THE SALTWORKS OF KIBIRO. 177 



the hills and heaped up at their foot. The path led at first 

 between groups of dirty-looking, miserable huts ; but the 

 people have some excuse for their unsatisfactory condition, 

 seeing that they have to purchase the long grass of which 

 these huts are constructed, with salt, from beyond the hills. A 

 slight bend of the path westwards, and we stood before the 

 saltworks. 



•Immediately on our left rose the lofty mountain chain, and 

 at its foot gushed forth the hot springs, to which we de- 

 scended. These springs are situated in a kind of deep ravine, 

 ending in a corrie with perpendicular walls, formed by the 

 incaving of the hills behind. Blocks of stone and masses of 

 debris — fragments of primitive rock — lie scattered about here in 

 chaotic confusion, and, under the combined effects of heat and 

 moisture, they have assumed the appearance of wacke. The 

 floor of the ravine and the stones with which it is littered, 

 are so hot that one cannot bear the hand upon them ; the heat 

 even penetrates through the shoes to the feet. On every side 

 we heard the continuous bubbling and hissing of water, and the 

 gurgling of gases issuing from the hot mud. Hundreds of tiny 

 springs burst from the overheated soil, and fill the air with 

 sulphurous gases, with which is mingled a slight smell of 

 bitumen. The atmosphere has such a high temperature that 

 we felt almost stifled, and as if we were in a steam bath — and 

 this idea was further strengthened by the little jets of steam 

 which rose on all sides from the boiling water. This " witch's 

 caldron," in which we come face to face with the workings of 

 Nature's forces, is called by the Wanyoro, " Kabigga." The 

 perfectly clear water gushes out from under stones, out of 

 crevices in the rock, and directly out of the ground. Seen in 

 a glass, it has a yellowish tinge. In several places its tem- 

 perature varies between 185° and 195° Fahr., and it gives off 

 a slight smell like that of sulphuretted hydrogen. In taste 

 the water is rather saline, and when taken in large quanti- 

 ties, it acts as a moderate purgative. It flows strongest 

 in calm weather, wind and rain diminishing its outgush. 

 Earthquake shocks are rather frequent in Kibiro. I saw no 

 vegetation in the ravine, or at least none at its farther ex- 

 tremity ; but its upper rim was clothed with thick bushes and 



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