CHAP. XII.] 
CROCODILES. 
365 
to take a last view of his enemy, but sank too rapidly 
to permit a shot. Crocodile heads of enormous size 
were on all sides, appearing and vanishing rapidly as 
they rose to survey us; at one time we counted 
eighteen upon the surface. Fine fun it would have 
been for these monsters had the bull hippo been 
successful in his attempt to capsize us; the fat black 
woman, Karka, would have been a dainty morsel. 
Having recovered the lost paddle, I prevailed upon 
the boatmen to keep the canoe steady while I made 
a sketch of the Murchison Falls, which being com¬ 
pleted, we drifted rapidly down to the landing-place 
at the deserted fishing-village, and bade adieu to the 
navigation of the lake and river of Central Africa. 
The few huts that existed in this spot were mere 
ruins. Clouds had portended rain, and down it came, 
as it usually did once in every twenty-four hours. 
However, that passed away by the next morning, and 
the day broke, discovering us about as wet and 
wretched as we were accustomed to be. I now started 
off four of my men with the boatmen and the inter¬ 
preter Bacheeta to the nearest village, to inquire 
whether our guide Babonga had arrived with our 
riding oxen, as our future travelling was to be on 
land, and the limit of our navigation must have been 
well known to him. After some hours the people 
returned, minus the boatmen, with a message from 
the headman of a village they had visited, that the 
oxen were there, but not the guide Rabonga who had 
remained at Magungo, but that the animals should 
be brought to us that evening, together with porters 
to convey the luggage. 
In the evening a number of people arrived, bringing 
some plantain cider and plantains as a present from 
the headman; and promising that, upon the following 
morning, we should be conducted to his village. 
The next day we started, but not until the after¬ 
noon, as we had to await the arrival of the headman, 
who was to escort us. Our oxen were brought, and 
