LAKE RUDOLPH 
47 
LAKE RUDOLPH 
By A. C. Hoey 
It was about the end of January when we first sighted Lake 
Rudolph, and a fine sight it presented, reminding us very 
much of the sea. The south end of the lake lies in a volcanic 
basin surrounded by hills and extinct volcanoes, the most 
striking of all being the Teleki volcano on the southern shore 
of the lake. 
We then commenced our descent to the lake, which we 
hardly suspected we should have in sight for a whole month, 
as afterwards turned out to be the case. The country we now 
had to traverse was the most difficult imaginable, being one 
mass of volcanic boulders with sharp edges, added to which a 
severe gale was blowing, making it almost impossible for the 
porters to hold on to their loads. This wind, though it did not 
allow us to pitch a single tent on the southern side of the lake, 
was yet not unwelcome, as the heat otherwise would have been 
unbearable. The mean temperature as registered by our 
thermometers was ninety-three, the temperature of the water 
varying between eighty-two and eighty-four. Not a head of 
game or a vestige of grass was to be seen here. 
On reaching the lake everyone hurried down the tempting 
sandy beach and plunged into the water. This at first appeared 
to be quite fresh, but very shortly after drinking we felt our 
mouths dry up, and found that the after thirst was if anything 
worse than that before drinking. I have since heard that this 
water was analysed by Butter’s Expedition in 1902, and was 
found to contain magnesia and some other alkaline substances. 
Continuing our march along the eastern shore we noticed 
that the appearance of the country improved daily, and encoun- 
tered quite a number of oryx and Grevy’s zebra. 
About fifty miles up the lake we reached a very fine spring 
of fresh water flowing into the lake. Here it was that we came 
on game in considerable quantities, good grass being very 
plentiful. We stayed here for four days to give our animals 
a rest and a chance to pick up, and during that time we saw 
