20 
In the Heart of Africa 
was obliged to take leave of us and return to Bukoba. His 
departure caused genuine regret, for apart from the loss of a 
delightful companion, his presence had meant really lavish 
victualling for us. At all the store depots at which we had so far 
rested thousands of bananas were lying ready for use, which had 
been collected and brought along by the natives. 
This condition of things was now quite altered. The fine 
harraharra came to an abrupt end. The country through which 
we passed was most sparsely grown, the soil was bad, the natives 
very few in number and very timid, running away and hiding 
themselves at our approach. 
This attitude was attributable to the rebelliousness of their 
chief, Kisliwombo, who refused allegiance to the neighbouring 
Sultan Msinga of Ruanda, the lord of this territory. As the 
Ruanda Residency desired the subordination of all the neighbour¬ 
ing sultans to the sovereignty of Msinga, it became evident that 
an official order on the matter was being expected, and was 
believed to have arrived when our caravan came into view. It 
was a difficult matter to allay the people’s fears. By means of 
repeated assurances of friendship and promises of baksheesh, 
however, we were finally enabled to secure a few goats and other 
articles of food. 
It is no matter for surprise, therefore, that we hurried away 
from this poverty-stricken place in order to get forward to Rufua, 
an abandoned station in Mpororo, where we intended to make fresh 
plans. Shortly before, on the ist of July, we had an agreeable 
surprise in meeting Lieutenant Wintgens, for which our thanks 
were due to Captain von Grawert, the Ruanda Resident. Accom¬ 
panied by him, we soon afterwards reached the deserted outpost, 
the dilapidated buildings of which afforded us scant, though 
welcome, accommodation. Its elevated position enabled us to 
obtain a fine view of the undulating steppe. 
On arrival at Rufua we spent a few quiet days in perfecting 
our latest specimens and in carefully packing them ready for 
despatch. Thus on the 6th of July we were again in a position 
to send away a large collection of ethnographical, zoological, 
