A WAHUMA VILLAGE 131 hedge. The courtyards were excessively dirty, but the huts were kept very clean inside. The inhabitants, who have charge of the king’s herds, had fled at our approach, as they were afraid of the plundering Waganda, but as I entered one of the huts a woman clad in skins offered me milk, with the request that I should drink it out of one of my own vessels. The Wahtma never cultivate the soil, but they exchange milk and butter with their neighbours for sweet potatoes, gourds, tobacco, bark cloth, &c.

Kitara, the villaze where we were to encamp, was situated a short distance from here. It is small, and belongs to the district of Makéngo Kaségu, whom I visited on my first Uganda expedition, and who lives about two miles from here; . he is, however, too old to pay me a visit. Kapéki, where we passed the night on our outward journey, between Kahtura and Guru, lies adjacent to Kitara. Along this road there is a bush which frequently grows about six feet high, and has woolly verbena-like leaves and blue blossoms lke those of the salvia; the whole plant exhales a most pleasant perfume.* At 5 P.M. @ man unexpectedly arrived with my bedding. Anyone who has slept in Central Africa for five nights on a bare ankareb, and has had some experience of our mosquitos, will readily realise my joy; my only goods now missing were the linen, cooking utensils, and my store of coffee! The following morning a very short march brought us to Khor Ergugu; we passed through fine park land, where on the short turf we noticed some Pentastemon,t blue Lathyrus, white convolvulus, and dark red and silver white Malve, with bright red eyes. The first part of Khor Ergugu was quickly passed, as the water was only knee-deep and no grass was growing in it. The second part proved more difficult, as the water was now breasthigh, and enormous quantities of grass prevented us from gaining a firm footing, so we took fully twenty minutes to wade through it. A quarter of an hour’s march through a fine wood brought us at last to Mréko’s headquarters, Kahura.

In order to enlarge his house, Mréko, a younger brother of Nyamasore (the queen-mother), had caused all ornamental trees * This bush is probably a species of Coleus.—G. S. + This genus does not exist in Central Africa.—G. 8S.