WAHIMA, WAKONDJA, AND SUAHILIS. 117 



pared with the Ruwenzori district in promise, 

 natural fertility, or climate. The amount of allu- 

 vial deposits (corresponding to those of the Shire 

 river banks) is very much greater about Ruwenzori 

 because most of the shore of the Albert Edward 

 Nyanza and Lake Ruisamba as well as the Semliki 

 valley, consists of this kind of soil. The rainfall 

 round Ruwenzori is, I think, much greater than 

 that of the Shire highlands, and I believe that 

 the Wimi valley alone probably contains more and 

 better land adapted to coffee than the whole of 

 the present cultivated area of the Shire highlands. 

 There is, moreover, a strong probability, in my 

 opinion, of tea being a great success in these wet 

 mountain valleys. 



Again, the native population here is certainly 

 small, and quite unaccustomed to European labour, 

 but they are naturally more industrious than those 

 of British Central Africa. There is also a con- 

 siderable amount of ivory available for preliminary 

 expenses. 



But all the preceding advantages are at present 

 nullified, because there is no means of exporting 

 produce, nor any kind of transport. 



My pet scheme for the development of Africa is 

 explained at full length in Chapter XVIII. , so that 

 I shall simply try to show how this district could 

 be connected with it. A good cart track or light 

 railway from Latoma to the nearest point on the 

 Albert Edward Nyanza would unite the latter to 



