Through the Semliki Valley 219 
he had much better proceed from Beni to Mboga. We arrived 
at Beni again on the 23rd of February. 
“ From there Schubotz left for Lake Albert whilst I and our 
non-commissioned officer, Czeczatka, took the nearest way to 
Irumu. I selected that route as, except for a short distance 
before reaching Irumu, it leads through the easternmost portion 
of the great equatorial primeval forest, in the study of which I 
was deeply interested. Our march offered no further noteworthy 
episodes as we made our way along the broad harrabarra. 
Shortly before reaching Ngombe Njama we emerged from the 
stifling forest and breathed again as though freed from an 
oppressive weight, as our eyes swept once more across the free, 
beautiful, undulating steppe, resplendent in its garb of fresh 
green, and dotted at intervals with strips of woodland.” 
I may speedily pass over the marches that led us through the 
country at the foot of the mountain chain, as it was devoid of 
charm and presented nothing of interest. Tall elephant grass, 
radiating terrible heat, again retarded our march. The chopping 
knife had to cut a path through for us every day. This painful 
method of progression was, however, relieved in the Butalinga 
district by innumerable ravines about a kilometre in width, on 
the bottom of which extensive banana plantations were found; 
but climbing through these was a severe tax on the power of the 
carriers. 
The path we struck was the old Stanley route. It seemed to 
us as though very little could have altered since the time of the 
great traveller. After a night march in full moonlight we 
reached Lepenge on the Semliki, which we immediately crossed. 
The few variations from the general monotony at this time, and 
not particularly enjoyable ones either, were a wound on my hand 
from an axe-stroke, really intended for a liane, which necessi¬ 
tated my going with my arm in a sling for a week; the falling 
of Veriter into an elephant pit, whereby he was somewhat 
severely hurt; and finally the disappearance of our two guides, 
whom it had cost us considerable trouble to obtain. The terri- 
