THE RIVER KITANGULE. 
193 
by cattle, and just the ground on which to find a flori- 
kan. There were, several huts, which gladdened the 
eye after a dreary march. The first sight of the river 
Kitangule, which had been so often named to us as an 
old ivory depot, and the stream by which wood was 
floated down from Euanda, was rather disappointing. 
Standing upon its steep shelving bank of white 
gravel, the stream is almost hidden by the papyrus, 
which lines its sides in a depth of from twenty to 
sixty yards ; but when ferrying it, its majestic flow is 
seen. The canoes here were of one log of timber hol- 
lowed out, fifteen feet long, the breadth of an easy- 
chair as you sat in them, and capable of carrying 
fifteen Waganda, with their loads, dogs, spears, and 
large shields. They were propelled by poles through 
a winding channel closely shut in by the papyrus, 
and by paddles when in the stream, a man at each 
end holding one about five feet long. I had ob- 
tained from the Waganda lads several of their neatly 
spun coils of rope, which they carry on their heads ; 
three or four of these were knotted together and a 
stone tied to one end as a sounding-line ; but on the 
ferryman noticing what was to be done, he objected, 
saying his sultan Eumanika would not permit any 
stone to be placed or thrown into the sacred Kitan- 
gule. A bribe at last softened him ; but Mariboo now 
interfered, saying, in his superstition, that he had an 
equally sacred charge from his king — namely, that he 
was to convey me in safety to him, and he would 
allow no pranks to be played with the river, for " sup- 
pose in the middle of it some spirit were disturbed by 
a stone, and rose to upset the boat, what would his 
king say ? " In short, after wasting words and time, 
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