CHAPTER III.
LEAVE TANGANYIKA—DETERMINE TO VISIT THE UKÉRÉWÉ LAKE,
A L IA S VICTORIA N’YANZA— CONFUSION ABOUT RIVERS RUNNING
IN AND OUT— IDEA THAT IT IS THE SOURCE OF THE
NILE — ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE JOURNEY— DIFFICULTIES
— THE MARCH— NATURE OF THE COUNTRY— FORMALITIES
AT THE MEETING OF CARAVANS— A PAGAZI STRIKE— A SULTANA—
INCIDENTS—PILLARS OF GRANITE.
On returning to Ujiji after a rather protracted sojourn
at Uvira, occasioned by Kannina’s not completing bis
work so quickly as bad been anticipated, we found our
stock of beads and cloth, which had been left in charge
of the Ras-cafila, Sheikh Said, and under the protection
of the Beluches and our Wanyamuézi porters, reduced
to so low an ebb that everybody felt anxious
about our future movements. The Sheikh, however,
I must add, on a prior occasion, very generously proposed,
in case we felt disposed to carry on the survey
of the lake, to return to the Arab dépôt at Kazé, and
fetch some more African money, to meet the necessary
expenses. I wished to finish off the navigation
of the lake; but Captain Burton declared he would
not, as he had had enough of canoe-travelling, and
thought our being short of cloth, and out of leave,
would be sufficient excuse for him. Though admiring
so magnanimous a sacrifice on the part of this energetic
Sheikh, it was voted, in consequence of my companion’s
failing health, as well as from the delay it
would occasion, that we should all return at once to
Kaz£, where we expected to meet our reserve supplies.
This once agreed upon, I then proposed that, after
reaching Kazb, we should travel northwards to the
lake described by the Arabs to be both broader and
longer than the Tanganyika, and which they call
Ukerewe, after the island where their caravans go
for ivory—in short, the Victoria N’yanza—for I was
all the while burning to see it. To this Captain Burton
at first demurred. He said we had done enough,
and he would do no more; but finally gave way when
I said, If you are not well enough when we reach Kaz 6
I will go by myself, and you can employ the time in
taking notes from the travelled Arabs of all the countries
round. This was agreed to at last by Captain
Burton, as he said the journey hitherto had been so
uninteresting, a month with Sheikh Snay would be very
necessary to completing his book. Delighted at this
announcement, I begged for leave to take Sheikh Said
with me. Captain Burton, however, wanted to keep
him, as he was a great friend of all the Arabs, and
could procure him news better than any one else. I
argued that the road was dangerous, and without him I
thought I could not succeed, as there was no one else to
argue with the native chiefs, and bring them to terms
if they were headstrong. Captain Burton to this ap