£*06 
T1IE RUSIZI AN INFLUENT. 
“ Mokamba was at war with a neighboring chief, who 
lives on the left hand of the Rusizi. That did not deter us, 
and we crossed the head of the Tanganyika, governed by 
Rubinga, brother of Mokamba. On the morning of the 
eleventh day of our departure from Ujiji, we were rowed 
towards the river. We came to a long narrow bay, fringed 
on all sides with tall, dense reeds, and swarming with 
crocodiles, and soon came to the mouth of the Rusizi. As 
soon as we had entered the river, all doubt vanished before 
the strong turbid flood against which we had to contend in 
the ascent. After about ten minutes we entered what 
seemed to be a lagoon, but which was the result of a recent 
inundation. About an hour higher up the river began to 
be conlined to its proper banks, and is about thirty yards 
broad, but very shallow. Two days higher up, Rubinga 
told us that the Rusizi was joined by the Loanda, coming 
from the northwest. There could be no mistake then. Dr. 
Livingstone and myself had ascended it, had felt the force 
of the strong inflowing current ; the Rusizi was an influent, 
so much so as the Malagarazi, the Linehc, and Rtigufu ; 
but with its banks full it can only bo considered as rank- 
ing third among the rivers flowing into the Tanganyika. 
Though rapid, it is extremely shallow; it has three mouths, 
up which an ordinary ship’s boat loaded might in vain 
attempt to ascend. Burton and Speke, though they 
ascended to within six hours’ journey by canoe from the 
Rusizi, were compelled to turn back by the cowardice of 
the boatmen. Had they ascended to Meuta’s capital, they 
could have easily seen the head of the lake. Usige is but 
a district ol Wumdi, governed by several small chiefs, who 
owe obedience to Mwezi, the great King of Wumdi. We 
spent nine days at. the head of the Tanganyika, exploring 
the islands and many bays that indent its shores. In re- 
turning to Ujiji, we coasted along the west side of the 
Tanganyika as far as the country of the Wasansi, whom 
we had to leave on no amicable terms, owing to their hos- 
tility to Arabs, and arrived at Ujiji on the 18th of Decem- 
ber, having been absent twenty -eight days. 
