78 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



this point it flows to the Victoria Nyanza, broaden- 

 ing on the way into four or five large lakes, which 

 have not been noticed, so far as I know, by any 

 other observer.* It does not join the Kagera 

 river, though it is represented as doing so on 

 most maps — an error which appears to be due to 

 Kumanika' s information . 



At last, on the 28th of March, after toiling up 

 one of the stoniest and steepest of the Ankoli hills, 

 I saw an enormous mountain mass, which could 

 be nothing but Euwenzori, the end and object of 

 about 1,300 weary miles of marching. It was a 

 very curious spot. 



Looking south-east, my eye travelled along the 

 edge of the Ruampalas ; before me lay part of the 

 Victoria plateau, here of a very broken, lumpy 

 character, with occasional isolated hills, of which 

 one, Ibanda, had much the appearance of a 

 volcano. Except for these the plateau was seen 

 to stretch right to the base of Euwenzori. 



This was one of the most agreeable periods of 

 the trip, but it was soon overclouded, and all 

 owing to the loss of an umbrella ! I foolishly gave 

 mine to Antari as a parting present, and in conse- 

 quence got a slight touch of the sun which led to 

 fever, from which I suffered at frequent intervals 

 from that time till I turned the Cape of Good 

 Hope on my way home. 



I have everywhere carefully abstained from giving names 

 to any place, so that these lakes remain nameless. 



