182 A SAIL UPON THE ALBERT LAKE, diagonal crevices in the rock, which formed high and difficult steps; but worse than these were the sharp stones, which prevented us from getting a good foothold, and the thorny acacias, which made the narrow path still narrower.

Towards the summit the ascent was easier, because the stones became fewer and the ground more level. At 9.24 A.M. we reached a good road, which seemed to lead on farther in a south-easterly direction. On our left were several small domelke summits, separated from each other by depressions, evidently belonging to the northern part of the range we had just ascended.. Straight in front of us, at about half an hour’s distance, another low dome-shaped eminence closed in the view, whilst on our right was yet another elevation of the same character, which we proceeded to climb. We finally rested under the shade of a mean-looking Balanite. Here the aneroid reading at 9.40 A.M. was 26.79 in. at 78° Fahr. (in the shade). This, without any correction, indicates that we were about 1150 feet above the level of the lake, which agrees sufficiently well with the altitude of 3000 feet assumed for the elevated plateau of the region lying between the lakes.

From the position we occupied, both the steamer and the village were out of sight; this, however, was due to the formation of the hills. The several terraces mount up one above the other like bastions, and are each crowned by a narrow flat ridge, whilst the steep channels already mentioned connect the terraces together. The view downwards is cut off by the projecting terraces and the close thickets and bushes growing on the lower slopes. Away in the west, on the other shore of the lake, the lofty hills of Londu were wrapped in mist. Close to the edge of the hills, on our right, a narrow sandy cape ran out into the lake, bending round at its extremity on both sides lke an anchor. ‘This, too, was evidently of quite recent formation, for it bore no vestige of vegetation.

All the summits of the hills are covered with Anthistiria grass, which serves as food for the sheep and goats that are brought up here to graze when they .can get nothing better. A species of Scabiosa, with whitish blossoms and very pleasant smell, also abounds, but trees are few and low—such as some yellow-flowering acacias, Balanites, Zizyphus, Grewia,