128 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. 



diately burst into mirthful shouts. We learned that the 

 Soudanese night-watch had been suddenly startled at 

 what they took to be a large body of men crawling 

 towards the camp for the purpose of making an attack. 

 They shouted to the men, and at once every one sprang 

 to his feet, loaded his rifle, and screamed with excite- 

 ment and fright. When all hands were fully aroused, 

 it was then seen that the attacking party of savages 

 consisted of a horde of monstrous apes, which had 

 probably been attracted by our fires, but, terrified almost 

 as much as my men, made off at once upon hearing the 

 uproar. Some of these creatures weigh more than sixty 

 pounds. 



We crossed the Guaso Nyiro the following morning, 

 and marched four miles along the foot of the plateau. 

 Upon reaching its end we made camp, and Lieutenant 

 von Hohnel and I at once ascended it, this time climb- 

 ing its northern face. We were rewarded by getting 

 a view of the boundless desert, stretched on all sides 

 to the horizon. Across this desert flowed the Guaso 

 Nyiro, enshrouded in dhum palms and acacias. 



In the northeast our eyes were greeted by the sight 

 of what appeared to be an enormous sheet of water, dis- 

 tant about thirty miles. Lieutenant von Hohnel and I 

 turned silently to one another, and with deep feeling 

 clasped hands, delighted to think that the stories of the 

 size of the lake had not been exaggerated. I at once 

 set about guessing the number of days required to reach 

 it, and Lieutenant von Hohnel, taking its bearings with 

 his compass, decided and announced that it must be 

 nearly sixty miles in length. 



On both sides of the green strip which marked the 



