ON LAKE ALBERT. 147 



in answer to a written request to send me pots containing a 

 few coffee-plants, Mtesa forwarded a bundle of dry branches 

 four to six feet in length. In conversation with the men, the 

 name of Musaba was mentioned as denoting the land to the 

 north-east of Uganda ; I had previously heard this name, but 

 I am unable to identify it, unless it be the Masaba to the 

 south-east of Mruii. 



After concluding my official duties at Magiingo, where a 

 number of meteorological and hypsometrical observations were 

 made, it was time to think of our departure. A comparison 

 of the compass on land and on the steamer showed a great 

 difference; the reading on the land gave 344° (N. being 

 360 ) ; that on the steamer was 159°; so that this difference 

 must be taken into account in the construction of the map. 



A violent thunderstorm delayed our departure, but at 6.43 

 a.m. the steamer Khedive carried us towards the lake. As 

 a rule, the passage across the lake to Mahagi is made after 

 midnight, as from 9 A.M. strong breezes from the S. and 

 S.S.W. sweep over the lake. Following a nearly westerly 

 direction, we quickly steamed beyond the river proper, which 

 has been very well described by Colonel Mason. At 7.10 

 A.M. we passed the doleb palms which form a landmark 

 here, and then for some time hugged the land to the N.W., on 

 account of the strong wind. We then shaped our course to 

 the S.S.W., towards the mountains, and then parallel to them. 

 During the first part of our journey, the level tract extending 

 for half a mile to one mile and a half to the foot of the hills 

 is overgrown with grass and some few trees, but farther on it 

 is covered in parts by beautiful woods, and many large villages 

 are seen near to each other. The lake was rather rough, and 

 its water of a dark sea-green colour. We only noticed a few 

 swifts and darters ; much floating Pistia was being driven by 

 the wind from the south ; the eastern shore was entirely hidden 

 by mist. At I o. 5 5 A - M - we reached our station, Mahagi, which 

 is not situated on the point designated by Colonel Mason 

 Mahagi, but three and a half or four hours farther to the north, 

 and is, properly speaking, misnamed, as Mahagi is really the 

 name of a village to the south. The landing was somewhat 

 difficult, owing to shallow water. When sailing along the 



