were laid before us, but Speke’s suaviter in modo, no
less than bis fortiter in re, won the day. A parting
souvenir of two spears was sent bim by tbe king, and
on tbe 9tb November we glided down tbe river Kuffo.
Tbe banks of tbe river were lined witb crowds
shouting and waving adieus as we sbot down tbe
stream. Amongst tbem was a woman conspicuously
dressed, and recognised by our men as a maid of bon-
our, wbo generally sat at tbe feet of tbe king. Sbe
was tbe only female of rank we bad seen, and sbe
seemed plain and flat-featured. Her dress of yellow
bark-clotb was striped witb black, and ber bair was
dressed in a ridge-like form, after tbe fashion of tbe
Uganda court. We enjoyed excessively tbe boating
down stream, going at tbe rate of four miles an hour,
and driving fish before us. Tbe Kuffo was so broad
that two “ gigs” might race abreast of each other.
Tbe sides seldom admitted of landing, being margined
witb rushes and reeds, biding completely tbe country
behind tbem. Delightful to us was tbe prospect of
tbe water route!
CH AP T E R XIII.
JOURNEY FROM UNYORO CAPITAL TO AN EGYPTIAN CAMP,
NOVEMBER 9 TO DECEMBER 3, 1862 — FLOATING ISLANDS
ON THE NILE — RIVER SCENES AND CANOE CHASE — THE
PEOPLE CIVIL AND HOSPITABLE— DWELLINGS AND ORCHARDS
OF THE NATIVES— WATERFALLS AT KARUMA— FISHING AND
HIPPOPOTAMUS TRAP — FERRY THE NILE, AND CROSS AN
UNINHABITED FOREST— JOIN AN ENCAMPMENT OF TURKS.
M y first sail on tbe river Nile—tbe White Nile—was
made upon this journey, but my companion, Captain
Speke, bad sailed on it at Urondogani. We entered
it on this occasion in a log canoe, a few miles below
Kamarasi’s residence, at tbe point where tbe Kuffo joins
it; and we floated upon its sacred waters during a portion
of four days, making tbe rest of tbe journey to tbe
Falls of Karuma by land, along tbe left bank. Though
tbe mode of transit was not dignified, tbe water route
was extremely pleasant, from its novelty and interest.
Having emerged from tbe channel of tbe smaller
stream, we suddenly found ourselves in a large lake,
to all appearance without an outlet, being surrounded
by rushes; and without a pilot it would have been
bard for us to guess which direction to take. After