34 MRULI TO RUBAGA IN UGANDA.

length, owing to our ascent into drier ground, the narrow path widened out into a well-kept broad road, bounded by trees and gardens. ‘The farther we proceeded the more beautiful and highly cultivated grew the land: luxuriant fields of sweet potatoes, juicy green tobacco, yellow-flowering ground nuts, fields of maize and sorghum, all divided from one another by cleanly kept paths; whilst in the background there were groves of bananas, in which not a weed is permitted, splendid fig-trees of different species, tall euphorbias, and thickets of climbing plants.

Naturally the bird world was not wanting there. Hundreds of splendid astrilds and amadinee fluttered in and out amongst the dense foliage ; everywhere the weaver-birds had hung their swinging nests; flocks of guinea-fowl scrape up sweet potatoes ; we heard the “bellowing” of the schizcerhis, flying in pairs; white-breasted ravens stalked about the ground, and high in the air the kite (Aiilvus parasiticus) flew in ever-changing circles. Many large huts lay scattered in the fields; their inhabitants stood in groups upon the way, many clothed in white cotton stuff. ‘ Otiano, nyo, nyoge” was the greeting we received in passing. Shots echoed in the air, and, accompanied by hundreds of spectators, we arrived in a large open space where huts had been prepared for our reception.

My tent was hardly erected before a man, a perfect stranger to me, brought me a bunch of ripe golden bananas, a sign of welcome, and Mreko took ieave to greet his wife and children. It was afternoon before we had made ourselves at home, and the rain had hardly stopped for a moment when a procession approached my tent. It was led by Mréko and Kanagurba, both clothed in white vestments. They were bringing me presents: baskets full of large red sweet potatoes, bunches of green and ripe bananas wrapped in green leaves, enormous gourds full of frothy sandi (fresh banana wine, a very pleasant tipple), small native hens, and a long-legged cock of the bastard race, whose ancestor once found its way here from Gondokoro, a black, high-humped cow, and—trarity of rarities —a dozen eggs in a pretty little basket. Both gentlemen had, as their somewhat thick speech indicated, done all honour to the banana wine, which was even then being offered