234 UGANDA AND THE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

the Lake, and having several large villages. Here I saw some curious rafts, formed of the leaf-stalks of a large palm, which grows abundantly in this locality. These stalks are about nine feet long, and are extremely light. The rafts are made of a double layer of stalks fastened side by side by means of cross pieces of wood which are driven through them horizontally, all the broad ends being together so that at one end the raft tapers almost to a point. Two or three more stalks are secured on either side, one above the other, to form a sort of gunwale to protect the fisherman from the waves, the broad end being left open. These rafts are extremely buoyant, and are employed by the boatmen to carry their fishbaskets out to the spots where they are sunk.

We left Uganda on July 17th, and, having crossed the mouth of the Kagera river, camped in the country of Uzongoro. After passing this river a wonderful change took place in the scenery. North of the Kagera the country was generally low, and densely clothed with forest, while the shore was often fringed with papyrus ; now it consisted of high downs, rising often to an altitude of 800 and 900 feet above the Lake, and ending in abrupt precipices 300 to 400 feet in height. These hills sometimes came sheer down to the water, occasionally having a strip of alluvial land along their base, where herds of long-horned cattle grazed, and large villages were found, their level beaches of