vessel should he built upon the lake, to trade with the
surrounding coasts, and to receive the ivory from the
dépôt. This vessel would then descend from the lake
to the White Nile to the head of the cataracts, where
a camp should be fdrmed, from which, in a few days’
march, the ivory would reach Gondokoro.
“A large trade might thus be established, as not only
Unyoro would supply ivory, but the lake would open
the navigation to the very heart of Africa, The
advantage of dealing with Kamrasi direct would be
great, as he is not a mere savage, demanding beads
and bracelets ; but he would receive printed cottons,
and goods of various kinds, by which means the ivory
would be obtained at a merely nominal rate. . The
dépôt on the Luta N’zigé should be a general store, at
which the vessel ascending from the station above the
cataracts would deliver the various goods from Gondokoro,
and from this store the goods would be disseminated
throughout the countries bordering the lake
by means of vessels.
“ The only drawback to this honest trade would be
the general hatred of anything honest by the Khar-
toumers ; the charms of cattle razzias and slave-
hunting, with the attendant murders, attract these-
villanous cut-throats to the White Nile expeditions,
and I fear it would be difficult to raise the number of
armed men required for safety, were legitimate trade
the sole object of the ivory hunter.
“ Even in Obbo, I believe that printed calicoes, red
woollen shirts, blankets, &c. would purchase ivory. The
elevation of this country being upwards of 3,600 feet,
the nights are cold, and even the day is cold during
the wet season, thus clothing is required; this we see
in the first rudiments of covering, the skins of beasts
used by the natives ; the Obbo people being the first
tribe that adopts a particle of clothing from the Shillook
country (lat. 10°) throughout the entire course of the
White Nile to this latitude (4° 02'). Kamrasi’s tribe
are well covered, and farther south, towards Zanzibar,
all tribes are clothed more or less; thus Obbo is the
clothing frontier, where the climate has first prompted
the savage to cover himself, while in the hot lowlands
he remains in a state of nakedness. Where clothing
is required, English manufactures would find a market
in exchange for ivory; thus from this point a fair trade
might be commenced.
“ From Earajoke, in the Sooli country, lat. 3° 33', up
to this date the most southern limit of my explorations,
the lake is about nine or ten days’ march in a direct
course; but such a route is impossible, owing to
Debono’s establishment occupying the intervening
country, and the rules of the traders forbid a trespass