VALLEYS ON RUWENZORI. 93 



It will be seen from his photograph (see Fig. 

 19, chap, vii.) that one would not be very sur- 

 prised to see a similar face (in white) in Europe. 

 This is a characteristic of the Wahima, of which 

 he was a very pure specimen. 



Thence I moved on to the Yeria valley, where 

 I stopped several days in a new camp in a some- 

 what similar position, though here I was within 

 a curious outer ridge of hill running parallel to 

 the mountain through which the Wimi forces its 

 way by a deep narrow gorge towards the south. 

 The situation will be more clearly seen from the 

 small map. 



It will be noticed that a series of buttresses 

 project outwards towards the deep and narrow 

 valley, part of which is occupied by the Yeria 

 and part by a small tributary of the Wimi. 



All these ridges and the hill forming the 

 barrier are covered with short grass or planta- 

 tions of beans, &c. In sunny places on steep 

 slopes from which the rain Hows rapidly down- 

 wards, there is a kind of dry and sunny climate, 

 leading to a profusion of orchids and of vivid- 

 coloured flowering plants. I have noticed every- 

 where that in places like this, where there is 

 plenty of sunlight and not enough humidity to 

 form a large amount of branches and leafage, 

 the surplus nourishment is usually disposed of 

 in bright colouring. A curious instance of this 

 effect carried to extremes is an orchid (Disa 



