ENTER THE LAKE. 163 



bank is flatter, and is covered with short grass and planted with 

 a few trees ; it is, in fact, of the true savannah type. Every- 

 where there were large herds of antelopes, and very frequently a 

 troop of elephants appeared on their way to pasture or to get 

 water. The banks seldom rise more than a foot and a half 

 above the surface of the stream. Immediately behind the fringe 

 of bushes that line the banks, were the durrah-fields of the 

 sparse native population, to guard which numerous watch-huts 

 have been erected. The harvest, in consequence of continued 

 drought and want of rain, did not look very promising. 



Shortly after noon we passed the village of Fanigoro, belong- 

 ing to the chief Okello, which gives its name to this particular 

 district. The village, consisting of scattered groups of huts, 

 generally erected under the shade of a few clumps of trees, 

 is spread over the upper slopes of the western hill-range. 

 Numerous huts appeared also on the east of the river. The 

 inhabitants are Aluri, together with Shifalu-Wanyoro, who, 

 under their chief Amara, migrated hither in 1879, when we 

 abandoned our station at Magimgo. Both languages — Liir 

 and Kinyoro — are consequently spoken here. 



A short distance to the south of Fauigoro, the principal 

 mountain range on the west of the lake approaches considerably 

 nearer, and splits into two distinct parallel chains, the nearer 

 one being lower than the more remote one ; the latter, how- 

 ever, as it trends away towards the south, is frequently screened 

 from sight by the former. The eastern bank of the river- 

 bed now receded farther and farther towards the south-east, 

 for the course which the river takes is slightly towards the 

 west. At 2.30 P.M. we saw the extreme point of the right 

 margin of the river; thence it recedes eastwards to the mouth 

 of the stream which reaches the lake from Magiingo. 



Entering the lake, we were met by masses of drifting Pistia 

 rosettes. We hugged the western shore, and soon reached the 

 district of the chief Boki, and his village, which bears the name 

 of Fanyumori. Seen from a distance, this village has a very 

 inviting appearance. Along the foot of the somewhat lofty 

 hills, which bear on their slopes numerous huts constructed in 

 the Magimgo style, is a broad low-lying tract, covered with 

 short, succulent green grass, and having several groves of fine 



