Wadelai and the Moitth of the Albert Lake. 115 death of Kararasi various curious and cruel ceremonies were observed, ■ The corpse was laid on a living couch of the women of his harem in a great trench. It is curious to see the indifference with which the women of this country, and, as I have been told, of other countries to the south of the lake, allow themselves to be buried alive for love of their husbands. It is a proof of affection and fidelity still more terrible than that practised formerly by the Indian widows throwing themselves on the funeral pyre of their husbands. When civilization, which will certainly be one day introduced into this country, has taken root also in Unyoro, one of the first reforms will certainly be the abolition of these cruel human sacrifices.

But we must resume the course of our explorations.

All along the south-eastern shore the natives crowded on the banks, armed with lances, sending arrows after us, and inviting us to land, showing us at the same time with the lances how we should be received. I let them do and say what they liked, and they continued for hours to follow us, and hindered us from anchoring in any bay.

The weather had turned rainy, and the wind blew ; things were beginning to look serious. While we were, in fact, gaining a place of refuge, we suddenly saw several hundreds of heads emerge from the water. It was necessary to act promptly, and two shots from my rifle set all these swimmers to flight.

March 22nd. — We passed a quiet night, protected by a little bay and high mountains, in the shelter of which we did not feel the strong south wind. From the tonoue of land where Kaba Reofa has established himself, as far as forty miles along the coast, the mountain chain is nearly destitute of forests. All the summits tower up perpendicularly, and the narrow shore is strewn with stones that have fallen from above. A low strip of land, detached from the shore, 1 2