The Katanga 



diminish rather than to increase. There are at present 

 several shallow channels wandering through the expanse 

 of sand and reeds which front the mouth of this river, but 

 a great many years ago, judging by the water-worn cuttings 

 in the soft sandstone, it was very much otherwise, for then 

 the overflow must have been of imposing dimensions and 

 considerable depth. 



Although Albertville has now only eight white inhabitants, 

 it was during the German East Campaign that it assumed 

 some importance as a base of operations for the Tanganyika 

 Naval Expedition. It was from here that the little motor 

 gunboats set out to smash up the Hermann von Wissmann and 

 so clear the way for the advance across the lake and up the 

 Tabora Railway from Kigoma. For this purpose engines 

 and rolling stock were taken across from Albertville. Here 

 also the Naval Expedition launched the King George, 

 originally the Congo Governor's yacht. This boat was taken 

 to pieces at Kabalo, railed to Albertville, put together 

 again there and floated in the record time of seven 

 days. 



As is well known this expedition was in charge of Com- 

 mander Spicer-Simpson, who was especially reverenced by the 

 local tribesmen on account of his wearing kilts. These savages 

 never having seen a white man in this garb before, put 

 him down as something exceptional in the way of a " White 

 God," giving him the name of Chifungatumbo, which means 

 literally, the " man who wears a stomach cloth." The 

 Commander was known by this name up and down the 

 length of Tanganyika — ^such is fame in Africa ! 



A few hours' steaming to the north of Albertville, lies 

 Lake Toa, where the Belgian Military Aerodrome was 



9 



