1 82 A SAIL UPON THE ALBERT LAKE. 



diagonal crevices in the rock, which formed high and difficult 

 steps ; but worse than these were the sharp stones, which pre- 

 vented us from getting a good foothold, and the thorny acacias, 

 which made the narrow path still narrower. 



Towards the summit the ascent was easier, because the stones 

 became fewer and the ground more level. At 9.24 A.M. we 

 reached a good road, which seemed to lead on farther in a 

 south-easterly direction. On our left were several small dome- 

 like summits, separated from each other by depressions, evi- 

 dently belonging to the northern part of the range we had just 

 ascended. - Straight in front of us, at about half an hour's 

 distance, another low dome-shaped eminence closed in the 

 view, whilst on our right was yet another elevation of the same 

 character, which we proceeded to climb. We finally rested 

 under the shade of a mean-looking Balanite. Here the aneroid 

 reading at 9. 40 a.m. was 26.79 in. at 78°Fahr. (in the shade). 

 This, without any correction, indicates that we were about 1 1 5 o 

 feet above the level of the lake, which agrees sufficiently well 

 with the altitude of 3 000 feet assumed for the elevated plateau 

 of the region lying between the lakes. 



From the position we occupied, both the steamer and the 

 village were out of sight ; this, however, was due to the forma- 

 tion of the hills. The several terraces mount up one above 

 the other like bastions, and are each crowned by a narrow flat 

 ridge, whilst the steep channels already mentioned connect the 

 terraces together. The view downwards is cut off by the pro- 

 jecting terraces and the close thickets and bushes growing on 

 the lower slopes. Away in the west, on the other shore of the 

 lake, the lofty hills of Londu. were wrapped in mist. Close to 

 the edge of the hills, on our right, a narrow sandy cape ran 

 out into the lake, bending round at its extremity on both sides 

 like an anchor. This, too, was evidently of quite recent forma- 

 tion, for it bore no vestige of vegetation. 



All the summits of the hills are covered with Anthistiria 

 grass, which serves as food for the sheep and goats that 

 are brought up here to graze when they can get nothing 

 better. A species of Scabiosa, with whitish blossoms and very 

 pleasant smell, also abounds, but trees are few and low — such 

 as some yellow-flowering acacias, Balanites, Zizyphus, Grewia, 



