Skirting The Hills On The Left, With A Large Low Plain To The
Right We Soon Came On One Of Those Numerous Rush-Drains That
Appear To Me To Be The Last Waters Left Of The Old Bed Of The
N'yanza.
This one in particular was rather large, being 150
yards wide.
It was sunk where I crossed it, like a canal, 14
feet below the plain; and what with mire and water combined, so
deep, I was obliged to take off my trousers whilst fording it.
Once across, we sought for and put up in a village beneath a
small hill, from the top of which I saw the Victoria N'yanza for
the first time on this march. N'yamgundu delighted me much:
treating me as king, he always fell down on his knees to address
me, and made all his "children" look after my comfort in camp.
We marched on again over the same kind of ground, alternately
crossing rush-drains of minor importance, though provokingly
frequent, and rich gardens, from which, as we passed, all the
inhabitants bolted at the sound of our drums, knowing well that
they would be seized and punished if found gazing at the king's
visitors. Even on our arrival at Ukara not one soul was visible.
The huts of the villagers were shown to myself and my men without
any ceremony. The Wanyambo escort stole what they liked out of
them, and I got into no end of troubles trying to stop the
practice; for they said the Waganda served them the same way when
they went to Karague, and they had a right to retaliate now.
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