liar water, that was unlike other waters, as it would
‘ come, up to a water-jar, if put upon the shore, and
carry it away and break it.’ By this description I
understood ‘ waves.’ She also described the * Gondo-
koro river,’ or White Nile, as flowing into and. out of
the lake, and she spoke of a ‘ great roar of water, that
-fell from the sky.’
t “ I trust I may succeed in reaching this lake: if
not, my entire time, labour, and expenditure will have
been wasted, as I throw sport entirely aside for the
sake of this exploration. Were I to think of shooting
in preference to exploring, 1 could have excellent sport
on the Atabbi river during the dry season, as also on
the Kanieti, in the vicinity of Wakkala; but I must
neglect all but the great object, and push on to Kam-
rasi’s capital, and from thence to the lake.. My great
anxiety lies in the conduct of Koorshid’s p a rty ; should
they make razzias south, I shall be ruined, as my men
will be afraid to advance through a disturbed country.
I must keep on good terms with the chief of the party,
as I depend upon him for an interpreter and porters.
“ My plan is to prevail on Ibrahim to commence an
ivory trade in Kamrasi’s country that might be legitimately
conducted, instead of the present atrocious
system of robbery and murder. I like Koorshid, as he
is a bold-spoken robber instead of acting the hypocrite
like the other traders of Khartoum; .thus, as he was the
only man that was civil to me, I would do him a good
turn could I establish an honest trade between Kamrasi
and himself ; at the same time, I should have the advantage
of his party as escort to the desired country.
The case commercially lies as follows: —
“ Kamrasi’s country, Unyoro, is a virgin land, where
beads are hardly known, and where the king is the
despotic ruler, whose word is law. 'All trade would be
conducted through him alone, in the shape of presents,
he giving elephants’ tusks, while, in return, Koorshid
would send him beads and various articles annually.
Koorshid would thus be the sole trader with Kamrasi
according to White Nile rules, and the abominable
system of cattle robbery would be avoided.
“ The great difficulty attending trade in a distant
country is the want of means of transport, one tribe,
being generally hostile to the adjoining, fears to afford
porters beyond the frontier. If I can prove that the
Lake Luta N’zigé is one source of the Nile with a
navigable junction, I can at once do away with the
great difficulty, and open up a direct trade for Koorshid.
The Lake is in Kamrasi’s own dominions ;
thus he will have no fear in supplying porters to
deliver the ivory at a dépôt that might be established ;
either on the lake or at its junction with the Nile. A