338 
ALBERT LAKE , THE GREAT RESERFOLR. [chap. xii. 
Nile ; this system is persisted in by the Victoria Nile, 
which having continued a northernly course from its 
exit from the Victoria lake to Karuma in N. lat. 2° 16', 
turns suddenly to the west and meets the Albert lake 
at Magungo; thus, a line drawn from Magungo to the 
Ripon Falls from the Victoria lake will prove the 
general slope of the country to be the same as exem¬ 
plified throughout the entire system of the eastern 
basin of the Nile, tending from S.E. to N.W. 
That many considerable affluents flow into the Albert 
lake there is no doubt. The two waterfalls seen by 
telescope upon the western shore descending from the 
Blue Mountains must be most important streams, or 
they could not have been distinguished at so great a 
distance as fifty or sixty miles; the natives assured 
me that very many streams, varying in size, descended 
the mountains upon all sides into the general reservoir. 
I returned to my hut: the flat turf in the vicinity of 
the village was strewn with the bones of immense fish, 
hippopotami, and crocodiles ; but the latter reptiles were 
merely caught in revenge for any outrage committed 
by them, as their flesh was looked upon with disgust 
by the natives of Unyoro. They were so numerous 
and voracious in the lake, that the natives cautioned 
us not to allow the women to venture into the water 
even to the knees when filling their water-jars. 
It was most important that we should hurry forward 
on our journey, as our return to England depended en¬ 
tirely upon the possibility of reaching Gondokoro before 
the end of April, otherwise the boats would have de¬ 
parted. I impressed upon our guide and the chief that 
we must be furnished with large canoes immediately, 
as we had no time to spare, and I started off Rabonga to 
Magungo, where he was to meet us with our riding 
oxen. The animals would be taken by a path upon 
the high ground; there was no possibility of travelling 
near the lake, as the cliffs in many places descended 
abruptly into deep water. I made him a present of a 
large quantity of beads that I had promised to give 
