196 
THE VICTORIA NYANZA. 
carried me on their necks, or, like a child, in their 
arms. On some marches we had to cross ten differ- 
ent waters, and, to avoid others, long detours were 
made to get upon higher grounds. 
The now famous Victoria Nyanza, when seen for 
the first time, expanding in all its majesty, excited 
our wonder and admiration. Even the listless Wan- 
yamuezi came to have a look at its waters, stretching 
over ninety degrees of the horizon. The Seedees 
were in raptures with it, fancying themselves looking 
upon the ocean which surrounds their island home of 
Zanzibar, and I made a sketch, dotting it with imagi- 
nary steamers and ships riding at anchor in the bay. 
On its shores are beautiful bays, made by wooded 
tongues of low land (or points such as Boonjacko and 
Surree Points, guarding the Katonga river) running 
into the lake, with very often a rounded detached 
island at their apices. The low islands of Sesseh lie 
on the western shore of the lake. A deep fringe of 
the papyrus generally hid the view over its waters. 
When standing here, the hoarse tromboning of the 
hippopotamus, wishing to come out to graze, echoed 
from out these rushes. The harbours of the natives 
were cleared spaces composed of a spongy mass of 
seeds, rotten reeds, sticks, and roots. In front, for 
twenty yards, a short rush with a circular leaf grew, 
breaking the small surfing waves on the lake from two 
to three hundred yards, showing that it was of no 
depth. In the distance, large boats paddled along 
from the mainland to the islands of Sesseh. One, of 
five planks sewn together, having four cross bars as 
seats, was brought to convey me to Uganda; but 
after four of us had got into it with some loads, the 
