Uganda, was along the north bank o f the Ka
tonga, through an open rolling country, cut up
frequently b y watercourses which feed the K a tonga.
These watercourses, though called rivers
show no running stream, but only river-like
marshes or broad “ rush drains,” choked with
spear-grass and papyrus o f the same nature as
the Katonga. North or south o f the Katonga
at the distance o f ten miles or so, the land rises
rapidly, and here numerous streams o f clear
sweet water take their origin,' but in their descent
to the Katonga valley they become united
and absorbed b y great breadths o f river-like
marshes, the oozy contents o f which are drained
b y the broad lagoon-like K a ton g a * It maintains
this character until near the base o f a low hill
which separates the feeders o f Muta Nzige from
those o f Lake Victoria. The crest o f this hill
is not more than 250 feet above the bed o f the
Katonga, and it is not more than two miles from
its eastern to its western base, y e t along the
eastern base curves the bed o f the Katonga from
the north-west, and along the western rushes
the Rusango from the foot o f Mount Lawson
southward towards the Muta Nzige.
. E x c ep t in the vicinity o f the Katonga there
is scarcely one square mile o f level ground to
* At the confluence of the Wakassi with the Katonga
boiling-point showed an altitude of 4111 feet above the sea,’
only 18 feet higher than Ripon Falls!
rDec. 27, 1875.1 NUMBERS OF OUR LITTLE ARMY. 243
L Kawanga. J
be seen. Our eyes dwelt everywhere on grassy
hollows, slopes, and ridges, and the prospect
each day was bounded b y lines of blue hills,
which, as we progressed westward, assumed
mountainous altitudes.
A t Kawanga, when Sambuzi’s force had been
all collected, our army consisted o f fighting-men
as follows:—
The Daily Telegraph and New York Herald expedition 180
Sambuzi, g e n e r a l ............................... 1000
Mkoma, colonel ............................................................... 25°
Ngezi, colonel ■ ■ 250
Sekajugu, c o lo n e l ............................................................... 4-5°
Mrowla, captain .......................................................... 100
Kurji, c a p t a i n .......................................... 4°
2270
Mtesa’s bodyguards under Sabadu (sergeant) . . 20
Total . . . 2290
Following this little army there were about
500 women and children, giving a grand total o f
nearly 2800 souls.
With Colonel Sekajugu were four men o f
Gambaragara, who were o f a remarkably light
complexion, approaching to that o f dark-faced
Europeans, who differed altogether in habits
and manners from the Waganda. T h e y possessed
their own milch-cows, and their diet appeared
to consist entirely o f milk. T h e features o f these
people, besides their complexion, were so regular
and remarkable that my curiosity was
R.2