140 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



less of expense, or of native life, has such an 

 enormous advantage over a small one-man party. 

 On the other hand, provided the leader has good 

 health and strength, and a small body of well- 

 chosen men, a great deal more can be done with 

 it ; for the difficulty of supplies is very much 

 diminished, and one has no responsibility with 

 regard to the lives and wishes of other white 

 men. 



In the Emin Pasha expedition, Dr. Stuhlmann 

 encamped on the left bank of the Butagu, appar- 

 ently almost exactly on the spot where the attack 

 was made on my people. He ascended the 

 mountain, so far as I could learn, at once, and 

 then proceeded along the high ridge which 

 bounds the Butagu valley on the left, until he 

 came, apparently, to within sight of a deep minor 

 cross-valley, with a lake at the bottom, which 

 separated him from the snow. This was a most 

 wonderful performance, and he certainly did far 

 better than myself. I fancy, however, if he had 

 not been before me, I should have had no trouble 

 with the people. 



One of the most curious features of the valley 

 is the deep precipitous trench (see Fig. 28) which 

 the river has cut out for itself. This is probably 

 in most places a hundred feet deep, and covered 

 with an extraordinary profusion of climbing 

 plants and shrubs. The wild banana, of which 

 the photograph was taken, grew close to the river. 



