170 The National Geographic Magazine 



Teddington-on-Thames, and, after fifty- 

 seven days' voyage with numerous ad- 

 ventures, I came back to the point from 

 which I had started. Even had I had 

 the time to examine more carefully the 

 inlets, bays, creeks, and gulfs of the 

 Lake Victoria, I could never have hoped 

 to lay them down with the remark- 

 able accurac}' displayed by Commander 

 Whitehouse. I remember that twenty- 

 seven 3'ears ago after rounding the 

 southern side and the eastern and north- 

 ern coasts of the lake, and coming half 

 way down, just south of the equator, 

 we were driven from the mainland by 

 some cantankerous natives, and came 

 to a small islet where at last we were 

 perfectly safe from all harm and had 

 leisure to reflect. Ascending to the 

 highest peak of that little islet, I saw 



a boundless extent of fresh-water sea 

 toward the north, east, and south, while 

 toward the west and southwest there 

 was a magnificent extent of hitherto- 

 unexplored territory. I could not help 

 but admire the scene, and I seemed to 

 see as in a vision what would happen 

 in the days to come. I seemed to see 

 steamers trailing their dark smoke over 

 the gray waters of the bay, loaded with 

 passengers and natives about to ex- 

 change and barter at some well-estab- 

 lished port, and the natives of Uganda, 

 instead of looking with contempt upon 

 the wild, savage Usukuma at the south, 

 willingly coming down to exchange 

 their coffees for the cattle of Usukuma, 

 and shaking hands in all friendship with 

 the natives of the east coast making 

 blood-brotherhood with the natives of , 



