1873.] APPROACH TO LAKE BANGWEOLO. 2C9 



yards. The first part, the main stream, came up to Susi's 



mouth, and wetted my seat and legs. One held up my 



pistol behind, then one after another took a turn, and 



when he sank into a deep elephant's foot-print, he required 



two to lift him, so as to gain a footing on the level, which 



was over waist deep. Others went on, and bent down the 



grass, to insure some footing on the side of the elephants' 



path. Every ten or twelve paces brought us to a clear 



stream, flowing fast in its own channel, while over all a 



strong current came bodily through all the rushes and 



aquatic plants. Susi had the first spell, then Farijala, 



then a tall, stout, Arab-looking man, then Amoda, then 



Chanda, then Wade Sale, and each time I was lifted off 



bodily, and put on another pair of stout willing shoulders, 



and fifty yards put them out of breath : no wonder ! It was 



sore on the women folk of our party. It took us full an hour 



and a half for all to cross over, and several came over turn 



to help me and their friends. The water was cold, and so 



was the wind, but no leeches plagued us. We had to 



hasten on the building of sheds after crossing the second 



rivulet, as rain threatened us. After 4 p.m. it came on a 



pouring cold rain, when we were all under cover. We are 



anxious about food. The Lake is near, but we are not sure 



of provisions, as there have been changes of population. 



Our progress is distressingly slow. Wet, wet, wet ; sloppy 



weather, truly, and no observations, except that the land 



near the Lake being very level, the rivers spread' out into 



broad friths and sponges. The streams are so numerous that 



there has been a scarcity of names. Here we have Loou and 



Luena. We had two Loous before, and another Luena. 



25th January. — Kept in by rain. A man from Unyan- 

 yembe joined us this morning. He says that he was left 

 sick. Eivulets and sponges again, and through flat forest, 

 where, as usual, we can see the slope of the land by the 

 leaves being washed into heaps in the direction which the 



