290 
THE KARUM A FALLS. 
[chap, X, 
cliffs covered with groves of bananas and varieties of 
palms, including the graceful wild date—the certain 
sign of either marsh or river. The Victoria Nile or 
Somerset river was about 150 yards wide; the cliffs 
on the south side were higher than those upon the 
north, being about 150 feet above the river. These 
heights were thronged with natives, who had collected 
from the numerous villages that ornamented the cliffs 
situated among groves of plantains ; they were armed 
with spears and shields ; tlie population ran parallel to 
our line of march, shouting and gesticulating as though 
daring us to cross the river. 
After a most enjoyable march through the exciting 
scene of the glorious river crashing over innumerable 
falls—and in many places ornamented with rocky 
islands, upon which were villages and plantain groves. 
-—we at length approached the Karuma Falls close to 
the village of Atada above the ferry. The heights 
were crowded with natives, and a canoe was sent 
across to within parleying distance of our side, as the 
roar of the rapids prevented our voices from being 
heard except at a short distance. Bacheeta now ex¬ 
plained, that “Speke’s brother had arrived from his 
country to pay Kamrasi a visit, and had brought him 
valuable presents/’ 
“ Why has he brought so many men with him ? ” 
inquired the people from the canoe.“ There are 
so many presents for the M’Kamma (king) that he has 
many men to carry them,” shouted Bacheeta. 
“ Let us look at him,” cried the headman in the 
boat; having prepared for the introduction by changing 
my clothes in a grove of plantains for my dressing- 
room, and altering my costume to a tweed suit, some¬ 
thing similar to that worn by Speke, I climbed up a 
high and almost perpendicular rock that formed a 
natural pinnacle on the face of the cliff, and, waving 
my cap to the crowd on the opposite side, I looked 
almost as imposing as Nelson in Trafalgar Square. 
I instructed Bacheeta, who climbed up the giddy 
