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v 



ANKOLE AND KARAGWE. 73 



feet (that of the Victoria plateau being usually 

 from 4,(300 to 4,100 feet) ; they are cut up by 

 twisting and meandering valleys (often 1,000 feet 

 deep) into a most curious meshwork. Travelling 

 amongst these hills is not at all pleasant. 



As a rule the road follows the watershed, keep- 

 ing on the short grass which covers the summit ; 

 thus sometimes one may have to walk round a 

 circle, perhaps 8 or 10 miles, to reach a point, 

 separated by a deep valley, only some 4 miles 

 off. These valleys are curiously steep-sided. 

 Away down in the bottom one sees Euphorbia 

 trees and isolated bushes or masses of bananas, 

 and little grass huts, out of which the more active 

 inhabitants come flying up the hill to stare on the 

 European. 



Usually speaking, they contain no running 

 water, and the natives trust to springs which 

 exist at isolated spots on the sides of the valleys, 

 often about 4,700 feet up. This is an effect of 

 the drying-up of the Victoria Nyanza, as already 

 explained. Sometimes these valleys have only a 

 narrow outlet, and are occupied by an immense 

 papyrus swamp ; some even appear to have no 

 outlet at all. 



The country appears to be very poor ; there are 

 only a few miserable huts, with scanty patches of 

 sweet potatoes or beans, scattered about on the 

 hills at long distances. 



The best and most prosperous settlements are 



