THE RIVER EAGER A. 789 



the island of Unyamubi, a mile and a half in length. Ascending the highest 

 point on the island, the secret of the Ingezi or Kagera was revealed. Stand- 

 ing in the middle of the island I perceived it was about three miles from the 

 coast of Karagwe, and three miles from the coast of Kishakka west, so that 

 the width of the Ingezi at this point was about six miles, and north it 

 stretched it away broader, till beyond the horizon green papyri mixed with 

 broad grey gleams of water. I discovered, after further exploration, that the 

 expanses of papyri floated over a depth of from nine to fourteen feet of 

 water ; that this vegetation, in fact, covered a large portion of a long shallow 

 lake ; that the river, though apparently a mere swift-flowing body of water, 

 confined seemingly within proper banks by dense, tall fields of papyri, was 

 a current only, and that underneath the papyri it supplied a lake varying 

 from five to fourteen miles in width, and about eighty geographical miles in 

 length. Descending the Kagera again, some five miles from Unyamubi, 

 the boat entered a large lake on the left side, which, when explored, proved 

 to be thirteen geographical miles in length by eight in breadth. From its 

 extreme western side to the mainland of Karagwe east was fourteen miles, 

 eight of which was clear open water ; the other six were covered by floating 

 fields of papyri, large masses or islands of which drift to and fro daily. 



By following this lake to its southern extremity, I penetrated between 

 Ruanda and Kishakka. I attempted to land in Ruanda, but was driven back 

 to the boat by war-cries, which the natives sounded shrill and loud. Through- 

 out the entire length (eighty miles) the Kagera maintains almost the same 

 volume and nearly the same width, discharging its surplus waters to the 

 right and to the left as it flows on, feeding, by means of the underground 

 channels, what might be called by an observer on land seventeen separate 

 lakes, but which are in reality one, connected together underneath the fields 

 of papyri, and by lagoon-like channels meandering tortuously enough be- 

 tween detached fields of this most prolific reed. The open expanses of water 

 are called by the natives so many 'rwerus' or lakes; the lagoons connect- 

 ing them and the reed-covered water are known by the name of ' Ingezi.' 



" What Speke has styled Lake Windermere is one of these 'rwerus,' and 

 is nine miles in extreme length, and from one to three miles in width. By 

 boiling point I ascertained it to be at an altitude of three thousand seven 

 hundred and sixty feet above the ocean, and about three hundred and twenty 

 feet above Lake Victoria. The extreme north point of this singular lake is 

 north by east from Uhimba, its extreme southern point. Karagwe occupies 

 the whole of its eastern side. South-west it is bounded by Kishakka, west 

 by Muvari, in Ruanda, north-west by Mpororo, north-east by Ankori. At 

 the point where Ankori faces Karagwe the lake contracts, becomes a tumul- 

 tuous noisy river, creates whirlpools, and dashes itself madly into foam and 

 spray against opposing rocks, till it finally rolls over a wall of rock ten or 



