Everybody Ran To See Them At Once, Though The March Had
Been Long And Fatiguing, And Even My Sketch-Block Was Called Into
Play.
Though beautiful, the scene was not exactly what I
expected; for the broad surface of the lake was shut out from
view by a spur of hill, and the falls, about 12 feet deep, and
400 to 500 feet broad, were broken by rocks.
Still it was a
sight that attracted one to it for hours - the roar of the waters,
the thousands of passenger-fish, leaping at the falls with all
their might; the Wasoga and Waganda fisherman coming out in boats
and taking post on all the rocks with rod and hook, hippopotami
and crocodiles lying sleepily on the water, the ferry at work
above the falls, and cattle driven down to drink at the margin of
the lake, - made, in all, with the pretty nature of the country -
small hills, grassy-topped, with trees in the folds, and gardens
on the lower slopes - as interesting a picture as one could wish
to see.
The expedition had now performed its functions. I saw that old
father Nile without any doubt rises in the Victoria N'yanza, and,
as I had foretold, that lake is the great source of the holy
river which cradled the first expounder of our religious belief.
I mourned, however, when I thought how much I had lost by the
delays in the journey having deprived me of the pleasure of going
to look at the north-east corner of the N'yanza to see what
connection there was, by the strait so often spoken of, with it
and the other lake where the Waganda went to get their salt, and
from which another river flowed to the north, making "Usoga an
island." But I felt I ought to be content with what I had been
spared to accomplish; for I had seen full half of the lake, and
had information given me of the other half, by means of which I
knew all about the lake, as far, at least, as the chief objects
of geographical importance were concerned.
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