We go to Ganda, 
233 
the boat like that, Buana, or a mamba (crocodile) will 
be snapping it off as we snap off the end of a peice of 
cassada/' observed one of our careful men ; and now the 
boatmen begin their song, without which nothing is 
ever done in East Africa. In the present case the sing- 
ing was some of the noisiest bellowing I ever heard. 
Whatever the Wapokomo may be wanting in, they are 
not wanting in vocal power. The sounds rose on the still 
atmosphere, and awoke from these solitudes a thousand 
echoes. Startled water-fowl rose upon the wing and 
flew screaming through the air ; monkeys and apes of 
all sizes leapt wildly among the branches, spitting and 
vociferating in the most uncanny manner ; unseen 
monsters rushed through the undergrowth, barking, 
growling, and groaning in terror ; and lizards, croco- 
diles, and other reptiles sprang with a splash into the 
river and lashed the water into foam. 
Not more than fifteen minutes from Ngau we came 
to a bend in the river turning off due east. Here 
there was an opening in the left bank, through which 
a strong torrent was flowing into the river. " Steady ! " 
cried the boatmen, " steady ! we are going through 
that creek." But they had their work to do, and we 
were nearly capsized. Paddles were of no use, so the 
long pole was brought into operation, and we were 
pushed against the stream an inch at a time. Fortu- 
nately it was only a short creek, not more than fifty 
yards long and about three or four wide, emerging 
from which we entered upon a broad and beautiful 
lake. " This," said one of our Wapokomo," is the 
Ashaka Babo" (lake or marsh Babo, i.e., pelican). We 
had entered it at its south-eastern extremity, 
where, in a direct line, it is not more than half a 
