Lake Kiwu and its Islands 
93 
courage when lion-hunting but went in deadly fear of buffaloes. 
He was afraid that Maxi would capsize his canoe, and threatened 
to shoot him through the head if he attempted to climb in. Maxi 
hesitated a moment, but decided to risk the chance of death 
by Amdallah’s bullet to the more certain watery death; and he 
did well, for Amdallah reconsidered his intention, happily for 
him, and laid down his rifle. Thus he became Maxi's saviour 
against his will. The oarsmen of the two overladen boats, 
however, ten in number, found their death in the waters of Kiwu, 
the first victims of the expedition. The two most prominent 
characteristics of their race—heedlessness when things go well 
and fatalism when in the face of danger—^led them on to their 
doom. It was always a source of the greatest vexation to us 
to notice how our oarsmen, powerful Wahutu from the northern 
shore of the lake, dawdled away their time when the sun was 
shining and the lake was smooth. It was only when the wind 
sprang up and the waves began to roll that they woke up to 
their work. 
This sad event induced us to take all needful precautionary 
measures in future expeditions. When we had to pass over 
broad open sheets of water, unprotected by any islands like 
those between Mugarura and Wau, or Wau and Kwidschwi, we 
would start at sunrise so as to reach our destination fairly early 
in the forenoon, for experience had taught us that the stronger 
breezes usually sprang up about noon. The oarsmen row to a 
set stroke, whether in haste or no, and pull two long strokes and 
one short one, or one long and two short strokes, with the loosely 
held paddle-shaped oars. Now and again they work themselves 
up to brisker efforts by the aid of peculiar cries led by one of 
their number, the last word always being repeated by the chorus. 
Unfortunately this method of progress is not of long duration, 
and just when it would be of most service—^when there is a bit 
of sea—they lose their heads. Directly any wave splashes into 
the boat they imagine that their last hour has struck, and are 
inclined to stop rowing altogether. At these times a great deal 
of energetic encouragement on the part of the Europeans is 
