated mountains lying towards the 

 south-west. A small village called Fejau lay at the base of 

 the hills opposite. We passed it rapidly, in order to prevent 

 the porters from plundering the deserted huts. I was, how- 

 ever, compelled to remain the night at Usonda, not much 

 farther on, as my patients could hold up no longer. 



A sharp march of three hours over very hard red clay soil 

 was next accomplished. The condition of the ground proved 

 that the hhar if, with its rain, had not yet reached this district, 

 but the blooming Terminalias and Combretas indicated its near 

 approach. A pool in which we had hoped to find some water 

 only contained a little mud. One more ascent and we saw 

 at last the mountains on the western shores of the Albert 

 Lake and its shining waters. From this point the slope of 



