322 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



" Noch ein andere Linie ist bestimmt die Ta- 

 bora-strasse vollig lahm zu legen : die Nyassa- 

 Route. Sobald diese berrliche Wasserstrasse 

 erst erschlossen und die schmale Strecke zwi- 

 schen Tanganyika und Nyassa irgendwie zugan- 

 glich gemacht ist wird der Verkehr bis ins Herz 

 Afrika's dringen konnen. Lander welcher, wie 

 Urundi und Ruanda heute zu dem Ultima Tbule 

 des Tabora-Verkehrs gehoren, werden direkt mit 

 dem Handel in Beruhrung treten." 



("Another line will completely finish the over- 

 land road by Mombasa : the Nyassa route. As 

 soon as this beautiful waterway is opened, and 

 the small strip betwixt Tanganyika and Nyassa 

 is made passable, trade will penetrate into the 

 heart of Africa. Countries which, like Urundi and 

 Ruanda, are now the Ultima Thule of the Tabora 

 trade will enter into close commercial union.") 



This quotation is from Dr. Baumann in " Durch 

 Masailand zur Nilquelle." 



Before starting on my journey I had been very 

 much struck by what I had heard of the Kagera 

 river, and it seemed to me a point of the utmost 

 importance to know whether or not it was navi- 

 gable ; as by it one would, according to the maps, 

 be able to approach close to Tanganyika. 



This river rises on the eastern flank of the 

 mountains to the east of Tanganyika, flows about 

 200 miles north, and then suddenly sweeps round 

 to the east, falling into the Victoria Nyanza. 



