The Albert N'yanza, Great Basin of the Nile, and explorations of the Nile sources ... With maps, illustrations, and portraits

Chapter I. Life At Obbo

Physician in General— Influence gained over the People— Katchiba is applied to for Eain— " Are you a Rainmaker ? " — Katchiba takes Counsel's Opinion— Successful Case— Night-watch for Elephants- Elephant killed— Dimensions of the Elephant-Wild Boars— Start for the South— Mrs. Baker thrown from her Ox— The Asua River —Stalking Mehed^het Antelope — A Prairie Fire— Tracking an Antelope— Turks' Standard-bearer killed— Arrival at Shooa— The Neighbourhood of Shooa— Fruitfulness of Shooa— Cultivation and Granaries— Absconding of Obbo Porters—" Wheels within Wheels " —Difficulty in starting South — Departure from Shooa — Fatiko Levee— Boundless Prairies— Fire the Prairies— Deceit of the Guide —Arrive at the Victoria Nile— Arrive at Rionga's Country— Start for Karuma— The Karuma Falls— Welcome by Kamrasi's People- Passage of the River forbidden— To await Reply of Kamrasi— The Natives' Dread of Kamrasi— They hold a Conference -Resolve to ross the River alone— The Ferry of Atada— Reception by Keedja —I lull the Suspicions of the Natives— Appellations of Speke and Grant — Freemasonry of Unyoro — Native Curiosity — The Bark Cloth of Unyoro— Comparative Civilization of Unyoros— Native Pottery— The Bottle Gourds used as Models—" Great Men never in a Hurry to pay Visits"— Pronounced to be Speke's Brother— The Escort cross the River — Neatness of the Natives in packing — Native Manufactures — March parallel with the Victoria Nile — CONTENTS.

VI Severe Illness of Mrs. Baker — March to the Capital — Kamrasi suspects Treachery— Arrive at last at the Capital — Imprisoned on the Marsh— Expectation of an Attack — Kamrasi makes a State Visit— Conversation with the King— His Reception of my Presents —Another Interview with Kamrasi — Exchange Blood and become Friends — Avarice of the King — Permitted to leave our Fever-bed — Ibrahim and party return North — Sulkiness of Bacheeta— Attempt to barter for Speke's Rifle— Rapacity of the Chiefs . Page 1 — 69

Chapter II. The Start For The Lake

Despicable Conduct of the King — Pertinacity of Kamrasi — Kamrasi's Infamous Proposal — Resentment of the King's Insolence — The King's Apology — Expectation of a Fight — Kamrasi's Satanic Escort — The Rout at a Gun-shot — A disagreeable Escort — Passage of the Kafoor — Mrs. Baker receives a Sun-stroke — Dismissal of the brutal Escort — Misery and Distress — Return to Consciousness, but afflicted with Brain-fever Page 70 — 84

Chapter III. Recovered

The Sugar-cane indigenous — Unyoro People clean Feeders — Close to the Lake — Discovery of the Albert N'yanza — Gratitude to Providence — Denominate it " The Albert N'yanza " — Fishing Tackle — The Lake declared to be the Sea — Feast in honour of the Discovery — Survey of the Lake — Geography of the Lake — Countries bordering the Lake — The Great Basin of the Nile — Sources of the Nile — Affluents of the Albert Lake — Our whole party Fever-stricken — Yearning for Home — Arrange Canoes for Lake Voyage — Start from Vacovia — Voyage upon the Lake — Shore Encampment — Deserted by the Boatmen — No Pilot — Endeavour to civilize the Canoes — Adapt a Scotch Plaid for a Sail — Natives volunteer as Boatmen — Storm on the Lake — Nearly swamped — Land safely on Shore — CONTENTS. VII Falls of the Kaiigiri River — Shoot a Crocodile — Taste of Crocodile Flesh — Discomforts of Lake Voyage — Elephants in the Lake — Inhos pitable Natives — Procure Supplies — The Lake changes its character — Arrival at Magungo — Embouchure of the Somerset River — Fish and Fishing — The Baggera and Lepidosiren Annecteus — Native Fishing Arrangements — Exit of the Nile from the Lake — Nile navigable from Lake to Madi — The Victoria Nile at Magungo — Determination to settle Nile Question — Nobly seconded by Mrs. Baker — Leave Magungo — Voyage up the Victoria Nile — Stricken again with Fever — Guided by Water-plants — Numerous Crocodiles — The Murchison Falls — Hippopotamus charges the Canoe — Narrow Escape from Crocodiles — Arrival of Oxen, but not the Guide — Loss of Oxen from Fly-bite — Sickness on the March — The Island of Patooan — Information about Ibrahim — Difference in the Level — Difference in Observations — Altitudes Page 85 — 145

Chapter IV Treacherous Designs Of The Natives

Confined in the Country — Determine to proceed — Deserted by the Natives — Discovery of a " TuUaboon " Granary — Misery at Shooa Moru — Hard Fare — Preparation for Death — Kamrasi's Tactics — The Bait takes — We are carried to the King's Camp — Rejoin the Turks' Detachment — Their Welcome — Kamrasi seeks my Alliance — Deception of Kamrasi — M'Gambi has impersonated the King — The real Kamrasi — Prefer seeing Meat to a King — The begging Envoy — Carried to the Camp of Kamrasi — Introduction to the real King — Description of Kamrasi — The Native Court . . . Page 146 — 167

Chapter V. At Home In Kisoona

System of Fattening — Native Preparations of Food — Native Manufactures — Knavery of Native Butter-dealers. — Vapour Bath for Fever — State Visit from the King — Mendicancy again — The King in love with a Tooth-comb — Effect of concave Mirror — Attempts at Ancient History — Kamrasi's Request — Kamrasi affronted — Sudden CONTENTS. Invasion of the Country — Alarm and Cowardice of Kamrasi — The British Flag protects Unyoro — Diplomatic Arrangement — Con ference with Debono's Party — Settle authoritatively all Objections Retreat of the Invaders Page 168 — 186

Chapter VI. Kamrasi Begs For The British Flag

The pertinacious Beggar — Summary Justice for High Treason — Arrival of Ivory for the Turks — Frightful Barbarities upon Captives — The Female Captives — Treacherous Murder of Sali — Disputes with Kamrasi — Advice to Kamrasi — The Turks begin to bully — Eddrees refused Admittance at Court — Communicate with Ibrahim — Drunkenness among the Unyoros — Native Sorcerers — Implicit Belief in Sorcerers — Invasion of the M'Was — Consulted by the King in the Extremity — Kamrasi will not Fight — An invigorating little Difficulty — Mock Valour by Unyoros — Kamrasi's Retreat — We are Deserted — Prepare for Retreat — Leave Kisoona— Arrive at Deang — No Water — Deserted again by the Porters — Richarn missing — Richarn reported as killed — The M'Was' Drums beat — March to Foweera — The Night Retreat — Lose the Road — At a Loss for direct Route — Capture a Native —Recover the Route — Exhaustion of Mrs. Baker — Arrive at Foweera — Well prepared — Refuse to assist Kamrasi — Richarn's Return — Richarn's Story — The King in Distress — Arrival of Ibrahim with Reinforcements — Receive Letters and Papers from Home — Kamrasi " is himself again " — Invasion of the Langgo Country — The Whisky Distillery — Kamrasi tries the Whisky — Butcheries by Kamrasi — Kamrasi orders the Murder of Kalloe — Attempt to save Kalloe — Pursuit and Capture of Kalloe' — I intercede on his behalf — Death of a Headman— Shot by order of Kamrasi — The Warning — The Body-guard . . . Page 187 — 241

Chapter VII. Kamrasi's Adieu

Begging to the last — We quit Kamrasi's Territory — March to Shooa — — Arrive at Shooa — The Lira Tribe — Resemblance of Natives' and CONTENTS. IX Lawyers' Wigs — Result of the Turks' Razzias — Loss of Cattle by the Turks — The Fight with Werdella — Courage of Werdella — Werdella defeats the Turks — Murder of a Native — Runaway slaves recaptured — Brutality of the Turks — Little Abbai — The Children of the Camp — Pleasant Time with the Children — Shoot a Crocodile — The Black Rhinoceros — The Lira Head-dress — Native Use of Donkeys. Page 242—262

Chapter VIII. The Natives In Mourning

Results of the Ivory Campaign — Preparations for starting Homeward — Part regretfully with the Children — The Traveller's Tree — View of the Nile — Koshi and Madi — Gebel Kookoo — On Speke and Grant's Route — Changes in the Nile — The Asua River — Suspicious Movements of the Natives — Attacked in the Pass — Night in a hostile Country — Camp surrounded by Natives — Poisoned Arrows shot into Camp — Sight Belignan — Approach Gondokoro — Arrive at Gondokoro — Neither Letters nor Supplies — Disappointment. Page 263—282

Chapter IX. The Latest News From Khartoum

Intelligence from Khartoum — Retreat of the Slaves — Influence gained over Traders' People — Sail from Gondokoro — The Nile cleared of its Mystery — The Victoria Source— Ptolemy's Theory — Rainfall- Affluents of the White Nile — Action of the Abyssinian Rivers — Colonization impossible — Slavery the Curse of Africa — Impotence of European Consuls — Impossibility of convicting a Trader — Central Africa opened to Navigation — Tribes of Central Africa — Vestiges of a Pre- Adamite Creation — Geological Formation — Hypothesis of Equatorial Lakes — Sir Roderick Murchison's Theories confirmed — Sir Roderick Murchison's Address Page 283 — CONTENTS. X

Chapter X. The Black Antelope

Antelope-shooting — Arrive at Junction of Bahr el Gazal — Arrive at the Nile Dam — Character of the Obstruction — Passage through the Dam — The Plague breaks out — Saat smitten by the Plague — Entertained by Osman Bey — Saat dies — Burial of Saat — Arrival at Khartoum — Albert Lake Reservoir of Nile — Destruction by the Plague — A Darkness that might be felt — Horrible Slave Cargo — Meet with Mahommed Her — Mahommed Her punished — Nearly wrecked — Stranded among Cataracts — Clear the Danger — Start from Berber to Souakim — A Row in the Desert — Combat with the Arabs — " Bravo, ZfSneb ! " — Disarm the Arabs — Cross the Mountains — First View of the Sea — Souakim — Arrival at Suez — Farewell to Africa — Exertions appreciated Page 309 — 339 Appendix 343 Index LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOL. II.

The Lake Frontispiece. Mehed^het Antelope Page 14 Natives of Lira (1) and Madi (2) in the Camp at Shooa To face 20 My Examination by the Chiefs on entering Unyoro — Resolved, that I am Speke's Brother To face 48 The Start from the M'rooli for the Lake with Kamrasi's Satanic Escort To face 74 The Storm on the Albert Lake To face 110 The Baggera 123 Lepidosiren Annecteus 123 The Murchison Falls, about 120 ft. high from the Victoria Nile or Somerset River to the Level of th'e Albert Lake . To face 134 The Welcome on our Return to the Camp at Shooa . To face 246 Head of Black Rhinoceros * . 260 The Chief of the Lira Tribe THE ALBEET N'YANZA.

Chapter I. Life At Obbo

"T70R months we dragged on a miserable existence at Obbo, wrecked by fever ; tbe quinine exhausted ; thus the disease worried me almost to death, returning at intervals of a few days. Fortunately my wife did not suffer so much as I did. I had nevertheless prepared for the journey south ; and as travelling on foot would have been impossible in our weak state, I had purchased and trained three oxen in lieu of horses. They were named "Beef," " Steaks," and " Suet." " Beef" was a magnificent animal, but having been bitten by the flies, he so lost his condition that I changed his name to " Bones." We were ready to start, and the natives reported that early in January the Asua would be fordable. I had arranged with Ibrahim that he should supply me with porters for VOL. 11. B PHYSICIAN IN GENERAL. [Chap. I. payment in copper bracelets, and that he should accompany me with one hundred men to Kamrasi's country (Unyoro), on condition that he would restrain his people from all misdemeanours, and that they should be entirely subservient to me.

It was the month of December, and during the nine mouths that I had been in correspondence with his party I had succeeded in acquiring an extraor dinary influence. Although my camp was nearly three quarters of a mile from their zareeba, I had been besieged daily for many months for everything that was wanted ; my camp was a kind of general store that appeared to be inexhaustible. I gave all that I had with a good grace, and thereby gained the goodwill of the robbers, especially as my large medicine-chest contained a supply of drugs that rendered me in their eyes a physician of the first importance. I had been very successful with my patients ; and the medicines that I generally used being those which produced a very decided effect, both the Turks and natives considered them with perfect faith.

There was seldom any difficulty in prognosticating the effect of tartar emetic, and this became the favourite drug that was almost daily applied for ; a dose of three grains enchanting the patient, who always advertised my fame by saying, " He told me I should be sick, and, by Allah ! there was no mistake about it." Accordingly there was a great run upon the tartar emetic. Many people in Debono's camp Chap. I.] INFLUENCE GAINED OVER THE PEOPLE. 3 had died, including several of my deserters who had joined them. News was brought that, in three separate fights with the natives, my deserters had been killed on every occasion, and my men and those of Ibrahim unhesitatingly declared it was the "hand of God." None of Ibrahim's men had died since we left Latooka. One man, who had been badly wounded by a lance thrust through his ab domen, I had successfully treated ; and the trading party, who would at one time gladly have exterminated me, now exclaimed, "What shall we do when the Sowar (traveller) leaves the country ?

" Mrs. Baker had been exceedingly kind to the women and children of both the traders and natives, and together we had created so favourable an impression that we were always referred to as umpires in every dispute. My own men, although indolent, were so completely disciplined that they would not have dared to disobey an order, and they looked back upon their former mutinous conduct with surprise at their own audacity, and declared that they feared to return to Khartoum, as they were sure that I should not forgive them. I had promised Ibrahim that I would use my influence with the ELing of Unyoro to procure him the ivory of that country'; — I had a good supply of beads, while Ibrahim had none ; thus he was dependent upon me for opening the road. Everything looked fair, and had I been strong and well I should have enjoyed the future prospect ; but I B KATCHIBA IS APPLIED TO FOR RAIN. [Chap. I. 4 was weak and almost useless, and weighed down with anxiety lest I might die and my wife would be left alone.

The rains had ceased, and the wild grapes were ripe ; the natives brought them in great quantities in exchange for a few beads. They were in extremely large bunches, invariably black, and of a good size, but not juicy — the flavour was good, and they were most refreshing, and cer tainly benefited my health. I pressed about two hundred pounds of grapes in the large sponging bath, but procured so little juice, and that so thick, that wine-making proved a failure ; it fermented, and we drank it, but it was not wine. One day, hearing a great noise of voices and blow ing of horns in the direction of Katchiba's residence, I sent to inquire the cause. The old chief himself appeared very angry and excited. He said, that his people were very bad, that they had been making a great noise and finding fault with him because he had not supplied them with a few showers, as they wanted to sow their crop of tullaboon.

There had been no rain for about a fortnight. " Well," I replied, " you are the rainmaker ; why don't you give your people rain ? " " Give my people rain ! " said Katchiba. " I give them rain if they don't give me goats ? You don't know my people ; if I am fool enough to give them rain before they give me the goats, they would let me starve ! No, no ! let them wait — if they don't bring me supplies of corn, goats, fowls, yams, merissa, and all Chap. I.] " ARE YOU A RAINMAKER ? " 5 that I require, not one drop of rain shall ever fall again in Obbo ! Impudent brutes are my people ! Do you know, they have positively threatened to kill me unless I bring the rain ? They shan't have a drop ; I will wither the crops, and bring a plague upon their flocks. I'll teach these rascals to insult me ! " With all this bluster, I saw that old Katchiba was in a great dilemma, and that he would give anything for a shower, but that he did not know how to get out of the scrape.

It was a common freak of the tribes to sacrifice the rainmaker, should he be unsuccessful. He suddenly altered his tone, and asked, " Have you any rain in your country?" I replied that we had, every now and then. " How do you bring it ? Are you a rainmaker ? " I told him that no one believed in rainmakers in our country, but that we understood how to bottle lightning (meaning electricity). " I don't keep mine in bottles, but I have a houseful of thunder and lightning," he most coolly replied ; " but if you can bottle lightning you must understand rain making. What do you think of the weather to-day ? " I immediately saw the drift of the cunning old Katchiba ; he wanted professional advice. I repbed, that he must know all about it, as he was a regular rainmaker. " Of course I do," he answered, " but I want to know what you think of it."

" Well," I said, " I don't think we shall have any steady rain, but I think we may have a heavy shower SUCCESSFUL CASE. [Chap. I. in about four days (I said this as I had observed fleecy clouds gathering daily in the afternoon). " Just my opinion!" said Katchiba, delighted; "in four or perhaps in five days I intend to give them one shower ; just one shower ; yes, I'll just step down to them now, and tell the rascals, that if they will bring me some goats by this evening, and some corn to-morrow morning, I will give them in four or five days just one shower." To give effect to his declaration he gave several toots upon his magic whistle. " Do you use whistles in your country . " inquired Katchiba. I only replied by giving so shrill and deafening a whistle on my fingers that Katchiba stopped his ears ; and relapsing into a smile of admiration he took a glance at the sky from the doorway to see if any sudden effect had been produced.

" Whistle again," he said ; and once more I performed like the whistle of a locomotive. " That will do, we shall have it," said the cunning old rainmaker ; and proud of having so knowingly obtained " counsel's opinion " on his case, he toddled off to his impatient subjects. In a few days a sudden storm of rain and violent thunder added to Katchiba's renown, and after the shower, horns were blowing and nogaras were beating in honour of their chief. Entre nous, my whistle was considered infallible. The natives were busy sowing the new crop just as the last crop was ripening. It did not appear likely that they Chap. I.] NIGHT-WATCH FOR ELEPHANTS. 7 would reap much for their labour, as the elephants, having an accurate knowledge of the season, visited their fields nightly, and devoured and trampled the greater portion.

I had been too ill to think of shooting, as there was no other method than to watch in the tullaboon fields at night ; the high grass in which the elephants harboured being im penetrable. Feeling a little better I took my men to the field about a mile from the village, and dug a hole, in which I intended to watch. That night I took Richarn, and we sat together in our narrow grave. There was no sound throughout the night. I was well wrapped up in a Scotch plaid, but an attack of ague came on, and I shivered as though in Lap land. I had several rifles in the grave ; among others the " Baby," that carried a half-pound explosive shell. At about 4 A.M. I heard the distant trumpet of an elephant, and I immediately ordered Richarn to watch, and to report to me their arrival. It was extremely dark, but Richarn presently sank slowly down, and whispered, " Here they are !

" Taking the " Baby," I quietly rose, and listening attentively, I could distinctly hear the elephants tearing off the heads of the tullaboon, and crunching the crisp grain. I could distinguish the dark forms of the herd about thirty paces from me, but much too indistinct for a shot. I stood with my elbows resting on the edge of the hole, and the heavy [Chap. I. 8 ELEPHANT KILLED. rifle balanced, waiting for an opportunity. I had a paper sight arranged for night shooting, and I several times tried to get the line of an elephant's shoulder, but to no purpose; I could distinguish the sight clearly, but not the elephant. As I was watching the herd I suddenly heard a trumpet close to my left, and I perceived an elephant quickly walking exactly towards my grave. I waited with the rifle at my shoulder until he was within about twelve paces ; I then whistled, and he stopped, and turned quickly, exposing his side.

Taking the line of the fore-leg, I fired at the shoulder. The tremendous flash and smoke of ten drachms of powder completely blinded me, and the sudden reaction of darkness increased the obscurity. I could dis tinguish nothing; but I heard a heavy fall, and a few moments after I could hear a rustling in the grass as the herd of elephants retreated into the grass jungles. Richarn declared that the elephant had fallen ; but I again heard a rustling in the high grass jungle within eighty yards of me, and this sound continued in the same place. I accordingly concluded that the elephant was very badly wounded, and that he could not move from the spot. Nothing could be seen. At length the birds began to chirp, and the "black smith " (as I named one of the first to wake, whose two sharp ringing notes exactly resemble the blows of a hammer upon an anvil) told me that it was nearly day- Chap. I.] DIMENSIONS OF THE ELEPHANT. 9 break.

The grey of morning had just appeared when I heard voices, and I saw Mrs. Baker coming along the field with a party of men, whom she had brought down from the village with knives and axes. She had heard the roar of the heavy rifle, and knowing the " Baby's " scream, and the usual fatal effects, she had considered the elephant as bagged. The natives had also heard the report, and people began to accumulate from all quarters for the sake of the flesh. The elephant was not dead, but was standing about ten yards "within the grass jungle; however, in a short time a heavy fall sounded his knell, and the crowd rushed in. He was a fine bull, and before I allowed him to be cut up, I sent for the measuring-tape ; the result being as follows : — Feet. Inches. From tip of trunk to fleshy end of tail 26 04 Height from shoulder to fore-foot in a perpendicular line 10 6J Girth of fore-foot 4 10 j Length of one tusk in the curve 6 6 Ditto of fellow tusk (el Hadam, the servant) .... 5 11 Weight of tusks, 80 lbs. and 69 lbs. = 149 lbs.

The ridiculous accounts that I have read, stating that the height of elephants attains fifteen feet, is simply laugh able ignorance. A difference of a foot in an elephant's height is enormous ; he appears a giant among his lesser comrades. Observe the difference between a horse sixteen hands high and a pony of thirteen hands, and the dis- WILD BOARS. [Chap. I. ference of a foot in the height of a quadruped is exempbfied. The word being given, the crowd rushed upon the elephant, and about three hundred people wTere attacking the carcase with knives and lances. About a dozen men were working inside as though in a tunnel ; they had chosen this locality as being near to the fat, which was greatly coveted. A few days later I attempted to set fire to the grass jungle, but it would not burn thoroughly, leaving scorched stems that were rendered still tougher by the fire.

On the following evening I took a stroll over the burnt ground to look for game. No elephants had visited the spot ; but as I was walking along expecting nothing, up jumped a wild boar and sow from the entrance of a large hole of the Manis, or great scaled ant-eater. Being thus taken by surprise, the boar very imprudently charged me, and was immediately knocked over dead by a shot through the spine from the little Fletcher rifle, while the left-hand barrel rolled over his companion, who almost immediately recovered and disappeared in the grass jungle ; however, there was pork for those who liked it, and I went to the camp and sent a number of natives to bring it home. The Obbo people were delighted, as it was their favourite game, but none of my people would touch the unclean animal. The wild pigs of this country live underground ; they take Chap. I.] START FOR THE SOUTH. 11 possession of the holes made by the Manis, these they enlarge and form cool and secure retreats.

A bad attack of fever laid me up until the 31st of December. On the first day of January, 1864, I was hardly able to stand, and was nearly worn out at the very time that I required my strength, as we were to start south in a few days. Although my quinine had been long since exhausted, I had reserved ten grains to enable me to start in case the fever should attack me at the time of departure. I now swallowed my last dose, and on 3d January, I find the following note in my journal : " All ready for a start to morrow. I trust the year 1864 will bring better luck than the past, that having been the most annoying that I have ever experienced, and full of fever. I hope now to reach Kamrasi's country in a fortnight, and to obtain guides from him direct to the lake. My Latooka, to whom I have been very kind, has absconded : there is no difference in any of these savages ; if hungry, they will fawn upon you, and when filled, they will desert I believe that ten years' residence in the Soudan and this country would spoil an Ansel, and would turn the best heart to stone."

It was difficult to procure porters, therefore I left all my effects at my camp in charge of two of my men, and I determined to travel light, without the tent, and to take little beyond ammunition and cooking utensils. Ibrahim MRS. BAKER THROWN FROM HER OX. [Chap. I. 12 left forty-five men in his zareeba, and on the 5th of January we started. Mrs. Baker rode her ox, but my animal being very shy, I ordered him to be driven for about a mile with the others to accustom him to the crowd : not approving of the expedition, he bolted into the high grass with my English saddle, and I never saw him again. In my weak state I had to walk. We had not gone far when a large fly fastened upon Mrs. Baker's ox, just by his tail, the effect of which was to produce so sudden a kick and plunge, that he threw her to the ground and hurt her considerably :' she accordingly changed the animal, and rode a splendid ox that Ibrahim very civilly offered.

I had to walk to the Atabbi, about eighteen miles, which, although a pleasant stroll when in good health, I found rather fatiguing. We bivouacked on the south bank of the Atabbi. The next morning, after a walk of about eight miles, I purchased of one of the Turks the best ox that I have ever ridden, at the price of a double-barrelled gun — it was a great rebef to be well mounted, as I was quite unfit for a journey on foot. At 4.30 p.m. we arrived at one of the villages of Farajoke. The character of the country had entirely changed ; instead of the rank and superabundant vegetation of Obbo, we were in a beautiful open country, naturally drained by its undulating character, and abounding in most beautiful low Chap. I.] THE ASUA RIVER. 13 pasturage. Vast herds of cattle belonged to the different villages, but these had all been driven to concealment, as the report had been received that the Turks were approaching.

The country was thickly populated, but the natives appeared very mistrustful ; the Turks immediately entered the villages, and ransacked the granaries for corn, digging up the yams, and helping themselves to everything as though quite at home. I was on a beautiful grass sward on the gentle slope of a hill : here I arranged to bivouac for the night. In three days' march from this point through beautiful park-bke country, we arrived at the Asua river. The entire route from Farajoke had been a gentle descent, and I found this point of the Asua in lat N. 3° 12' to be 2,875 feet above the sea level, 1,091 feet lower than Farajoke. The river was a hundred and twenty paces broad, and from the bed to the top of the perpendicular banks was about fifteen feet. At this season it was almost dry, and a narrow channel of about six inches deep flowed through the centre of the otherwise exhausted river.