BOUND LAKE VICTORIA NYANZA. 
197 
to Nakidimo Creek, into which an important stream 
debouches. The hippopotami were numerous, and as 
bold as those of Speke Gulf. 
Emerging once more into the lake, we anchored 
about a mile from the shore in six fathoms, and found 
that there was a current of about half a knot setting 
westward. At 2 p.m. we hoisted sail, and with a fair 
wind were able to hug the mainland and make good 
progress, within view of a very populous and extensively 
cultivated shore. This was the land of Maheta, we 
were told, and the same which we had sighted from the 
summit of Bridge Island. We flew away with a 
bellying sail along the coast of Maheta, where we saw a 
denser population and more clusters of large villages 
than we had beheld elsewhere. We thought we would 
make one more effort to learn of the natives the names 
of some of these villages, and for that purpose steered 
for a cove on the western shore. We anchored within 
fifty yards, and so paid out our cable that only a few 
feet of deep water separated us from the beach. Some 
half-dozen men, wearing small land-shells above their 
elbows and a circle of them round their heads, came to 
the brink. With these we opened a friendly conver- 
sation, during which they disclosed the name of the 
country as “ Mahata ” or “ Maheta ” in Ugeyeya ; but 
more they would not communicate unless we would 
land. We prepared to do so, but the numbers on the 
shore increased so fast that we were compelled to pull 
off again until they should moderate their excitement 
and make room. They seemed to think we were about 
to pull off altogether, for there suddenly appeared out 
of the bush on each side of the spot where we had 
intended to land such a host of spears that we hoisted 
sail, and left them to try their treachery on some other 
boat or canoe more imprudent than ours. The dis- 
comfited people were seen to consult together on a small 
ridge behind the bush lining the lake, and no doubt 
they thought we were about to pass close to a small 
point at the north end of the cove, for they shouted 
gleefully at the prospect of a prize ; but, lowering sail, 
