1 8 [January, 1902.J 
Vol. VIII. No. 85. 
I M FERIAL INS T I T U T E J O U R N A L . 
PROCEEDINGS OF INSTITUTIONS. 
THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. 
The opening meeting of the new session of the Royal Geographical Society was held 
on the nth Nov. The President, Sir Clements Markham, occupied the chair, and 
Sir Harry Johnston delivered an interesting lecture on “The Uganda Protectorate, 
Ruwcnzori, and the Semliki Forest. ” After describing the various provinces of the Pro- 
tectorate, he said that the traveller from Mombasa, before reaching the frontier of Uganda, 
passed through the country of Kikuyu, which was well forested and thickly clothed witli 
vegetation. As he descended into the Rift valley the Kikuyu vegetation decreased in 
luxuriance. In the vicinity of Lake Naivasha there was a short sweet grass, which was 
probably kept low by the browsing of innumerable antelopes and the herds of Masai cattle. 
The Masai of the Naivasha district belonged to the essentially cattle-keeping, semi-nomad 
division of that race. Quite recently, for political reasons, it had been thought advisable to 
make the Masai dwelling within the eastern province of the Uganda Protectorate independent 
of any political connection with those of the adjoining East Africa Protectorate or of 
German East Africa. Unfortunately, at the present moment the Masai race was on Lhe 
road towards extinction, either by dying out or by fusion with other tribes. The last year 
or so, however, there had been a marked increase in prosperity among the Masai of Naivasha, 
and he was therefore in hopes that in this region they might increase and multiply and 
preserve their purity of race. From the north-eastern buttresses of Mount Elgon, and the 
head-waters of the Weiwei river on the north, to the frontier of German East Africa on the 
south — a distance of about 240 miles — extended, at altitudes ranging between 5,000 feet and 
xo,ooo feet, one of the most beautiful and healthful districts to be found anywhere in the 
Dark Continent. This lofty region he would style the Nandi plateau, as it was mainly 
inhabited, so far as it had any human inhabitants at present, by races of the Nandi stock. 
The scenery on the Nandi plateau reminded the homesick official and traveller, over and over 
again, of England, of Wales, of Scotland. This beautiful land had not in it a single ugly or 
unfriendly spot, and as it was almost entirely without native inhabitants it seemed to be 
awaiting the advent of another race which should make it a wonderland of wealth and 
comfort, a little England, half a Scotland, or a large Wales, lying exactly under the equator 
at an average altitude of 4 } ooo feet above the Victoria Nyanza, of whose silvery gulfs and 
ghostly mountain coastline strange glimpses at a distance of 90 miles might be caught 
occasionally from some breezy height, or through the interstices of woods which themselves 
might he in Surrey. He travelled completely round Mount Elgon. On its southern, as on 
its northern side, the awful mountain cliffs which marked one of the lower terraces of this 
tremendous crater were honeycombed with deep recesses or caverns. These were the well- 
known caves of Elgon, the caves which were first discovered by Joseph Thomson. He 
visited several caverns, but among others the one which was the first cave reached and dis- 
covered by Joseph Thomson, whose visit the natives still remembered vividly. The cave 
was marked by a splendid waterfall. It was the descent of the Sasuru river, and he would 
propose to name the waterfall the Thomson Falls. It was hardly necessary to add that 
Joseph Thomson left behind him there, as wherever else he passed in Central Africa, the 
most pleasing memories. Fate had ordained that he should often travel in Thomson’s foot- 
steps, and he had always noted that where Thomson had been the first white pioneer his 
admirable treatment of the natives had ensured a kindly welcome to those who followed. 
The native inhabitants of West Algon were of the greatest interest. They were of rather a 
mixed stock, but all were of very low and ape-like appearance. The greatest interest they 
possessed lay in the fact that they spoke a Bantu language which, of all those discovered, 
possibly came nearest to the original form of the Bantu mother-tongue. 
From the Sabei country he was obliged to travel for 16 days to the ravine station without 
a road, simply guiding his caravan by the map and eye. From the north-east of Elgon to 
within sight of the ravine station they passed through a land whose only human inhabitants 
were a few wandering and fugitive Andorobo — a land simply swarming with big game. 
They saw large herds of elephants first, then many rhinoceroses, then literally countless 
hartebeestes, water-buck, reed-buck, Cobus antelopes, bastard hartebeestes, and oribi. 
Herds of zebras would follow the caravan, snorting and kicking up their heels. There were 
lions, leopards, war thogs, jackals and many ostriches. Last of all, in the middle of the 
Gwas ’Ngishu plateau, where forests of acacia still lingered, they came upon giraffe, upon 
that five-horned giraffe which appeared to be a new species of that remarkable animal, and 
apparently the common form of giraffe between Elgon on the west and Lake Baringo on the 
east. 
After describing Busoga, the Baganda people, and the southern part of Unyoro, the 
lecturer said that he crossed the Semliki River opposite Fort Mbeni and travelled for three 
days in the dense Congo forest. I le could fully endorse all that Stanley had said about the 
awesome nature of those appalling woods. He could only say that the whole of his expedi- 
tion, as well as himself, longed to be out of them, although they were in search of the now 
well-known Okapi, and of other wonders, some of which were found, and some of which 
still remain undiscovered, lie employed his time in this forest by visiting the Pygmies at 
home and seeing their little settlements of tiny huts constructed of withies and leaves. He 
also encountered there those strange prognathous ape-like people who seemed to be a race of 
pariahs dwelling on the fringe of other tribes. He also ascertained that the real gorilla comes 
pretty near to the Semliki in its distribution. He had reason to believe that other remark - 
ahle discoveries of hitherto unknown mammals would be made besides that of the Okapi. As 
it was, in that forest they obtained skins of several other beasts new to science. He was 
accorded the kindest hospitality by the Belgian officials, and given every possible facility for 
visiting that portion of the Congo Free State. He found the natives everywhere on friendly 
terms with the Belgian authorities, and the excellent roads and well-built stations, together 
with abundant supplies of the comforts and necessaries of existence from Antwerp merchants, 
introduced a strange element of civilization into those otherwise trackless wilds. 
The south-western part of the Uganda Protectorate consisted of the district of Ankole. 
A portion of that noble country rose to heights of 8,000 feet and 9,000 feet, and here 
reappeared the alpine vegetation of Ruwenzori, Elgon, and the Nandi plateau. Among these 
mountains were scattered almost innumerable crater-lakes, which provided landscapes of 
exquisite beauty. They nearly all contained fish. The scenery round these crater-lakes was 
so extravagantly beautiful that he felt that, coupled with the fact that they were in a country 
possessing a very healthy climate and few inhabitants, they might some time become the 
seats of small European settlements. The northern part of Ankole was somewhat drier and 
less equatorial in climate. It had a more parched appearance, at any rate during the dry 
season, and it fell in altitude. Here there was a certain amount of big game, including 
buffalo, rhinoceroses, and eland. The people of Ankole, as was well known, consisted of a 
race of sturdy negroes — the Ba-iro — and an aristocracy of Ba-hima, who were, as Speke, 
their original discoverer, guessed at once, obviously descended from a Gala, Somali, or other 
Harnitic stock. As regarded features and complexion, one often saw r men and women 
among the Ba-hima who were more like Egyptians than was the case with the Galas and the 
Somalis. But, strange to say, the hair of the head was much more woolly and negro-like 
than was the case with Galas and Somalis. He had seen some men and women so light in 
complexion that he actually thought they were some of Emin Pasha’s refugee Egyptians 5 
until it was proved to him that they had been born and bred in Ankole. These people, no 
doubt, were the origin of many of the legends of a white race dwelling in Equatorial Africa. 
Among other points they were remarkable for their domestic cattle, which had more or less 
straight backs, were of large size, and had enormous horns. On the whole, the breed agreed 
remarkably closely with the long-horned cattle depicted in the Egyptian frescoes, and he 
believed that this race was the stock from which the long-horned South African cattle were 
derived. 
The lecturer concluded with an account of his exploration of the Ruwenzori range of 
snow mountains. lie said that Ruwenzori was still the most mysterious and least known 
mountain in Africa, and it was certainly, of all African mountains of his acquaintance, that 
which was the most constantly cloud-covered. He was personally convinced that the highest 
point of Ruwenzori was not under 20,000 feet in altitude, and that it would, therefore, be 
found to attain the greatest altitude on the continent of Africa. When, after the most 
arduous climb he had ever experienced, he reached his highest point on the flanks of the 
snow range — 14,800 feet — the mountain above him seemed a thing he had only begun to 
climb, and towered, so far as he could estimate, another 6,000 feet into the dark blue 
heavens. Permanent snow, however, lay as low as 13,000 feet. To effect a complete and 
successful ascent of the highest points of Ruwenzori required as elaborate a preparation as the 
exploration of the Andes or the Himalayas. An enormous deal remained to be done in the 
exploration of this, the most important range of Africa. 
Sir Harry Johnston illustrated his lecture with a large number of beautiful lantern-slides 
made from photographs taken by himself, and created considerable- amusement by repro- 
ducing by means of the phonograph specimens of native singing. 
THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND. 
The usual monthly meeting of the Council of this Society was held on the iithult., 
Prince Christian (president) in the chair. 
The chief business before the Council was the settlement of the prize-sheet for the 
meeting to lie held at Carlisle from July 7 to ir, 1902, under the presidency of Prince 
Christian. The recommendations of the various committees as to prizes to be offered on this 
occasion were submitted and, after discussion, adopted. The total amount of prizes offered 
in all departments, exclusive of champion prizes offered by the leading breeding societies, 
will amount to ^6,001. 5s., to which the Carlisle Committee have contributed ^'1,250, and 
various breed societies ^245. Mr. R, Neville Grenville was appointed a steward of imple- 
ments, Mr. E. W. Stanyforth and Viscount Baring stewards of stock, and Mr. G. II. Sanday, 
and Mr. P’. S. W. Cornwallis stewards of finance for the Carlisle meeting. 
Sir Nigel Kingscote reported from the Finance Committee that the financial result 
from the Cardiff meeting held last June was a surplus of receipts over expenditure of 
^1,998. 4s. 4a. 
Mr. J. Bowen-Jones presented a report from tire consulting chemist as to various 
cases of adulteration in feeding stuffs, and desired to draw the special attention of purchasers 
of common or undecorticated cotton cake to the increasing practice of putting borax and other 
chemicals into cotton cake in order to maintain the bright colour of newly crushed cake, 
which in the case of cakes thus treated passes off on keeping. Cakes thus treated should be 
avoided by purchasers. 
The Hon. Cecil Parker presented a report from the Veterinary Committee with regard 
to recent outbreaks of anthrax, glanders and swine fever, and stating that the country now 
appeared to be free both from foot-and-mouth disease and rabies ; the last case of the 
former having occurred on April 12, and the last case of the latter on April 22, 
Mr. Richard Stratton moved a resolution expressing the views of the Council that it was 
highly important that the country should be declared free from foot-and-mouth disease. 
Mr. Crutchley said he understood that, although the country was actually free from the 
disease, there were some administrative difficulties about its being officially declared so. 
Mr. Bowen-Jones said it made a great difference to breeders of pedigree stock, because the 
Argentine Republic was closed until it had been declared that foot-and-mouth disease did not 
exist. The Sheep Breeders’ Association had asked that this should he done, but up to the 
present the Board of Agriculture would not say that the disease had ceased to exist, although 
it had not appeared since April. After some further discussion the following resolution was 
carried unanimously, and ordered to be communicated to the Board of Agriculture : — - 
“That this Council desires to draw the attention of the Board of Agriculture to the fact that 
no case of foot-and-mouth disease has been reported in this country since April 12 last, 
and to express the hope that, under these circumstances, His Majesty’s Government may lie 
able to see their way to officially declare the country free from the disease. '' 
Mr. Crutchley reported that, since the constitution of the Site Committee at the 
Council meeting on November 6, they had had two meetings, at which instructions had been 
given for the fencing of the new show-yard in the metropolis, and various other matters 
connected with the site. The sum of ,£27,853. 3s, 6d, had been promised by 376 subscribers 
to the fund which the Society was raising for the purchase and equipment of the show-yard. 
Sir Nigel Kingscote pointed out that, although the amount promised was sufficient for 
the purchase of the land, it did not make provision for drainage, gas- and water-piping, 
fencing, and roads, or for the requisite buildings, such as permanent stabling and the more 
substantial structures of a show-yard. The committee would, therefore, be glad to receive 
further contributions towards the fund. 
Various other reports from committees dealing with other departments of the Society’s 
work were presented, and all the standing committees were reappointed for the ensuing year. 
Grants of £600 were made to the Veterinary Committee, of which ^500 was allocated to the 
Royal Veterinary College ; £200 to the Chemical and Woburn Committee for the expenses 
of the pot culture station at Woburn ; and ^400 to the Education Committee. Other 
business having been transacted, and the report of the general meeting having been settled, 
the Council adjourned over the Christmas recess until Wednesday, February 5, 1902. 
THE AFRICAN SOCIETY. 
At a meeting of the Council of the African Society held on the r3th ult., the following 
were duly elected Members : — - 
James Bell, A.I.N.A., Frank Norman Best, f.r.h.s., R. B. T\ Cator, H.M. Judge 
East African Protectorate, Walrond B. Clarke, Albert Gray, George B. Hunter, j.i\, 
L. Kentish Rankin, District Commissioner Northern Nigeria, A. D. Mackinnon, C.M.G., 
M. D., William Matthews, C.M.G., Mrs, Frank Melland, C. W. Perryman, J.P., James 
T. A. Stopford, Harry R. Tate, and Dr. A. Zimmerman. 
At the same time the following gentlemen were proposed for election : — 
Herr de Bloeme, Nieuwe Afrikaansche Handels- Vernootschap, Rotterdam ; William 
Waters, S. M. Gluckstein, Editor of West African Year Book , S. Vaughan Morgan, 
F. Bohn, Co. Francaise de 1 ’Afrique Occidentale, Marseilles; A. Guichard, Co. Francaise 
de l'Afrique Occidentale, Manchester ; A. Pourriere, Co. Francaise de 1 ’Afrique Occidentale, 
Liverpool. 

Railways in Southern Rhodesia. — The Board of Trade Journal states that a despatch 
has been received from the High Commissioner for South Africa giving the following particulars 
relating to the railways at present being constructed in Southern Rhodesia : — (r) A line, 3 ft, 6 in. 
gauge, from Bulawayo, through Gwelo to the Glohe and Phoenix Mine — 150 miles long ; (2} a 
line, 3 ft. 6 in. gauge, from Salisbury to the Globe and Phcenix Mine — 150 miles long ; {3} a line, 
2 ft, gauge, from Salisbury to the Ayrshire Gold Mine, Lomagondi district — 78 miles long ; (4) a 
line, 3 ft. 6 in. gauge, from Bulawayo to the Gwanda district, Matabeleland — 120 miles long ; 
(5) a line, 3 ft. 6 in. gauge, from Bulawayo in the direction of the Wankies Coalfield and Victoria 
Falls — 160 miles long. The Administrator of Rhodesia states in regard to the last of these fines 
that it is intended to extend this fine through the Wankies Coalfield to the Victoria Falls, and 
thence across the Zambesi, but as the survey has not yet been completed, no contract for the 
extension has been given. 
