CO UN TRIES ARO UND NY A NZA . 721 



serving the name of rivers. A few miles from the equator I came upon two 

 islands formed of basaltic rock, and overgrown with a dense growth of tropi- 

 cal vegetation. One had a natural bridge of rock thirty feet long and fifteen 

 feet wide — the other showed a small cave. 



"In E. longitude 34° 49', at Nakidimo of Ugeyeya, we came to the 

 furthest point east of the Victoria Nyanza. North of Ugeyeya begins Ba- 

 ringo, a limited country, extending over about fifteen miles of latitude. Its 

 coast is also remarkable for deep indentations and noble bays, some of which 

 are almost entirely closed by land, and might well be called lakes by uncul- 

 tivated or vague Wanguana. Large islands also are numerous, some of 

 which lie so close to the shore-line that if we had not hugged its edge closely 

 we should have mistaken them for portions of the mainland. North of Ba- 

 ringo the land is again distinguished by lofty hills, cones, and plateaus, 

 which sink eastward into plains, and here a new country commences — 

 Unyara — the language of whose people is totally distinct from that of Usu- 

 kuma, and approaches to that of Uganda and Usoga. Unyara occupies the 

 north-eastern coast of the Victoria Nyanza, and by observation the extreme 

 north-eastern point of the Nyanza ends in E. long. 34° 35' and N. lat. 33' 43". 

 As I intend to send you a chart of the Nyanza, it is needless here to enter 

 into minor details, but I may as well mention that a large portion of the 

 north-eastern end of the lake is almost entirely closed in by the shores of 

 Ugana and of two islands, Chaga and Usuguru, the latter of which is one of 

 the largest in the Nyanza. While Unyara occupies the north-eastern coast 

 of the Victorian Sea, Ugana commences the northern coast of the lake from 

 the east, and running south-west a few miles forms here a large bay. It then 

 trends westward, and the island of Chaga runs directly north and south for 

 eight miles at a distance of twelve miles from the opposite coast of Unyara. 

 With but a narrow channel between, Usuguru Island runs from the southern 

 extremity of Chaga, in a south -south -easterly direction, to within six miles 

 from the eastern shore of the mainland. Thus hereabouts almost a lake is 

 formed separate from the Nyanza. 



" North of Chaga Island, Usoga begins with the large district of Usowa, 

 where we met with the first hostile demonstration — though not actual deed, 

 as the act was checked by show of superior weapons — on the part of the 

 natives. Thence, as we proceed westward, the districts of Ugamba, Uvira, 

 Usamu, and Utamba, line the coast of Usoga. Where Utamba begins, large 

 islands again become frequent, the principal of which is Uvuma, an inde- 

 pendent country, and the largest in the Victoria Nyanza. At Uvuma, we 

 experienced treachery and hostility on the part of the natives. By show of 

 friendship on their part, we were induced to pass within a few yards of the 

 shore, where a mass of natives were hid in ambush behind the trees. While 

 sailing quietly by, exchanging friendly greetings with them, we were sud« 



