chap, x.] ARRIVE AT RIONGA’S COUNTRY. 289 
the guide, as I had feared during the journey, has 
deceived us, and taken us direct to Eionga’s country. 
On the north side the river all is uninhabited forest, 
full of buffalo and elephant pitfalls, into which three 
of our cattle have already fallen, including my beautiful 
riding ox, which is thus so sprained as to be rendered 
useless. 
“ The natives at first supposed we were Mahommed 
Wat el Meks people, but finding their mistake they 
would give no information, merely saying that the 
lake was not far from here. They said, ‘they were 
friends of Mahommed’s people who attacked Kamrasi, 
and Eionga being his enemy became their ally/ I 
must now be very careful, lest the news should reach 
Kamrasi that I am in Eionga’s country, which would 
cut off all chance of travelling in Unyoro. 
“ The slave woman, Bacheeta, secretly instructed 
the guide to lead us to Eionga instead of to Kamrasi, 
precisely as I had suspected. The Karuma Falls are 
a days march east of this, at which point we must 
cross the river. Obtained a clear observation of Capella, 
meridian altitude showing latitude N. 2° 18'.” 
We could get no supplies from Eionga’s people, 
who returned to their island after their conference with 
Bacheeta, promising to send us some plantains and a 
basket of flour; but upon gaining their secure retreat 
they shouted, “ That we might go to Kamrasi if wc 
liked, but that we should receive no assistance from 
them.” 
Early in the morning we started for Karuma. 
This part of the forest was perfectly open, as the grass 
had been burnt by the natives about three weeks ago, 
and the young shoots of the vines were appearing from 
the scorched roots; among, other plants was an abun¬ 
dance of the prickly asparagus, of which I collected 
a basketful. Nothing could exceed the beauty of the 
march. Our course through the noble forest was 
parallel with the river, that roared beneath us on our 
right in a succession of rapids and falls between high 
TJ 
