190 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
tall trees wliicli gave shade to our camp and to 
Kaduma’s village of Kagehyi, across Speke Gulf. 
Upon coming down to the water’s edge, we saw nothing 
but the blue hills, 600 feet high, situated three miles 
south of Kagehyi ; nor, turning our eyes to the north, 
could we see anything of the low shore which the 
Rugedzi Channel cuts. Standing close to the water at 
Nifuah, we should have imagined that Ukerewe' was an 
island separated by a strait about two miles broad ; but 
turning our boat to the north, a couple of hours’ rowing 
brought us so near that we could see that the opposing 
point of the mainland is joined to the island, or appears 
to be joined, by a very iow bush-covered neck of land 
a mile in width, which thus separates the waters of 
Speke Gulf from the great body of Lake Victoria. A 
still closer examination, however, reveals the fact that 
this narrow neck is cut by a shallow channel six feet 
wide and in some places only three feet deep. The 
ground, though extremely low on each side, is firm and 
compact enough ; but here and there it is of a boggy 
nature. Hence it will be seen that Captain Speke, who 
called Ukerewe' an island, was literally correct. 
On the 13th we enjoyed a fine six-knot breeze, and 
were able to make a good day’s work, though we still 
clung to the shore of Ukerewe near enough to note 
o # o 
clearly the features of the water-line. A glance at the 
country of Ukerewe' showed it to be exceeding populous 
and extensively cultivated. From Matembe to Yam- 
buyah extends a bold ridge about 300 feet above the 
lake, and beyond this point is a deep indentation, 
called Ukwya, near the western horn of which we 
perceived a group of islets named Kiregi. These are 
the haunts of an immense number of crocodiles, and one 
nest discovered here contained fifty-eight eggs. At 
almost every step I took, when walking round one of 
the reed-lined islets, a specimen of the ugly Saurian 
tribe sprang with a startling rush into the lake. There 
appeared also to be as many monitors as there were 
crocodiles in this infested islet, and all round me, from 
the little creeks, and sometimes in very close proximity, 
