CHAPTEE VIII. 



THE SALT LAKE AND SEMLIKI VALLEY. 



AN the 13th of June I determined to go down to 

 ^ Katwe, and, after settling matters, proceed 

 round to the west side of Ruwenzori and try to get 

 higher up the mountain. On reaching Butanuka 

 I had a long debate about a slave girl who had 

 apparently been captured and ill-treated by the 

 Suahilis. I had the satisfaction of handing her 

 over to her family ; but the incident shows the ill 

 effect of placing natives in responsible posts. 



Butanuka is just on the edge of the Victoria 

 plateau, and one descends to the alluvials of the 

 old Albert Edward Nyanza shortly afterwards. 

 The change is very curious ; short grass and a 

 level, apparently endless, road replaces the ele- 

 phant grass and numerous small hills and valleys 

 of the plateau. From this point, until one reaches 

 the Bait lake, there are only two insignificant 

 plantations and one little stretch of thorn-tree 

 forest. Hour after hour has to be spent toiling 

 over this monotonous road in a temperature of 88 



123 



