THE SALTWORKS OF KIBIRO. 177 the hills and heaped up at their foot. The path led at first between groups of dirty-looking, miserable huts; but the people have some excuse for their unsatisfactory condition, seeing that they have to purchase the long grass of which these huts are constructed, with salt, from beyond the hills. A slight bend of the path westwards, and we stood before the saltworks.

-Immediately on our left rose the lofty mountain chain, and -at its foot gushed forth the hot springs, to which we descended. These springs are situated in a kind of deep ravine, ending in a corrie with perpendicular walls, formed by the incaying of the hills behind. Blocks of stone and masses of debris—fragments of primitive rock—lie scattered about here in -chaotic confusion, and, under the combined effects of heat and moisture, they have assumed the appearance of wacke. The floor of the ravine and the stones with which it is littered, are so hot that one cannot bear the hand upon them; the heat even penetrates through the shoes to the feet. On every side we heard the continuous bubbling and hissing of water, and the gureling of gases issuing from the hot mud. Hundreds of tiny springs burst from the overheated soil, and fill the air with sulphurous gases, with which is mingled a slight smell of bitumen. The atmosphere has such a high temperature that we felt almost stifled, and as if we were in a steam bath—and this idea was further strengthened by the little jets of steam which rose on all sides from the boiling water. This “ witch’s caldron,’ in which we come face to face with the workings of Nature’s forces, is called by the Wanydéro, “ Kabigga.” The perfectly clear water gushes out from under stones, out of crevices in the rock, and directly out of the ground. Seen in a glass, it has a yellowish tinge. In several places its temperature varies between 185° and 195° Fahr., and it gives off a slight smell like that of sulphuretted hydrogen. In taste the water is rather saline, and when taken in large quantities, it acts as a moderate purgative. It flows strongest in calm weather, wind and rain diminishing its outgush. Earthquake shocks are rather frequent in Kibiro. I saw no vegetation in the ravine, or at least none at its farther ex-_ tremity; but its upper rim was clothed with thick bushes and M