128 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



enough to do to manage the clay's march). After 

 passing these two curious hollows, there is a long 

 ridge to mount, and shortly afterwards another 

 lake comes in view, above which, on a slight 

 eminence, are the rough buildings constituting 

 the settlement of Katwe, or the Salt lake. 



A long gentle slope dotted with quantities of 

 Euphorbia, in the shade of which are hundreds of 

 hungry mosquitoes, leads to the broken tuff edges 

 of the crater of this lake, in which, as usual, a row 

 of solemn flamingoes watch the caravan from a 

 safe distance. 



After climbing the broken lip of the crater, we 

 find ourselves in the collection of houses and 

 unbuilt fort where there was at that time a small 

 garrison of Suahilis. The fort is probably exactly 

 in the state in which it was left by Lugard. A 

 good description will be found in his work (vol. ii. 

 p. 168). It is in a very strong position, for the 

 Salt lake is separated from an arm of the Nyanza, 

 probably also an ancient crater which has been 

 broken down, by a narrow T ridge which must be 

 about 400 feet high. 



It is so obviously a volcanic crater, with tuff 

 arranged in well-marked stratification round it, 

 that I cannot understand how this explanation 

 was not given before. 



A very curious instance of the danger of writing 

 an account of a country which one has not person- 

 ally visited, maybe seen in the "Handbook of 



