36 UGANDA AND THE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

were tied ; a third layer of short sticks were placed transversely over these, and formed the floor of the bridge. Substantial stakes were driven into the bed of the river on either side of the bridge, and fastened to the two creepers to steady and strengthen the whole, and finally two other long creepers had been passed over the branches of trees on either side to serve as handrails and give additional support. As originally designed, it showed no small amount of ingenuity and skill, and must, when new, have been strong and reliable ; but now it was old, the sticks of the floor were smooth and polished by the naked feet of countless passengers, many of the supports were broken, and there were great gaps in it here and there which told the traveller plainly that a false step must send him into the boiling water beneath, while the whole structure shook and vibrated to such a degree that one had to hold on firmly to keep one's balance.

At length, however, all were safely over with the exception of the donkeys, and how were they to be transported across ? They certainly could not walk over the bridge, and the river lay deep in its banks, which were very steep, and was foaming along with a powerful stream ; also there were probably crocodiles, though the wapagazi made noise enough to have frightened away any ordinary crocodile within several miles of us. The r river being the only alternative, ropes were procured, tied together, and passed across the stream ; one of the donkeys was then