78 
In the Heart of Africa 
abandoning ourselves to a thoroughly enjoyable swim, a pleasure 
which had long been denied us. 
Our twenty-three boats—dug-out canoes—manned by six or 
eight rowers, according to size, lay concealed in the sedgy reed- 
grass waiting to bear us across the lake to Kissenji. The boats 
are approximately ten metres in length, with a small draught, 
and are very narrow. There is barely sufficient room on the seats 
for the two rowers, who drive the canoes through the water like 
arrows with their powerful arms, using heart-shaped, carved 
paddles. As the excessively narrow boats naturally allow only 
the most indispensable loads to be water-borne, the main caravan 
had to direct its steps to Kissenji along the eastern coast under 
the leadership of Czeczatka and Weidemann. 
In the evening, which turned out clear and still, I made a 
short farewell excursion alone to the centre of the lake in a 
folding boat. If it had not been for the black forms of the 
natives squatting on the hills round about, I might have imagined 
that I was gliding over the waters of a lake in my native land. 
We were awakened in the early morning by the loud cries of 
the oarsmen and carriers, so that the notes of the unkindly bugle 
which generally broke our morning sleep were rendered super¬ 
fluous. 
Thanks to the rehearsal of the previous day, the stowage of 
all loads was got through in comparative comfort, and the signal 
for general departure was given by seven o’clock. We waved our 
hands to the marching caravan on the banks, and then our flotilla 
set out on the voyage. 
With the water foaming at our bows, and with the character¬ 
istic songs of the bakarta (oarsmen) ringing in our ears, we sped 
along over the smooth surface of the lake. It was a cool morning, 
and it was not until the sun began to gild the mountain tops that 
a grateful warmth made itself felt. And so the hours flew on. 
The creek widened out, and we reached open water, where a sharp 
breeze set in and retarded ‘the less well-manned boats. Choppy, 
unfriendly waves splashed up against the sides and drenched the 
occupants. We saw very few water-fowl, and it was only now 
