the Wanyoro territory (crescent shape) lies, with the
horns directed eastwards. Amidst them, situate in
the concave or lake side, are the Waganda, to whose
capital I went. Anybody wishing to see the northern
boundary of the lake should go to Kibuga, take
good presents, and make friends with the reigning
monarch; and, with his assistance, buy or construct
boats on the shore of the lake, which is about
five marches east of his capital.* North, beyond the
Waganda, the Wanyoro are again met w ith ; and
there quarrels and wars were so rife, from a jealousy
existing among them and the Waganda, that had these
people known of a northern boundary, I still might not
have heard of it. On crossing the Kitangule river,
I found it emanating from Urundi (a district in the
Mountains of the Moon), and flowing north-easterly.
The breadth of the river is very great—I should imagine,
some five to six hundred yards—and it contains
much water, overflowing as the Malagarazi does after
rains. There are also numerous other little streams
on the way to Kibuga, but none so great as the Ka-
tonga river. This, like the rest, comes from the west,
and flows towards the lake. I t has a breadth of two
thousand yards, is very deep when full, but sinks
and is very sluggish in the dry season, when water-
lilies and rushes overspread its surface, and the mus-
quitoes are very annoying. The cowrie-shell, brought
* Here is the confusion again of the Nile and the lake as one water.
The Nile was in reality five marches east of Kibuga, and the boundary
of the lake one march to its southward. Snay obviously meant it so, for
it was the river he thought was the Jub, but I did not understand him.
from the Zanzibar coast, is the common currency
amongst the more northern tribes; but they are not
worth the merchant’s while to carry, as beads and brass
(not cloth, for they are essentially a bead-wearing and
naked people) are eagerly sought for and taken in
exchange. Large sailing-craft, capable of containing
forty or fifty men, and manned and navigated after
the fashion of ocean mariners, are reported by the
natives to frequent the lake (meaning the Nile at
Gondokoro). We Arabs believe in this report, as
everybody tells the same story; but don’t know how
it happens to be so, unless it is open to the sea. The
Kitangule river is crossed in good-sized wooden canoes;
but the Katonga river can only be passed in the dry
season, when men walk over it on the lily leaves :
cattle, too, are then passed across in certain open
spaces, guided by a long string, which is attached to
the animals’ heads.”
Other Arab and Wasuahili merchants have corroborated
Snays statement, as also a Hindi merchant,
called Musa, whom I especially mention, as I consider
him a very valuable informant—not only from the
straightforward way he had of telling his story, but
also because we could converse with one another
direct, and so obviate any chance of errors. After
describing his route to the north in minute detail,
stage by stage, with great precision, which was to the
same effect as all the other accounts, he told me of a
third large river to the northward of the Line, beyond
Uganda; this he spoke of as much larger than the