Lake Kiwu and its Islands 
91 
a charge of lOO to 150 grammes of dynamite attained a very 
considerable height, but there was no danger so long as the 
boat did not lie immediately above it. This, of course, is easily 
avoided by watching the smoke. Little remained to interest 
biologists on the flat sandy beach of Kiwu in the locality of 
Kissenji, and so we prepared for a tour of the islands of Kiwu. 
On the same day that the Duke, with Lieutenant von Wiese, 
von Raven, and Captain von Grawert, marched into the country 
of the rebellious chief Ngrue, Mildbraed and I left Kissenji 
for a journey to the islands of Mugarura, Wau, and Kwidschwi. 
We contemplated staying a week on the last-named island in 
order to secure as comprehensive a collection of zoological and 
botanical material as possible. Thanks to Lieutenant Knecht’s 
help, the seven boats which were needed for the transport 
of our tent-gear and zoological and botanical material were 
punctually on the spot. The boats are dug-outs, averaging ten 
metres in length and one in width, which have been built by the 
natives for many years by means of fire and a peculiar sort of 
hatchet. Four or five narrow boards serve as seats for each 
pair of rowers. In the stem a specially powerful oarsman acts 
as steersman. The oars have heart-shaped blades and sweep 
round with a long-drawn stroke. The oarsmen at Lake Kiwu 
wore no special articles of ornament, but merely copper or brass 
rings, etc., such as we found prevalent among the Wangilima 
rowers on the Aruwimi. It was with somewhat mixed feelings 
that we trusted our persons for the first time to such antediluvian 
craft, on our journey from Ischangi, at the northern end of the 
lake, across to Kissenji. Yet our fears that in consequence of 
their long, cylindrical shape they might roll over on their longi¬ 
tudinal axis were unfounded. The thick floor of the boat—which 
is very heavy in comparison with the extremely thin sides—acts 
like a leaden keel, and the narrow beam almost entirely excludes 
any danger of overbalancing through unequal loading. Their 
carrying capacity is amazing. We could load up every available 
empty space in the boats after we and the oarsmen were seated 
without detracting in the least from their seaworthiness. These 
