434 
ROOSEVELTS RETURN TO CIVILIZATION 
him lustily as he walked toward the boat, escorted by all the officials 
and by the dignified black bugle band, playing its best, while the 
steamer’s whistle screamed a shrill accompaniment. When the lines 
were cast off and the small river craft began to move, the farewell 
shouts of the whole community filled the air. 
At every settlement along the stream the inhabitants were ready 
to do honor to the famous American. As the steamer drew into Lado, 
a few miles from Gondokoro, the Americans were delighted to see a 
huge example of the Stars and Stripes waving above the landing, while 
a guard of honor of ninety native soldiers stood ready to escort them 
to the official mansion of Major Remke, the Belgian commandant, 
where a luncheon awaited them. 
At Mongalla, a river station farther north, a more elaborate 
reception was prepared. Here two hundred Soudanese soldiers 
escorted them to the residence of Colonel Conly, the Governor, who 
entertained the party at dinner. After this function a wild band of 
a thousand natives, armed with spear and shield, gave a barbaric 
dance in their honor. A tree was planted by the chief guest in the 
center of the town in memory of their visit. It will doubtless long 
be known as the Roosevelt tree. 
On March 2 the boat put off again for Lake No, a body of water 
so overgrown with weeds that no one knows its area. Its interest 
to the visitors lay in the fact that it is thick with game, some rare 
animals living in the vicinity. This was a strong inducement to the 
hunters of the party to try their hand at these choice creatures, 
which they did not fail to improve. Here the river divides, one 
channel running nearly due north, the other trending slightly to the 
west. They flow onward, not far apart, through a region of low 
swamp which is inundated for miles around in the rainy season. Tall 
reeds and papyrus line the banks, the abode of numerous water birds 
and the haunt of swarms of insect plagues. For many years both 
these channels have at times been rendered impassable by being 
choked by vast accumulations of floating weeds, the sudd of the Nile, 
through which channels have to be cut. 
On the nth they reached Renk, and here a new sensation awaited 
the tropic-bronzed hunters, they being met by the vanguard band of 
