DWARF LAND AND 
 
 CANNIBAL COUNTO 
 
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 IN DWARF LAND AND 
 CANNIBAL COUNTRY
 
 BY THE SAME AUTHOR 
 
 Demy 8vo, cloth, 10/6 net. 
 
 UGANDA TO KHARTOUM 
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURE ON THE UPPER NILE. 
 
 With a Preface by Victor Buxton, a Map, and Eighty-one Illustrations. 
 
 Second Impression. 
 
 " A most entertaining and instructive book of African travel. Mr. Lloyd 
 is the best type of the missionary and of Christian manhood." — Westminster 
 Gazette. 
 
 " A book of real imperial and humane interest." — Outlook. 
 
 " A book which is fiiU of strange incidents and thrilling adventures in a 
 remote and little-known corner of the British Empire." — Standard. 
 
 LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN.
 
 Parnell Pr^f. 
 
 IN DWARF LAND AND 
 CANNIBAL COUNTRY 
 
 A RECORD OF TRAVEL AND DISCOVERY 
 IN CENTRAL AFRICA 
 
 BY 
 
 A. B. LLOYD 
 
 AUTHOR OF "UGANDA TO KHARTOUM" 
 
 WITH INTRODUCTION BY THE 
 RT. HON. SIR JOHN H. KENNAWAY, BART., M.P. 
 
 PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY 
 
 WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS 
 
 THIRD IMPRESSION 
 
 LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN 
 ADELPHI TERRACE. MCMVII
 
 First Edition, 1899. 
 Second Impression, 1900. 
 Third Impression, 1907. 
 
 (All rights reserved.)
 
 UMVr^ 'ORNU' 
 
 I HUMBLY DEDICATE TO 
 
 MY MOTHER, 
 
 WHOSE SAINTLY LIFE AND EARNEST PRAYERS 
 
 HAVE EVER BEEN MY ADMIRATION AND SUPPORT, 
 
 PARTICULARLY DURING MY MANY AND VARIED EXPERIENCES 
 
 IN CENTRAL AFRICA
 
 PREFACE 
 
 AS President of the Church Missionary Society, I 
 gladly accede to Mr. Lloyd's request that I should 
 write a few lines of introduction to his book. 
 
 He has been bearing his share of " the white man's 
 burden" of ruhng, civilising, and Christianising the 
 " silent peoples," of whom John Bull carries no less 
 than 350 millions on his back. 
 
 The duty is no light one, but it gives an outlet for the 
 energies of our people, an object worthy of an Imperial 
 race, of a Christian country, a call to put forth the 
 highest qualities of the Anglo-Saxon character. Mr. 
 Lloyd has been for four years and a half engaged as one 
 of our missionaries in the grand work of helping to build 
 up the Church in Uganda and the regions around it, 
 within the confines of the British Protectorate. 
 
 It is a church whose foundations were laid by Bishops 
 Hannington and Parker, by Mackay, Shergold Smith, 
 Pilkington, and many others — a church rich in martyrs, 
 now numbering more than 20,000 baptized members, 
 besides catechumens and readers, with 15 native clergy 
 and 1,000 lay Evangelists — a church self-supporting, 
 possessing the Bible and Prayer-Book in its own 
 tongue, and spending £1,500 a year in the purchase 
 of books. 
 
 7
 
 8 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 What hath God wrought ? 
 
 During his sojourn in Africa Mr. Lloyd has been 
 witness of the stirring scenes of the Soudanese rebeUion, 
 which he assisted in repressing. He was privileged to 
 close the eyes of his friend and brother, Mr. Callis, so 
 early struck down in Toro, and to him was dictated the 
 wonderful letter from King Daudi Kasagama to " The 
 Elders of the Church in Europe," thanking them for 
 sending teachers, and telling them that he wanted very 
 much to arrange all the matters of his country for God 
 only, that all his people might understand that Christ 
 Jesus is the Saviour of all countries, and that He is the 
 King of all kings. 
 
 To his role as a missionary Mr. Lloyd has added that 
 of an explorer. Last year, when the time of his furlough 
 had come, he determined to strike out a Hne for himself 
 and make through Belgian territory for an exit on the 
 West Coast. This brought him to the Pygmy Forest, 
 where Stanley spent so much time, and reviewed the old 
 memories of Herodotus. 
 
 Much progress has been made, even since the later of 
 the two historians, and it speaks well that our traveller 
 was able to make his way through the midst of Pygmies 
 and cannibals, unharmed and unharming. The knowledge 
 he has gained cannot fail to be of use to him when he 
 returns to Uganda, and it will certainly be of interest to 
 his readers, to whom I heartily commend his book. 
 
 JOHN H. KENNAWAY. 
 Church Missionary House, 
 Salisbury Square, E.G.
 
 PREFATORY NOTE 
 
 THE writer of the following pages makes no pretensions 
 to literary ability, and he intends this work merely 
 to be a plain, unvarnished story, simply told, of life lived 
 under many conditions in Africa. He hopes no apology 
 will be deemed necessary for the imperfections which 
 may appear in the telling of his narrative. The writing 
 of such a book was far enough from his thoughts when 
 he went off upon his mission to that benighted continent, 
 and nothing would now induce him to do so but the con- 
 viction that the knowledge he has gained of unknown 
 countries and unknown tribes should not be kept to him- 
 self. As one who has laboured, and still hopes to labour, 
 among the helpless and friendless millions of the Dark 
 Continent, his natural desire, if writing a book at all, 
 would be to treat with missionary enterprise exclusively, 
 and to establish and enforce the claims of the perishing 
 heathen. But this is not what he has set himself to do 
 in producing this volume. The other side of missionary 
 life must sometimes be told, and to this task he has put 
 his hand. It has been a difficult one, but however imper- 
 fectly it has been accomplished the writer simply asks 
 that the reader will bear in mind that the intentions of 
 the author are to introduce facts in such a wav as to
 
 10 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 interest the most casual reader; and he is not without 
 hope that it will in some measure procure for the dark, 
 perishing milHons of Central Africa an increase of 
 sympathy from the Christian public of Great Britain.
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 Africa — Past and Present 
 
 DUKING the past century no country has opened up to 
 the civilised world in so marvellous a manner as 
 Africa. Not many years ago the Map of Africa was 
 almost a blank. The great desert and the Nile seemed 
 to be the only natural features known. And yet, looking 
 back upon the Africa of the past, we behold her greatness 
 — the nursery of science and literature ; the seat of an 
 Empire almost as great as that of Rome, and one which 
 contended with Rome for the kingdoms of the world ; 
 and we think of Egypt, the great stronghold of the early 
 Church, with its archbishop and bishops, its churches, 
 and its learning. 
 
 The old Egyptians of the bygone ages seemed to know 
 more about the centre of Africa than did our grandfathers. 
 There on the tombs of their kings, far back in the Sixth 
 Dynasty, we get a record, not only proving the know- 
 ledge of the Egyptians of those remote ages, of a great 
 lake at the sources of the Nile, but of the existence of the 
 Pygmies. There is described on the tomb of Aswan how 
 the King Mer-en-Ra sent his servant to fetch a Pygmy 
 from the country of Punt by the lake Punt, supposed to 
 
 be the source of the Nile, and it is recorded how that the 
 
 u
 
 12 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 King Assa, five reigns earlier, is spoken of as having seen 
 a Pygmy from this land brought by his servant. 
 
 This means that about 3,200 years B.C. the very 
 centre of Africa was known to the then civilised world. 
 The writings of Herodotus seem but as yesterday before 
 such inscriptions as these ; he, however, was called the 
 " dreamer," and his account of the Pygmies dwelling 
 near the great Mountains of the Moon was scarcely 
 believed, and yet to-day we know the truth of what he 
 wrote. 
 
 The Portuguese will tell us of great cities built by them 
 centuries ago in the very heart of Africa, and on the west 
 there still remain traces of what once must have been a 
 flourishing mission ; and these traces may yet be found 
 in the centre. 
 
 We speak to-day of the great explorations for the 
 opening up of the Dark Continent ; our proposed railways, 
 increased trade, and our civilising agencies. But what is 
 the true state of affairs ? alas ! it must still be called 
 Darkest Africa. Thousands of square miles still un- 
 explored, huge forests absolutely untouched, millions 
 of her dusky sons in as gross a state of darkness as they 
 were a thousand years ago. And this for all that more 
 lives have been laid down for Africa, and a greater sacrifice 
 of men to the enterprise of discovery than in any other 
 land. The border is yet hardly touched. Civilised 
 countries have been made the richer by her gold, and 
 where is the recompense that has been paid to her ? Her 
 tribes are sunk in deepest depths of ignorance and sin, 
 and alas ! the white man's greed for her gold, her rubber, 
 and her ivory has only deepened her guilt, for often it has 
 brought within her domains drunkenness, lawlessness, and 
 vice, and all this rushing in upon a defenceless people. 
 
 And still her hands are stretched out, and it is to us 
 that she looks ; to us — who have taken her wealth, and
 
 IN DWARF LAND 13 
 
 the blood of thousands of her sons, and who, in exchange, 
 have given to her gin, and a handful of missionaries. 
 
 But the day is at hand, and darkest Africa shall yet be 
 enlightened. Already from her very heart a tiny streak 
 of Hght has commenced to glow in the British Protectorate 
 of Uganda. Thank God ! Britain's sons have planted the 
 Union Jack in her very centre, not to suck her life-blood 
 for the sake of her wealth, but to bring to her the priceless 
 treasures of Peace, Prosperity, and Religion. 
 
 Africa shall yet hold up her head ; her down-trodden 
 sons and daughters shall leap into a new-found freedom, 
 and the fiercest spirits that ever trod her burning sands 
 shall be brought into complete subjugation ; not by the 
 military fort and the roar of cannon and the rattle of 
 musketry, for it will require a mightier power than this 
 to bring peace to this troubled land. That which has 
 made our Empire what it is to-day — " The Word of 
 God" — this is the power that shall transform Africa 
 from the tenfold horrors of her millions and make her 
 a land of peace. 
 
 We may make our railways and establish the claims of 
 our nation and open up her dark recesses to our commerce, 
 but if we Britons forget to send her that which has made 
 our own land so great, then will the sorrows of Africa 
 lay at our own door.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 PART I 
 
 ENGLAND TO UGANDA 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 ENGLAND TO ZANZIBAR 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Gaul — Passengers — The Doctor as an entertainer — Musical 
 talent, &c. — Lisbon — The Portuguese — Teneriffe — Sunday on 
 board — Cape Town — We meet with friends — Algoa Bay — Durban 
 — The Kaffirs — Delagoa Bay — Beira — Mozambique — Zanzibar — 
 Hotel d'Angleterre— Change of plans — We secure porters, boys, 
 &c. — "Mission boy" — We select donkeys — Universities' Mission 
 — Ramazan — Tippu-Tib — Ready to start . . . .25 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 THE START 
 
 Eleven hours in an Arab dhow — Waiting and whistling for the wind 
 — Ashore at last — First night in Africa — A restless night — Final 
 preparations — K'shimba — Reviewing our porters — Our first camp 
 — Great oration by K'shimba — The lion's roar — Discomforts of 
 camp life — Famine ahead — We send for fresh supplies — Dr. 
 Baxter — A ministry of love — A pot of porridge — And what came 
 of it — The power of an Englishman — Letters from home — 
 Scarcity of water — The horrors of human porterage — Leopard in 
 the tree — Lost in the forest . . . . . .40 
 
 15
 
 16 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 GLIMPSES OF CAMP LIFE 
 
 PAGE 
 
 • the tamarind tree — Eefreshment for the cows — Hope deferred 
 
 i Mbuzini river — The Wami — First real wash in Africa— Famine 
 
 tares us in the face — Fever — Crossing river on African bridge — 
 
 nt left behind — The cook's story — Overtaken by Bishop Tucker 
 
 ^he wild ass — The Bishop to the front — Long solitary march — 
 
 reception — Lions in the path — Mamboya — Hospitality in 
 
 il Africa — The " Mission boy " again — Practical Chris- 
 
 — We split our caravan — The porters rebel — How we 
 
 led the rebels — Peace making — Mpwapwa — Kisokwe — 
 
 ne and its horrors . . . . . .54 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 CAMP LIFE (co7itinued) 
 
 Wagogo thieves — K'shimba in distress — Trouble in the forest — The 
 Martini rifle — Our hunting expeditions— When the boots wear 
 out — Burungi, the land of plenty — Rains are upon us — Buying 
 food — The Warungi — The warriors and my dog Sally — How 
 troubles come — Irangi — A courteous reception — We tend the sick 
 — The Governor as a patient — An African's gratitude — K'shimba 
 turns up — He relates his troubles — Bwana Kitangi to the rescue . 73 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 THE LAST STAGES 
 
 Farewell to Bwana Kitangi — Rains — Washed out — Floods — Swampy 
 ground — The porter's slave — Sandawi — More troubles — Con- 
 sidered himself a dead man — A hostile people — Turu — Poisonous 
 roots — Christmas Day — The Wanyamwezi country — Sickness — 
 We reach Nera — Meeting with Messrs. Gordon and Nickisson — 
 Carried in a hammock — Arrival at Nasa — Rest at last — Native 
 cloth — Embarkation on Lake — Our canoes — Hippopotami — 
 Ukerewe — Mr. Stokes — A narrow escape — The German Station — 
 The stormy winds do blow — The Wasese— Crocodiles — The last 
 day .,...,..- 88
 
 IN DWARF LAND 17 
 
 PART II 
 
 UGANDA. THE SOUDANESE WAR 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 UGANDA 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Our entrance into Mengo — The four hills of Mengo — Kampala — The 
 British Government of Uganda — Troubles from without — 
 Missionary occupations — Native customs — The Waganda — 
 Woman's position — Missionary efforts — Loyalty of the native 
 Christians — Medical work — The chief dresser — Native industries 
 — Iron-working — Wood-working — Pottery — Basket work — The 
 bark cloth — The native market — Efforts to catch zebra . . 110 
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 UGANDA TO TOBO 
 
 Experiences gained — Toro— Ruwenzori — A lay missionary's work — 
 Valedictory feasts — Obtaining porters — The boys — Mika's con- 
 version — A leopard scare — The Mayanja — Mosquitoes— Mitiana 
 — Crossing the Mpamujugu — Elephant country — Antelope steak 
 — Forest glades— Elan — Sally, a distinguished guestr— Unfriendly 
 Papists — I nurse a black baby — Cow stealing — Fishing for break- 
 fast — Mwenge — Byakweyamba — The banquet — An embarrassing 
 welcome to Toro ....... 128 
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 TOSO 
 
 Brief history of Toro — Kasagama — Developments in Toro — Liberation 
 of slaves — Ruwenzori, Mountains of the Moon — Attending the 
 sick — I build a dispensary — Wanted, a hospital — Leopards of 
 Toro — A midnight scare— Lions — The little hero— The Watoro — 
 Toro customs — Teeth breaking — Burning " Njoka " — Cupping — 
 Drinking parties ...,,.. 14g 
 
 2
 
 18 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 A TRAMP INTO THE UNKNOWN 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Footprints of the lions — Snake in the grass — Bavages of the lions — A 
 narrow escape — Dry and thirsty land— I meet the Captain— The 
 Soudanese guard — Following the compass — Hunting water-buck 
 — Between heaven and earth — A fine specimen— A picturesque 
 camp — Elephants — Carving our way — Up a tree — Patience 
 rewarded — Tropical vegetation — The Captain and I part 
 company — We camp in the wilderness — Mount Edwin Arnold — 
 Mpanga river — A hostile people — Heathen sacrifice — Home again 
 to Toro . . . . . . . .158 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 AT HOME IN TORO 
 
 Climate of Toro — Brick-making — House-building — A tornado — A 
 disaster — The Government fort — Missionaries and the Govern- 
 ment officials — A Christmas feast — The Mission garden — My 
 first elephant — The Batatela rebellion — Adventures of a French 
 priest — Belgian officer takes refuge in British protectorate — Fort 
 George attacked — A splendid victory — Death of Rev. John Callis 
 — Lions again — A lucky shot ..... 171 
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 RAMBLES ROUND ABOUT TORO 
 
 Visiting the craters — A day on the lake — A bicycle experience — Lion 
 in the path — Visiting Mwenge — The " Speed-away " — A swollen 
 river — Exhaustion — Kindly help — Fever — I am hailed as a " rain 
 producer" — I go to see Prince Matu — I overhear an interesting 
 conversation— Sally to the rescue — A would-be assassin —To the 
 Semliki Valley — A black man's gratitude — A magnificent view — 
 Albert Lake — Hunting reed-buck — I start for Mboga — Elephant 
 hunt — Over the Mountains of the Moon — Fresh meat — Among 
 the Bamba — The hot springs — Crossing the Semliki — Elephant 
 camp — A morning call — Alive with game — Mboga — Church 
 history ........ 185
 
 IN DWARF LAND 19 
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 SOUDANESE REBELLION 
 
 FAOB 
 
 Political troubles — Mwanga's flight — Major Ternan wounded — 
 Mwanga's capture by the Germans— Uganda regents — A record 
 journey — Major Macdonald's expedition — Soudanese rebellion — 
 Its causes— British pluck— Battle of Luba's Hill— Murder of 
 Major Thurston— Disarming the Soudanese in Mengo — Native 
 auxiliaries — Night attack — Battle on the plain at Luba's —Some 
 one has blundered — Keinforcements — Destroying banana gardens 
 — Death of George Pilkington and Lieutenant Macdonald . 201 
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 SOUDANESE REBELLION {continued) 
 
 The Major leaves for Budu— Christmas Day in camp- The mutineers 
 raid the gardens — Vigorous attack upon the Waganda camp — 
 Mwanga's escape from Germans — Evacuation of rebel fort — I am 
 sent to Ripon Falls — Attempts to blow up the dhow— Fort 
 building — Rebels attempt to cross into Uganda — Indian troops 
 arrive — All into Mengo — With Major Macdonald to Kabagambi 
 — A responsible charge — A night scare — A brush with Moham- 
 medans—Off again to the front — Rifle-stealing — A kind oiler — 
 More fighting— Severe struggle at Kabagambi— Death of Captain 
 Maloney ....... 217 
 
 PART III 
 
 UGANDA TO THE WEST COAST 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 UGANDA TO CONGO FREE STATE 
 
 Westward Ho— Uganda escort — An alarm— Blackened ruins — Ele- 
 phants—My reasons for journey through Pygmy land— The 
 Bishop's consent — Preparations for the start — Farewells — Escorts 
 — The start— Violent earthquakes — Elephants again — A glorious 
 sight — A faithless donkey — Sally submerged — An elephant hunt 
 — Another snake story — Wakonjo village— Kikorongo— Chased 
 by a hippo — Katwe— Hospitality of No. 10 Company — Their 
 loyalty 234
 
 20 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 KATWE TO KILONGA-LONGA. THE GREAT PYGMY FOREST 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The boundary river — Lions — Meeting with the Belgian officer — We 
 have a little hunt — Sporting yarns — Fi'ontier settlement — Women 
 slaves — Abundance of game — Traces of Mr. H. M. Stanley — 
 Crossing the Semliki — Fort Mbeni — Preparing for the plunge 
 — The forest — Its extent — Pygmy area — Vegetation — Clearings 
 — Animal life — Rivers — Birds — Insects — Darkness — An Arab 
 settlement — Cutting our way— Sakarumbi — Our camp in the 
 forest — Elephants — Wading through rivers — Red ants — Adventure 
 with a snake — " A man-monkey ! " — Visit from the Pygmies 
 — Friendly intercourse — Mode of Life — A Pygmy hunt — An 
 attempt at photography — An Arab chief — Tippu-Tib — Kilonga- 
 Longa ........ 252 
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 KILONGA-LONGA TO AVAKUBI 
 
 Kilonga-Longa or Mawambi — The donkey sold — Gymnastics in the 
 forest — A narrow escape — Falling trees — The Pygmies again — 
 Renewed friendship — Bows and arrows — A Pygmy settlement — 
 Pygmy women — Pygmy temples — Fever — My black nurse — 
 Elephant scatters the porters — Wild pig — Snake adventure — 
 Fishing — Crossing river on fallen tree — The guide kills an 
 elephant— A hungry panther — Two days through water — Pengi 
 — Canoes awaiting us — Socks versus stockings — First experiences 
 on river — Shootings the rapids — Canoe men submerged — Canoe 
 smashed up — A miserable night — Avakubi .... 274 
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 AVAKOBI TO BASOKO 
 
 Houses — Gardens — Coffee — Rubber— Ivory — Another start — A struggle 
 for dear life — A great loss — Cannibals of the Upper Aruwimi — 
 An anxious night — Another canoe swamped — Among the canni- 
 bals — Their dress — Their habits — The kola nut — Iron work — Panga 
 Falls — Our warrior boatmen — We make rapid progress — " The 
 European is coming " — Bangwa weapons — Choosing a tender 
 spot— Mukopi — Gymnastics in the forest — A cannibal dance — 
 Mupe — Cannibals and the bicycle — Banalya — A headstrong 
 Belgian — I visit the cannibal chief — An eye-opener — What it will 
 lead to — Basoko ....... 288
 
 IN DWARF LAND 21 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 BASOKO TO ENGLAND 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Captain Guy Burrows — Ten days' rest — The palm grove — Shooting 
 our dinners — The steamer arrives — Mode of progress — Missionary 
 friends at Upoto — The captain drunk — Stanley Pool — Leopold- 
 ville^Kind friends — Catching the train — The saloon car— A 
 strange sensation — Matadi — Kind hospitality — Boma — The 
 Governor-General's compliment — Cabenda — The mail-boat 
 arrives —The lazy Portuguese — Getting passport signed — On 
 board the ioanda— Lisbon — Sud express to Paris — Home at last 
 — Conclusion . . .... 307
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 DUTHONG .... 
 
 ZANZIBAR AFTER BOMBARDMENT . 
 
 A PORTER WITH HIS LOAD 
 
 WASUKUMA PORTERS 
 
 EAST AFRICAN HUT 
 
 WANYAMWEZI PORTERS 
 
 A MINISTRY OP LOVE 
 
 USAGARA LANDSCAPE 
 
 WHERE AFRIC'S SUNNY FOUNTAINS 
 
 USAGARA QUEEN . 
 
 YOUNG OSTRICH 
 
 NATIVE LOOM, USUKUMA . 
 
 CHIEF OF NERA AND WIVES 
 
 BOA CONSTRICTOR . 
 
 WASESE FISHERMEN 
 
 DEAD HIPPOPOTAMUS 
 
 EFFORTS TO CATCH ZEBRA (see page 126) 
 
 KASAGAMA, KING OF TORO 
 
 SICK FOLK 
 
 QUEEN MOTHER OP TOBO 
 
 THE LION KILLER 
 
 TYPICAL TORO HUT 
 
 SOUDANESE SENTRY 
 
 HAPPY NIGGERS, PLENTY TO EAT 
 
 BAMBA .... 
 
 TABALO, CHIEF OP MBOGA 
 
 BAMBA WARRIORS AT THE HOT SPRINGS 
 
 MWANQA, BX-KINQ OF UGANDA . 
 
 23 
 
 Frontispiece 
 
 Facing page 34 
 
 36 
 
 36 
 
 41 
 
 44 
 
 48 
 
 64 
 
 90 
 
 96 
 
 96 
 
 98 
 
 98 
 
 104 
 
 106 
 
 106 
 
 146 
 
 146 
 
 150 
 
 150 
 
 154 
 
 154 
 
 164 
 
 164 
 
 196 
 
 196 
 
 198 
 
 204
 
 24 
 
 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 DAUDI CHWA, PEE8ENT KING OP UGANDA 
 
 MY PERSONAL ESCORT DURING SOUDANESE REBELLION 
 
 MIKA, MY FAITHFUL GUN-BEARER 
 
 HARD AT IT 
 
 EARTHQUAKE CAMP 
 
 RWIMI RIVER 
 
 THE FERRY 
 
 INTERIOR OP ANT HILL 
 
 FIRST CAMP IN FOREST 
 
 CROSSING A RIVER IN PYGMY FOREST 
 
 A VISIT FROM THE DWARFS 
 
 BISHOP TUCKER AND PYGMY LADY 
 
 A RIVER PEEP IN THE FOREST . 
 
 A ROGUE ELEPHANT 
 
 BUYING IVORY PROM THE CANNIBALS 
 
 CANOEING ON ARUWIMI . 
 
 PASSING THROUGH CANNIBAL LAND 
 
 BANGWA V?ARBIOR CHIEFS 
 
 CANNIBALS 
 
 CANNIBAL FISHERMEN 
 
 CANNIBAL POTTERY 
 
 BARUMBU .... 
 
 ARRIVAL OF THE STEAMER 
 
 CANNIBAL HOUSES 
 
 NATIVE TYPES, UPPER CONGO 
 
 TYPE OP MEN USED AS BOATMEN 
 
 Facing page 204 
 212 
 212 
 214 
 2U 
 2U 
 256 
 256 
 262 
 262 
 268 
 278 
 278 
 280 
 292 
 292 
 294 
 294 
 298 
 302 
 302 
 306 
 806 
 308 
 308 
 310 
 
 MAPS 
 
 Central Africa. (Showing route taken by A. B. Lloyd) Facing page 40 
 ToRO Confederacy . . . Insert between pages 144 and 145 
 
 ToRO AND Aruwimi DISTRICTS. (Showing route of A. B. Lloyd) 
 
 Insert between pages 240 and 241
 
 IN DWAEF LAND 
 
 PART I 
 
 ENGLAND TO UGANDA 
 
 CHAPTEK I 
 
 ENGLAND TO ZANZIBAR 
 
 The Gaul — Passengers — The Doctor as an entertainer— Musical talent, tfec. 
 — Lisbon— The Portuguese — Teneriffe — Sunday on board — Cape Town 
 — We meet with friends — Algoa Bay — Durban — The KaiSrs — Delagoa 
 Bay — Beira — Mozambique — -Zanzibar — Hotel d'Angleterre — Change of 
 plans — We secure porters, boys, &c. — "Mission boy" — We select 
 donkeys — Universities' Mission — Ramazan — Tippu-Tib — Ready to 
 start. 
 
 IT was on July 14, 1894, that the ss. Gaul steamed out 
 of Southampton Docks, having on board a mixed 
 cargo and a large number of passengers. Of the former 
 I shall say nothing, of the latter but little. 
 
 We were bound for Zanzibar by way of the Cape. But 
 the good ship Gaul first claims a share of our attention. 
 To myself — an inexperienced voyager, who up to that 
 day had been upon no larger craft than the Fleetwood 
 
 25
 
 26 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 to Dublin boats — it seemed like fairyland ; and as I 
 wandered up and down its gangways, in and out of its 
 saloons, I decided in my own mind that no better ship 
 was ever afloat. 
 
 I was one of a party of four missionaries of the Church 
 Missionary Society, bound for Uganda. We travelled 
 second class; but even the second-class cabins of the 
 Oaul seemed luxurious, in spite of the fact that the one 
 in which I was to live was occupied by three others. 
 
 Being a twin-screw, flat-bottomed boat, the rolling 
 which I had experienced on a fishing smack on the 
 North Sea some few weeks before was almost unknown, 
 and I was able to enjoy to the full a stroll on deck, 
 without the inconvenience of being obliged to hold on 
 to everything that came within one's reach. 
 
 The passengers were a mixed company. There was 
 the first-class section, consisting of the South African 
 millionaire, the fashionable Colonial girl, the wealthy 
 trader, and the wild young English gentleman going 
 out to the pleasure fields of Africa, seeking to pass away 
 a few years of his life with a little adventure and 
 excitement. 
 
 Of the second-class passengers but little can be said. 
 The missionary element was strong, for, besides the party 
 to which I belonged — which consisted of the Eevs. A. J. 
 Pike, G. B. Blackledge, and Mr. H. B. Lewin — there 
 were two other clergymen bound as missionaries for 
 South Africa. 
 
 I don't know why it should be, but still it is a fact, that 
 missionaries on board an ocean liner seem to be looked 
 upon as a class of individuals who are to be carefully 
 avoided, and to be given a wide birth on all occasions, 
 and on this particular voyage such a state of affairs 
 seemed to threaten. We determined that it should not 
 be our fault if it were so. If we are missionaries, we are
 
 IN DWARF LAND 27 
 
 men, and if, instead of giving up our lives to the seeking 
 of earthly riches in the shape of gold dust and diamonds, 
 we have deliberately given them up to what we deem 
 a worthier cause, namely, that of seeking to raise the 
 degraded heathen from a state of ignorance, darkness, 
 and sin to righteousness and to God, surely " a man's a 
 man for a' that," and it should not mean that we are to 
 be looked upon as those who are not worthy of the notice 
 which is paid to any ordinary being. 
 
 However, on this particular voyage nothing could have 
 been more pleasant ; from our good captain to the 
 humblest person on board the missionaries received the 
 greatest kindness and goodwill — in fact, missionary and 
 gold-digger, cleric and millionaire, all conversed and joked 
 together during this memorable voyage. 
 
 The leading spirit on the boat was undoubtedly the 
 doctor. As the weather was good and the sea calm, 
 there were not many who were afflicted with that most 
 troublesome of all complaints, mal-de-mer, the doctor 
 therefore had all his energies directed in another and 
 more pleasant channel, that of entertaining, and we were 
 all far more glad to take his jokes than to take his pills. 
 Almost every evening some kind of concert or entertain- 
 ment was arranged by him, beside the ordinary games 
 that are played on an ocean liner, such as cricket, quoits, 
 bucket quoits, skittles, &c. 
 
 We had a considerable amount of musical talent 
 amongst some of the passengers. A lady pianist, whose 
 brilliant playing always attracted great attention, was 
 most long-suffering, and always ready to do her best 
 to entertain the company. The violinist called forth 
 even louder praise from his enraptured listeners. Out 
 on the open sea, with no other sound than the gentle 
 splashing of the waves against the mighty sides of the 
 ship, the melody rose and fell in glorious cadence, some-
 
 28 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 times like an angel's whisper, and then suddenly changing 
 to the weird cry of a soul in bitter agony and distress. 
 The vocahsts, too, were by no means deficient in talent, 
 and what with the rollicking sea-song, the pathetic and 
 sentimental love-song, we had great variety and endless 
 amusement. Another entertainer hailed from the third- 
 class quarters, evidently an old hand on ocean steamers. 
 His entertainment consisted of a phonograph, for which 
 he had a very large number of cylinders, and at all hours 
 of the day this machine was called upon to issue forth its 
 strange reproductions of music-hall songs, &c., which 
 it did with wonderful distinctness. All these different 
 sources of amusement tended to make the journey to 
 the Cape very enjoyable, bearing in mind the fact that 
 the weather was delightful and the sea calm as a 
 mill-pond. 
 
 Our first stopping-place was Lisbon, and as we made 
 our way up the river and approached the town, we were 
 much struck with its beauty ; but upon landing, our eyes 
 were opened to some of the disappointing sights. The 
 houses, which in the distance looked spotlessly white, 
 seemed now to be dirty, plastered buildings. 
 
 It was at Lisbon that I was first introduced to the 
 Portuguese, and I cannot say that I formed a very high 
 opinion of them. Very dirty in mind and person seems 
 to me a brief summary of the ordinary Portuguese. 
 
 The population appeared to consist, for the most part, 
 of fat, well-favoured priests, who drove about in carriages, 
 and gaudily dressed women. We visited several of the 
 churches, and on account of the large number concluded 
 that the Portuguese must be a very religious people; 
 and, indeed, they are to a certain extent, if ceremonial 
 and church-going count for anything. The churches, 
 from the outside, appear to be well built, and one expects 
 the inside to be in keeping, but again comes disappoint-
 
 IN DWARF LAND 29 
 
 ment — tinsel and gold-painted walls ; images, whicli at 
 a little distance appear to be fine pieces of sculpture, are 
 nothing, upon close inspection, but plaster and wood. 
 
 As tradespeople the Portuguese amused us very much. 
 We went into a shop to buy a hat ; the good man pro- 
 duced a great number, and one at a time tried them on 
 his own head, all shiny with grease, and then handed 
 them to the purchaser. Deciding upon one of these hats, 
 we asked the price ; 600 reis was asked ; we immediately 
 said 500, and, without a word, the shopkeeper assented. 
 We gave him the equivalent in English money and walked 
 out, he, taking off his hat and bowing most politely, and 
 we, returning the compliment, retired, hardly controlling 
 our amusement. 
 
 After twelve hours' stay in Lisbon, the Gaul proceeded 
 on her way, and another three days brought us to 
 Teneriffe. We dropped anchor at 8 p.m., a most glorious 
 night, full moon, and a gentle breeze blowing from the 
 land, where the gay Spaniards seemed to be enjoying the 
 cool air, promenading up and down the sea front, listening 
 to the bands of music which were adding an additional 
 charm to that of the quiet evening stroll. As we stood 
 on deck admiring the beautiful mountain peak of Teyde, 
 some 12,180 feet high, the moon casting her silvery light 
 over the scene, making it one of exceptional beauty, the 
 strains of music came to us borne upon the soft night air, 
 mingled with the hum of voices from the shore, while the 
 water rippled at our feet, and our thoughts were lifted up 
 to Him the Maker of all things, in whom we live and 
 move and have our being, and holy desires filled our 
 hearts as we thought of the work before us amongst the 
 heathen who know not God. 
 
 Our stay at Teneriffe was a short one, and before mid- 
 night we were again under weigh. 
 
 Sunday on board an ocean liner has been described as o,
 
 30 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 " slow day." This at any rate could not be applied to the 
 Sundays on board the Gaul. In addition to the ordinary 
 services held in the first-class saloon by the chaplain on 
 board, the captain very kindly allowed a service to be 
 conducted on the after deck, and it was found that this 
 move met with a most hearty reception from all the 
 passengers. The stewards brought up a large number of 
 chairs for the occasion, and bright singing and speaking 
 were characteristic of the services. Each Sunday evening 
 sacred songs were sung by various passengers, and so the 
 days passed by. 
 
 On August 5th we arrived at Cape Town, and here the 
 majority of the passengers left the boat. 
 
 We were delighted with the very hearty reception we 
 received from our friends in Cape Town. As soon as 
 ever we arrived at the harbour side, a letter was put into 
 our hands from a warm C.M.S. supporter, inviting us to 
 spend the day with him ; and we were afterwards met by 
 Mr. Wilmot and taken off to Mowbray, to the north of 
 the Great Table Mountain, a most lovely place, nestling 
 at the foot of this great mountain, and here we were 
 welcomed by numerous warm-hearted colonists. 
 
 Meetings were immediately arranged, and the day after 
 we arrived we were called upon to address three distinct 
 gatherings. They were all of a large and enthusiastic 
 character, and when one realised that all the advertising 
 was done in the course of a few hours, it was a great 
 wonder that in so short a time a meeting could be 
 convened. 
 
 The fact was that the more enthusiastic among the 
 promoters went round to their friends with their carriages, 
 and brought them in these to the meeting. It was a 
 delightful break in a long voyage, and we all look back 
 upon those three days with the greatest pleasure. 
 
 After calling for two hours at Mossel Bay, we proceeded
 
 IN DWARF LAND 31 
 
 to Algoa Bay. The view of the seaport town, Port 
 Elizabeth, from the ship, was very fine; and going ashore 
 we were at once struck with the imposing appearance of 
 some of the buildings, such as the Customs House, Post 
 Office, Free Library, Market House, Museum, and others. 
 Bullock waggons are largely used, we noticed some teams 
 of from sixteen to eighteen. The bullocks are fastened 
 to the waggon in pairs, by a long chain from the yoke on 
 their necks. Tram-cars and phaetons of the latest im- 
 proved kinds are seen everywhere. In one of the former 
 we drove out to the park about a mile from the town ; 
 the gardens were beautifully decked with all kinds of 
 flowers, such as one is accustomed to see only in conser- 
 vatories. One of the greatest charms of Port Elizabeth 
 is the abundance of the eucalyptus and all kinds of gums, 
 which grow in great numbers even along the streets of 
 the town, filling the air with their sweet fragrance. India- 
 rubber and castor oil plants grow as large as oak trees at 
 home, and plumbago is seen in the hedges. Our next 
 stopping place was in East London, but we only remained 
 a few hours, steaming along quite close to the coast, near 
 enough to enable us with the aid of our glasses to see 
 very distinctly the houses and people on shore. 
 
 On the 16th, we passed the mouth of the river St. John, 
 which divides Cape Colony from Pondoland. Thp coast 
 is very pretty, and the hills which rise from the water's 
 edge are well covered with trees. 
 
 The same day we reached Durban. We were particu- 
 larly charmed with this place ; it seemed quite Oriental 
 in character. There were coolies wearing white costumes 
 and turbans, such as one associates with India, and 
 numbers of Ayahs too, who seemed to be more of the 
 Hindu than African type. Probably in the early days 
 of colonisation, these coolies were brought from India 
 to work in the sugar plantations, but now have become
 
 32 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 settlers in the country, and take all kinds of employ- 
 ment. Some are waiters in the restaurants, others are 
 employed as nurses to the little children of white colonists. 
 
 The Kaffirs are of course quite different ; very fine 
 fellows physically, and thoroughly good-natured. Their 
 clothing is curious, being a mixture of all kinds of left-off 
 European apparel, and on one occasion I saw a great 
 fellow dressed up in a pair of lady's corsets. Their ears 
 are pierced, and in the hole they carry numerous trinkets, 
 lead pencils, safety pins, beads, &c. When at work, these 
 coolies are conspicuous for their want of costume ; a little 
 piece of sacking worn round the waist is all they think 
 necessary. 
 
 On the breakwater, we noticed a gang of convicts at 
 work in chains ; they seemed quite satisfied with their 
 lot, laughing and joking together as they performed the 
 task assigned to them. 
 
 At Durban fruit is very cheap ; even before the real 
 fruit season, bananas were sold, twenty for 3d., pine- 
 apples 2d. each, tomatoes 3d. per pound. In the fruit 
 season pineapples can be bought for a halfpenny each, and 
 the other fruits proportionately cheap. We finished up a 
 very pleasant day in Durban by a " rickshaw " race down 
 to the quay. The men were all Zulus, and started off with 
 us at a good hard trot ; my man was particularly strong, 
 and ran the whole way, some two miles, to the quay side, 
 thus winning the race, for which he received an extra 
 sixpence. 
 
 From Durban to Delagoa Bay, it is a twenty-four hours' 
 run. There is nothing very striking about the bay, 
 apart from the fact of its being a magnificent natural 
 harbour ; if it were not so very shallow, I suppose it would 
 be one of the best harbours in any part of Africa. As it 
 is, it is necessary for a large ship to go very slowly, and 
 to take constant soundings. The Portuguese, not being
 
 IN DWARF LAND 33 
 
 a very enterprising people, appear to do little or nothing 
 towards improving the harbour. The town is called 
 Lorenzo Marquez, and although it is a Portuguese settle- 
 ment, English is spoken pretty generally. The whole 
 style of the place is most depressing ; it appears to be 
 built in the midst of a desert, for just outside the main 
 streets, sand is everywhere. 
 
 "We reached Beira on August 23rd. This is a very 
 queer place, houses and stores all built of corrugated iron ; 
 streets ankle deep in sand. There are about five hundred 
 white inhabitants, and each seems to keep his own carriage, 
 and instead of horses, they have natives to push them. 
 One that we saw was like a small trolley, with seats for 
 two ; others were capable of accommodating between six 
 and eight passengers. There appeared to be no beasts of 
 burden, except the native, for, alas ! he seems to have to 
 take their place, but we saw one donkey and one horse. 
 
 From Beira we had about three days' run to Mozam- 
 bique, one of the early Portuguese settlements dating 
 from the year 1500, built upon a small island just off the 
 coast. 
 
 At one end of the island still stands the old fort built 
 by the Portuguese when they first took possession, and it 
 is still used as a fort, and also as a prison for unfortunate 
 convicts, and woe betide the poor wretch who once finds 
 himself within those prison walls, for he will be lucky if 
 he gets out again. The town seen from the sea is very 
 picturesque, and the streets, although very narrow, are 
 clean and well kept. Oranges were very plentiful here, 
 six being bought for a penny. 
 
 All day long huge sharks were swimming round our 
 boat, seen distinctly in the clear blue water ; one, a very 
 large one, kept coming quite to the surface of the water, 
 and would devour any kind of food that was thrown 
 to it, 
 
 3
 
 34 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 After one more stoppage, at Ibo — a small place of which 
 we saw nothing, as the water was so shallow the Gaul 
 could not approach the town — we finally, on August 30th, 
 cast anchor off the coast of Zanzibar. -^ 
 
 It was not long before we made our way to shore ; the 
 heat was intense, 95° in the shade. We were met by our 
 agents and conducted to the Hotel d'Angleterre, a very 
 typical Zanzibar hotel ; it contained a large open drinking- 
 bar on the ground floor with a small stage at one end, little 
 tables scattered over the room, and a multitude of chairs. 
 The chief occupants of the bar upon our arrival were 
 British and German man-of-war's men, each vainly trying 
 to understand the other, and all in a more or less happy 
 condition. Upstairs we found a spacious dining-room 
 and good bedrooms, altogether a very comfortable place. 
 
 Our first desire was to know from our agents what had 
 been done about a caravan for up-country, as we were 
 very unwilling to make a long stay at Zanzibar. 
 
 They told us that to proceed along the northern route 
 via Mombasa was quite out of the question, on account 
 of a famine caused by a plague of locusts, and that all 
 porters on the northern route were wanted by the 
 Government. Our only course, therefore, was to go 
 through German East Africa to the south of Lake 
 Victoria, then across the lake to Uganda. A large 
 number of porters had come to the coast bringing ivory, 
 &c., from the interior for Mr. Stokes, a trader. They were 
 Wanyamwezi and Wasukuma from the districts just 
 south of the Victoria Nyanza. These men, wanting to 
 get back to their own country, were only too ready to be 
 engaged by us as porters. There were close upon five 
 hundred of these fellows, but of course we only required 
 about thirty each ; the rest would carry cowrie shells for 
 Mr. Stokes. This was very fortunate, as otherwise we 
 might have had great difficulty in procuring porters.
 
 Z 
 
 Q 
 
 
 
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 m DWARF LAND 35 
 
 In Zanzibar we had our work cut out, first, the 
 engaging of servants — boys, as they are called ; we were 
 again fairly fortunate. We each had an experienced 
 cook, a personal boy, and a donkey boy. My cook had 
 been several times to Uganda, the last time as cook to 
 Major Williams, and was therefore quite at home as a 
 campaigner. He could speak a kind of English which 
 was understandable after a little acquaintance with him, 
 and had a good stock of information with reference to 
 the country. 
 
 Some of our personal boys did not turn out as well as 
 we expected. They came to us saying that they were 
 "mission boys," and we, of course, took this as a recom- 
 mendation ; but, alas ! we had not learned that this term 
 is used by all the scamps in Zanzibar in order to procure 
 a place for themselves, no matter whether they have ever 
 been to the mission or not. They know perfectly well 
 that a new-comer to Africa would at once think well of a 
 mission boy, and the Zanzibaris are sharp enough to 
 know it. This has often given rise to a very wrong idea 
 with reference to missionary work at the coast. I have 
 often heard travellers in Africa say: "Oh yes, I had a 
 ' mission ' boy and he turned out a young scoundrel, and 
 that's what your missionaries are doing, spoiling the 
 natives." 
 
 Apart from the impossibility of Christianity, which, to 
 put it at its lowest estimate, is the highest and purest 
 form of moral teaching, and could not possibly spoil any 
 man, black or white, — the very fact that these boys use 
 the term "mission boy," shows that they themselves 
 recognise that if they can associate themselves with the 
 mission, they will be looked upon as trustworthy 
 boys. 
 
 My own personal boy, of whom I shall have to speak 
 later on, was not such a bad fellow after all, and but for
 
 36 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 the fact that he disgraced himself on one or two occasions, 
 he proved a most invaluable servant to me. 
 
 We also had to procure donkeys, by no means an easy 
 task. When we had made our requirements known, 
 great numbers of donkeys were brought to us of various 
 prices, from 200 to 700 rupees each ; some of them very 
 much faked up, others, fine sturdy little animals, which 
 needed not to be specially prepared for the sale. 
 
 Of course each one had to be tried, as we were to use 
 them for riding purposes, and in this we had various 
 experiences. I had set my mind upon a fine female 
 donkey, and therefore took her out for an afternoon's 
 ride, and I shall not forget it. At first when I mounted 
 her she would not move, in spite of all my most tender 
 persuasions, and finally she began to back. Now the 
 streets of Zanzibar are very narrow, and coming up 
 behind me was a large bullock waggon, and my sweet- 
 tempered donkey backed herself right on to the horns of 
 the bullocks, and then it was not a case of making her 
 go, but of trying to make her stop. Away she flew, right 
 along the Naza Moja road, and nothing that I could do 
 would stop her headlong career ; in fact I soon got tired 
 of trying, and so let her go, and on she went right in 
 among the cocoa-nut trees, dashing along, regardless of 
 everything, until she came to a steep bank, and here she 
 stopped. This showed that she had good sense, and I 
 therefore decided to keep her, and a great boon she was 
 to me in our weary tramp up to the Victoria Lake. Our 
 next business was to arrange our loads. Those wanted on 
 the road were to be marked and given out to the most 
 sturdy men among the porters ; everything was carefully 
 weighed, no load being more than 65 lbs. was allowed, 
 but even this we found was too great a weight to be 
 carried by one man day after day for three months. 
 
 One man, however, who carried my bed and blankets
 
 A I'OKTliK (WITH HIS l.OAU). 
 
 WASTKUMA I'OKTKKS. 
 
 To face page 36.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 37 
 
 was a veritable giant in strength, his load weighing over 
 70 lbs., and he wished to carry it alone, and did so the 
 whole way and never once was late into camp, nearly 
 always being at the head of the caravan. The Wan- 
 yamwezi carry the loads on the shoulders, not on the 
 head as do the Swahili porters, but although not so strong 
 as the Swahili, they go along much quicker, indeed three 
 miles an hour is what our men usually did when the roads 
 were good. 
 
 Before starting up-country, we visited our friends of 
 the Universities' Mission at Kiangani, and although on 
 account of the short time at our disposal we saw but little 
 of the work done by these devoted men and women, still, 
 what we did see impressed us as being of great value. 
 Their Church in Zanzibar, however, could not please a 
 Protestant Churchman — high mass, altar lights, the 
 confessional, incense, Mary altars, all abounded, and it 
 would be difficult to find any difference between this 
 and an ordinary Boman Catholic Chapel. Perhaps no 
 difference was intended. 
 
 We also witnessed, during our stay in Zanzibar, the 
 great festival of the Mohammedans on the occasion of 
 the Eamazan. It took place in front of the Sultan's 
 Palace, the Sultan himself taking part upon the verandah 
 of his palace ; thousands of devout Mohammedans flock 
 to this place for prayer with the great idea in their minds 
 of fulfilling a religious duty. The festival is kept on the 
 first day on which a certain new moon is actually seen, 
 and as there is always some little variation as regards the 
 day on which the moon is visible to the naked eye, no 
 man is ever quite certain that it is the day of the festival. 
 After a brief reading of the Koran, during which all stand 
 by their kneeling mats with bare feet and covered heads, 
 the whole congregation bows low in deep reverence, and 
 then sways backwards and forwards chanting some prayer
 
 38 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 to Allah. The whole scene is most impressive, and every 
 one seems in dead earnest. 
 
 During the first day of the feast (which lasts a whole 
 month), no food or drink is supposed to be taken by the 
 devout Mohammedan until night fall ; and when the 
 month is over and another new moon begins, all meet 
 in the morning in the most public manner possible to 
 perform their devotions. Any one who has at all studied 
 the Mohammedan religion cannot but be impressed by the 
 fact that, at any rate, during prayer time, the Mohammedan 
 is most devout, but, alas ! this great religious system falls 
 short. Where woman is looked upon as a thing to be 
 bought and sold, and to exist only to satisfy the lowest 
 passion of the man, and where she is told that as a dog 
 she must die, and have no hope hereafter, from thence 
 can come no good, and through all heathendom no places 
 are more dark and need so much the " Living Words of 
 God " as the Mohammedan lands. 
 
 The same day as the Ramazan festival, I had the 
 pleasure of making the acquaintance of the notorious 
 Tippu-Tib, meeting him one day in the street. He is 
 quite an old man now with long grey beard, but his 
 eyes were keen and sharp as ever, and as he walked 
 along in great state under a small escort of Zanzibar 
 police, one could not but think, what a history such a 
 man has ! I afterwards had great cause to be thankful 
 that ever I met Tippu-Tib. The reader will remember 
 him in connection with Mr. H. M. Stanley when on the 
 Emin Pasha relief expedition. For many years he was 
 a great slave trader with a very large following of Arabs, 
 flourishing in the district which lies between Stanley 
 Falls, on the Congo, and Lake Tanganyika. He was 
 employed by Mr. Stanley to convey to Stanley Falls 
 about seventy-five tons of ivory which was in the 
 possession of Dr. Emin, and was stored on the Lake
 
 IN DWARF LAND 39 
 
 Albert shores ; and he was also made governor of Stanley- 
 Falls, at a regular salary from the Congo Free State, to 
 stop all persons from raiding the natives for the pur- 
 pose of obtaining slaves, and to stop the practice himself. 
 It was therefore just a case of " setting a thief to catch 
 a thief." He did not keep faith with Mr. Stanley, and 
 all his promises were 'broken, and very serious trouble 
 arose from the fact of allowing this notoriously bad 
 fellow to retain any kind of power in Central Africa. 
 
 At last, after exactly one month's stay in Zanzibar, 
 all was ready for the start up-country. Porters, boys 
 and donkeys, all eager to cross to the mainland at 
 Saadani. There, in Messrs. Boustead and Eidley's 
 yard, were all our goods, everything ready packed. 
 There were the "chop boxes" for the road, and the 
 " chop boxes " for up-country ; the cook's box and the 
 cooking pots, clothes boxes for the road, and clothes 
 boxes for up-country, tents and beds, camp tables and 
 chairs, all in apple-pie order. As we looked at these our 
 possessions, we could not help wondering how many of 
 them would ever reach Uganda. We were told the way 
 was all clear up to the Lake, that there was no famine, 
 as on the northern route, that the tribes were all 
 absolutely friendly, and that we should find plenty of 
 food and water all the way. We were further assured 
 that our porters were the finest set of men that ever 
 formed a caravan, and that our head-man (a big 
 Wanyamwezi chief) was the best head-man that ever 
 led a caravan. Thus our hopes were naturally high in 
 prospect of a very successful journey. How far we 
 realised this anticipated success will be seen in the next 
 few chapters.
 
 CHAPTEE II 
 
 THE START 
 
 Eleven hours in an Arab dhow — Waiting and whistling for the wind — 
 Ashore at last — First night in Africa — A restless night— Final pre- 
 parations — K'shimba — Reviewing our porters — Our first camp — Great 
 oration by K'shimba — The lion's roar — Discomforts of camp life — 
 Famine ahead — We send for fresh supplies — Dr. Baxter — A ministry 
 of love — A pot of porridge — And what came of it — The power of an 
 Englishman— Letters from home — Scarcity of water — The horrors of 
 human porterage — Leopard in the tree — Lost in the forest. 
 
 FEOM Zanzibar to the mainland is a distance of about 
 thirty miles ; it was necessary for us to cross in a boat 
 of some description which would be capable of accommo- 
 dating ourselves, our boys, and our bag and baggage. A 
 passage was therefore arranged for us on an Arab dhow, 
 and on Monday, October 1, 1894, we got on board, bound 
 for Saadani. 
 
 It was a terrible experience, and we shall not soon for- 
 get it. To begin with the heat was intense, and even 
 with pith helmets and umbrellas with extra covers the 
 sun seemed to have such power that it was as if we sat by 
 a furnace. There was, of course, no cabin, and we had 
 to sit on the little after-deck, all huddled up together with 
 our luggage. The sea was a little choppy and this stirred 
 up the filthy water at the bottom of the boat, and the 
 odour was like that from a stagnant pool. The whole boat 
 was in an abominable condition. Every one expects to 
 
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 IN DWARF LAND 41 
 
 " rough it " when he goes to Africa, but I confess we 
 thought this a little premature, and fervently prayed 
 that we might soon get to shore. 
 
 The journey across under favourable circumstances 
 takes about two hours, but we were cooped up on this 
 horrible craft for eleven long, weary hours, for about half 
 way across, the wind dropped and there was a dead calm. 
 "We tried to look cheerful, but we certainly did not feel 
 so. Flop, flop, flop, went the sail against the mast, 
 whilst the burning sun blazed down upon us as we sat in 
 this cramped position, waiting for the wind. Foolishly, 
 we had taken no food with us, and about 3 p.m. we 
 began to feel very hungry. 
 
 Our skipper was an old Arab of very quiet demeanour ; 
 he had not much to say to us, hardly answering our ques- 
 tions. By and by he began to whistle a low, plaintive 
 tune, looking up wistfully at the loosely-hanging sail as 
 he did so. We wondered what this meant, and asked 
 him ; he replied that he was whistling for the wind, so 
 we let him whistle and fervently hoped that it might be 
 of some avail. However, it was not until about 5 p.m. 
 that the breeze got up again, and we were even then 
 within sight of Zanzibar. 
 
 The dhow proved to be a fast sailer with the wind, and 
 in about two hours and a half we arrived at Saadani. It 
 was quite dark, and no moon, and the only way we knew 
 that we had arrived was a terrific bang into the sandy 
 bottom. 
 
 The next business was to get ashore ; we could not tell 
 how far we were from dry land ; a few lights were burn- 
 ing in what seemed to us to be the far distance. At last 
 our skipper, by dint of continued shouting, was able to 
 apprise some one on shore of our arrival, and a native put 
 out to us in a small boat. When this came alongside we 
 discovered that there was about a foot of dirty water at
 
 42 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 the bottom of it. However, we got in, and sitting 
 almost up to our knees in water, waited whilst our goods 
 were handed into the boat to us. There was no lantern 
 on board, and only a limited supply of matches, so it took 
 some time for our boys to find our things and put them 
 into the boat. Add to the discomfort of sitting in pitch 
 darkness with dirty and offensive water half way up one's 
 legs, the rolling and tossing about of the little craft in 
 which we sat — and it will be easily understood that our 
 tempers were not of the sweetest. 
 
 At last all was ready and we pushed off from the dhow, 
 only to get stuck fast in a sandbank a few yards away. 
 By this time we had had quite enough, so we got our 
 boys to carry us ashore, which was still some one hundred 
 yards away. 
 
 Our agent now met us and conducted us to his house, 
 which consisted of one large, barn-like room, unfurnished. 
 Here we fixed up our camp beds all among the numerous 
 rats and lizards, which did not seem to object at all to our 
 presence ; indeed, they were most demonstrative in their 
 reception, mounting up on to our beds, and examining 
 our boxes like well-trained custom-house officers. 
 
 Our first anxiety was to procure some food, and so we 
 ordered our cooks to get some fowls, light a fire, and 
 prepare a meal. Ail this they did in a surprisingly 
 short space of time. It is indeed astonishing what a 
 Zanzibari cook can do ; given a chicken and a box of 
 matches, he can, in a most remarkable manner, produce 
 all kinds of luxuries, and often under the most trying 
 circumstances our cooks got most tempting meals for us 
 out of a mere nothing. 
 
 We then retired for the night and hoped to get to sleep. 
 Personally, I was too hot, and it was not until past mid- 
 night that I finally dozed off. How long I had been 
 asleep I cannot say, when I was suddenly startled by
 
 IN DWARF LAND 43 
 
 hearing a strange sound like the sniffing of some animal 
 just outside the house. The door was open on account of 
 the heat, and naturally I thought at once of the lions, 
 which we had been told abound round about Saadani. I 
 got up very quietly and put my eye to the hole which 
 answered for a window. I could see nothing, all was 
 thick darkness. I crept back to bed, but still the noise 
 continued. I was afraid to go outside, having no gun at 
 hand, so I just lay still upon my bed, listening, listening, 
 I should think for two hours, when, suddenly, I was 
 plunged into a cold perspiration by hearing a terrible 
 noise. What could it be ? Not a lion I was certain, for 
 the sound was a familiar one. I sprang up, and made 
 for the door, when, to my intense relief, I found out that 
 it proceeded from no more dangerous an animal than — a 
 donkey ! This was the creature that had caused me so 
 many sleepless hours. 
 
 The following day we spent at Saadani making final 
 preparations for the start. We found plenty to do ; many 
 things to be arranged with our agents; "posho" (food 
 money) to be given to the porters, and after that a final 
 review of the whole caravan. Our head-man, who was a 
 Wanyamwezi chief, was a great character ; a very power- 
 fully built man, magnificently shaped arms and legs, with 
 a broad, well-developed chest. His eyes were bright and 
 piercing to a degree, aquiline nose, and thick, protruding 
 lips. His name was K'shimba, which means "a lion," 
 and in many ways he deserved his name. He was 
 brave and fearless, but had an unfortunate habit of losing 
 his temper ; at such times it was most difficult to get on 
 with him. His power over his porters was decidedly 
 autocratic, and it was a bad look-out for any poor, 
 unfortunate fellow who displeased K'shimba. However, 
 his power seemed to show itself as a caravan leader more 
 than in any other way. He was one of Mr. Stokes' most
 
 44 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 trusted head-men, and had many times been backwards 
 and forwards between the lake and the coast, and had 
 never lost a caravan. He was delighted with the idea of 
 a review, and called all his men together for that pur- 
 pose ; and they arranged themselves in horseshoe shape, 
 four or five deep, K'shimba standing with his two servants 
 in the foreground. It was an imposing sight, and I think 
 a finer set of men never started off up-country. 
 
 It is said that at one time these Wanyamwezi were 
 absolute cannibals and great enemies to Europeans, but 
 now their enmity, at any rate, has long ceased, and as to 
 their cannibalism, that too is almost unknown. 
 
 Our first march was accomplished on October 3rd. We 
 packed up all our bedding, &c., and got everything square, 
 and about 2 p.m. left Saadani. 
 
 K'shimba headed the caravan on this occasion ; then 
 the four Europeans, closely followed by the four donkeys ; 
 then the boys, &c., and the five hundred porters in single 
 file. It was an imposing caravan, and every one seemed 
 in good spirits. The first tramp was a short, uninterest- 
 ing one of about ten miles ; the country was very rugged 
 and sandy, and almost devoid of green vegetation. All 
 the stunted trees were dried up, and what was once green 
 grass was now dried stubble. The heat was intense, 
 and the reflected rays from the sand added greatly to it. 
 
 Then came our first night in camp. Our tents were 
 put side by side, and then, all around us, the porters made 
 their frail huts, or pitched their little tents, each man 
 making a big fire in front of his dwelling. Around these 
 fires they sat in little groups of five or six, with the pot or 
 " sufariya " on the fire, in which they boil their rice or 
 millet. It was a strange sight that met our gaze as we 
 looked out of our tent doors that first evening in camp : 
 between seventy and eighty fires burning all around us, 
 and these little groups of men, some talking and laughing,
 
 EAST AFRICAN HUT, WITH STeiCKAUE 
 AND UEVIL HUT. 
 
 WWVAMWEZI I'dU'TI'.I^IS. 
 
 To face paj^c 44.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 45 
 
 others looking very seriously at the pot of food, no doubt 
 longing to see it boil. As we looked on this strange, 
 weird sight a sudden hush falls upon the men, and silence 
 reigns as K'shimba mounts on a little rising in the 
 middle of the camp, and, stretching out his hands, begins 
 to deliver a great oration. His eloquence is wonderful, 
 judging from his gesture and rapid flow of language. 
 We, of course, could not understand his words, as he 
 spoke in the Wanyamwezi lingo ; but our cooks told us 
 that he was exhorting his men to be faithful to him as 
 chief, and to the Europeans as "great white masters"; 
 bidding them neither to steal their loads, nor raid any 
 of the villages through which they might pass. After he 
 had continued some time in this strain, he changed his 
 tone a little, and to a kind of chant he said, "Will you 
 obey K'shimba," and then all the men replied in the 
 same tone, " We obey you, K'shimba." This was 
 repeated over and over again, and then suddenly K'shimba 
 stepped down from his elevated position, and walked 
 with great state into his tent. The hum of voices is 
 again heard, and then one by one the tired porters roll 
 themselves up in their blankets, and silence reigns, save 
 for the incessant noise made by the frogs and crickets. 
 
 The second night was much more disturbed than the 
 first, for at about eleven o'clock a lion began to roar, and 
 by his noise seemed to be quite close to the camp. The 
 porters, however, kept up the fires, and no harm happened 
 to any one, excepting, perhaps, to us poor Europeans, 
 who, of course, could not sleep with a lion roaring a 
 few hundred yards away, not knowing when it might 
 think it worth its while to pay us a visit in our tents. It 
 is a very different thing to stand in the Zoo and watch 
 these magnificent creatures through iron bars, from lying 
 shaking in a small canvas tent, and nothing stronger 
 than this between it and yourself. I know this first
 
 46 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 time I heard the lion roaring, apparently very near to 
 the tent, I sat on my bed nearly the whole night, with 
 a loaded rifle across my knee.* 
 
 We soon began to experience some of the discomforts 
 of camp life. The insects, for instance, gave great shocks 
 to our systems from time to time. Occasionally, during 
 peaceful slumber, one would suddenly be aroused by some 
 strange creature leisurely making its way across one's face, 
 and during its progress, causing a sensation as of in- 
 numerable pins being driven into the skin ; it finally turns 
 out to be a centipede. These abound everywhere in Africa. 
 A centipede is an insect which varies from one to eight 
 inches in length, and is very much like a giant caterpillar, 
 only that its body is covered with a hard scaly skin, and 
 it has any number of legs, as its name implies. These 
 horrible things are continually in our tents, and seem 
 never so well satisfied as when they can settle themselves 
 just by one's nose while in bed. But centipedes are 
 nothing to the red, biting ants, and every traveller in 
 Africa will have an encounter with these little pests 
 sooner or later. During one of our long, tiring marches, 
 we happened to sit down by the roadside, without 
 particularly noticing where ; but in an instant we were 
 literally smothered with these " siafu," as they are 
 described by the Swahili. Shake yourself as you will, 
 they will not drop off, and one has to literally pull them 
 off, and even then they hold on with such tenacity that 
 you sever the head from the body. Fortunately the bite 
 
 * "Familiarity breeds contempt," and I well remember the last time I 
 heard a leopard — an equally dangerous beast — trying to get in at the 
 ■window of my little house in Toro. I was very tired, but it woke me up, 
 and I was annoyed at being thus disturbed, so I picked up my heavy boot 
 which was by my bedside, and threw it at the window, rolled over, and 
 went to sleep again. Of course the creature would know from this that 
 I was awake, and not daring to enter the house when observed, simply 
 made off about its business.
 
 IN D\¥ARF LAND 47 
 
 is not poisonous, so that no irritation remains when the 
 insect is removed. Cockroaches large and cockroaches 
 small are everywhere ; in all your boxes, boots, and jam- 
 pots, in blankets, pockets, writing-cases, everywhere are 
 they to be found. A second-class cabin on a British 
 India boat is a perfect paradise in the matter of cock- 
 roaches. Mosquitoes I need hardly mention ; of course 
 they are a nuisance, and seem to be met with particularly 
 in low-lying marshy districts. Fleas we consider very 
 clean as compared with those slower and far more dis- 
 gusting creatures, lice ; but both are met with everywhere, 
 and abound. Snakes, too, caused us sometimes a little 
 uneasiness. Once under my bed I discovered one of these 
 reptiles quietly sleeping, and often as we marched we came 
 across them. These are some of the discomforts that the 
 traveller meets with in Africa ; he has to get used to them 
 sooner or later, and the sooner the better, or they will be 
 a constant source of trouble to him. 
 
 Other things are equally trying during the first few 
 weeks of camp life. To have your boy come into your 
 tent at about four o'clock a.m. when all is dark, and shout 
 at the top of his voice, "B'wana" (master), and then to 
 have to pack everything into boxes and bags and tramp 
 off to the next camp, is trying, to say the least. Then if 
 you happen to see your boy, as I once did, cleaning your 
 plate by licking his hand and smearing it over, and finally 
 drying it with his dirty loin cloth ; or, if you see your 
 cook patting down the rice pudding into a dish with his 
 bands, or basting your chicken with the same tools, or 
 washing out the saucepan with the water in which one 
 has bathed (no doubt on account of the scarcity of that 
 fluid), I say that these are things that are constantly 
 occurring, and every day some new kind of horror 
 presents itself, and the novelty of the "picnic" soon 
 wears off.
 
 48 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 After we had proceeded about a week's journey on our 
 way to the lake, a very serious difficulty presented itself, 
 namely, famine. We had been told that we should not 
 be troubled with this, the greatest of all horrors, and 
 when we therefore found that it was actually raging in 
 the district through which we now had to pass, we were 
 very much disturbed in mind. 
 
 A huge caravan like ours required much food to be 
 provided, so that all might have enough, and although 
 we were only really responsible for the men who carried 
 our own loads, yet the claims of a common humanity 
 made it our duty to do what we could for the others. 
 We accordingly sent back to Saadani for fresh supplies 
 of rice to be despatched without delay by special porters, 
 and this was done ; but how was it possible for us to keep 
 five hundred men from starving, with nothing but the 
 slender purse of a missionary from which to draw? 
 
 With this prospect before us, K'shimba arranged for 
 another great oration to his men, and this time the 
 burden of his cry was : " Although famine is raging 
 before us, let us not blame any man, neither let us steal 
 the scanty victuals from the villages close at hand ; let 
 us go bravely forward, and, if you steal, both I and the 
 Europeans will leave you. Stealing is wrong," he said, 
 "and we must not do it." To this they all agreed, as 
 usual, and replied, "We obey you, K'shimba." 
 
 Just about this time we had the very great pleasure of 
 welcoming amongst us the veteran missionary, Dr. Baxter, 
 also of the Church Missionary Society. 
 
 We had camped for the day, being Sunday, to have a 
 real day of rest, when, towards the close of the day, to 
 our great satisfaction, the Doctor came strolling into 
 camp. He accompanied us for the next few days, and 
 right glad we were to have the benefit of his well-nigh 
 twenty years' experience in Africa. Being a medical
 

 
 IN DWARF LAND 49 
 
 man he was able to help several of our poor porters who 
 already were suffering from the effects of unsuitable food, 
 and the whole time he was with us, his bright Christian 
 character made itself felt. Our porters were delighted to 
 have him amongst the party, as some of them knew him, 
 and all very soon learned to love him for his true, gentle, 
 and loving spirit. He, at any rate, does not think that a 
 black man is so far beneath him that he merits not 
 the ordinary kindness that is shown to the white man, but 
 by his unselfish ministrations to those poor black fellows 
 he exhibited the spirit of the Master whom he serves. 
 The idea is prevalent amongst many who visit Africa 
 that the African is little better than a dog, and should 
 never be treated in any other way than that in which a 
 beast is treated. Such men are not worthy to be 
 associated with humanity themselves ; for although the 
 black man is ignorant and degraded it is not his fault, 
 and perhaps if Christian England had done her duty to 
 Africa, there would not be the darkness that there is. 
 
 Dr. Baxter, by his ministry of love, soon won the 
 affection of the porters, when in the evening he would 
 sit with them, read to them, and talk to them about the 
 God and Father of us all : Who, loving us, sent His Son 
 to redeem us. One could see how the acts of kindness 
 had attracted them to listen to the words of love. 
 
 But even Wanyamwezi porters are human, and when 
 suffering from the stress of hunger one can almost forgive 
 them anything. One of our porters suffering in this way 
 was passing through a cultivated field when he espied in 
 a corner of the field a pot of porridge all ready cooked, 
 and no doubt very savoury. Not seeing any one about, 
 and being sorely tempted, he grasped the prize and was 
 making good his escape, when almost at the same moment 
 some one grasped him, and this proved to be the owner 
 of the mess. The injured party dragged the captive 
 
 4
 
 50 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 before our head-man, but K'shimba, like Gallio of old, 
 "cared for none of these things," and ordered both 
 parties out of his presence, laughing at the man for 
 leaving his porridge about, and sneering at the other for 
 not being sharp enough to evade capture. The plaintiff 
 then brought the case to us Europeans, apparently in a 
 towering rage vt^ith K'shimba, and bent upon making a 
 row. It would have been a most difficult matter for us 
 to settle had it not been for Dr. Baxter. He called 
 K'shimba, and had the accused brought up. It was 
 K'shimba's turn now to lose his temper, and when he 
 came to us he was in a great passion, and forthwith 
 abused the accuser and his people (who had by this time 
 gathered round). He shouted out to them that he was 
 K'shimba (the lion), and that they had better take care 
 how they played with him, and that if they wished, he 
 and his men would go down into the valley and meet 
 them there and have a game with guns. At this Dr. 
 Baxter angrily stopped him, and showed in a moment 
 what a powder an Englishman has in Africa, for immedi- 
 ately K'shimba was cowed, and although a big, powerful 
 chief he came and sat at our feet as quiet as a lamb, and 
 the whole matter was settled by giving the offended party 
 a little present and sending him away. We heard no 
 more. If, however, we had not been present in camp 
 at the time that this case was brought up, there would 
 most certainly have been serious trouble, probably a 
 fight between the porters and the villagers, which would 
 have brought the whole country side down upon us. 
 
 Thus it will be easily understood that a European 
 going up-country is very much at the mercy of his 
 porters, and a constant watch has to be kept over them. 
 
 On October 14th there was great excitement caused by 
 the arrival in our camp of a party of mail men, bringing 
 to us letters from home. Although we had been about
 
 IN DWARF LAND 61 
 
 twelve days on the journey from the coast these men had 
 accomplished it in five days. They are chosen for their 
 strength and endurance, and some of them will walk 
 thirty-five and forty miles a day, carrying their mail bags 
 as well as their sleeping mats and food. 
 
 I do not wish to enlarge here upon the pleasure of 
 receiving letters and papers from home, but I must say 
 Solomon of old was not far wrong when he said, "As cold 
 waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far 
 country." The old country never loses its charm ; no 
 matter how many and long are the years that we spend 
 away from it, we always look with eager eyes for any 
 news concerning it. I know of nothing so trying in 
 Africa as to be obliged to be content for months together 
 with nothing but a few old newspapers to read ; even 
 these become precious, and many a time I have read over 
 and over again leading articles and scraps of news long 
 out of date, and have even gone so far as to read through 
 the advertisements. 
 
 For the first week on the journey, the only water we 
 could get was from holes dug in the clay, and in which 
 the rain had collected ; it was therefore very thick with 
 mud and sometimes very offensive, with a slight saline 
 taste. We had to both boil and filter it, and even then 
 we could not get rid of the unpleasant flavour. 
 
 The porters also caused us a great deal of trouble with 
 reference to the water. Immediately upon reaching camp 
 some of them would run down to the water-holes and 
 stir up all the mud in their anxiety to get a good drink ; 
 some would even stand in the water itself and drink, and 
 often we would find them washing their bodies quite 
 close to the water-holes. It was most trying, after 
 having given strict orders to have the water guarded, 
 to find the guards themselves doing such things as 
 these. However, the heat was so great, and we our-
 
 r: 
 
 52 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 selves were so terribly thirsty with the mere exertion 
 of walking, that we could almost forgive the clumsy 
 eagerness of these poor porters to get to the water after 
 four or five hours' march under the burning rays of the 
 sun, with a 60 lb. weight to carry. 
 
 Would to God this fearful practice of human porterage 
 were not necessary ; it is barbarous work, and sometimes 
 when I saw a poor thin fellow, suffering the awful pangs 
 of hunger, and perhaps with a terrible ulcer on each leg, 
 with his heavy load on his poor blistered shoulder, I 
 almost wished I had no loads at all ; and when I saw, as 
 alas ! I did sometimes, one of these poor fellow creatures 
 fall down from sheer exhaustion, and see A.B.L. printed 
 on the box he was carrying, it made my heart bleed with 
 pity and I felt half guilty. But we could do nothing ; the 
 loads must go, and there was no other way than this. 
 Of course a large number of the men seemed to think 
 nothing of their loads and were perfectly happy with 
 them, fine, strong fellows, apparently hardly feeling the 
 burden at all. 
 
 During the first week there was little or no shooting 
 to be had ; very occasionally we saw species of antelope 
 in the distance, but they were always too wild for us to 
 approach within range; partridges, quails, pigeons, &c., 
 were sometimes seen. As I have said, lions were in the 
 district, but at present we were far too new at the hunt 
 to attempt such dangerous game. 
 
 At this time I had rather a disagreeable experience. I 
 had gone off alone with only my shot gun, with No. 6 shot 
 for pigeons, and had got into a very wild sort of jungle. 
 It was well on towards evening, and so after wandering 
 about for some time and seeing nothing, I began to retrace 
 my steps. This, I soon found out, was not an easy 
 matter, and after pushing first in one direction and then 
 in another, I began to give up hope of getting back to
 
 IN DWARF LAND 53 
 
 camp that night. It was Just about a quarter of an hour 
 before sunset, forcing my way along a narrow track which 
 I beheved would eventually take me to the main road, 
 when suddenly a huge leopard sprang from a tree just in 
 front of me. I levelled my gun, but feared to pull the 
 trigger, thinking that the result of putting a hundred or 
 so No. 6 shot into him would only aggravate the beast ; 
 so, with my gun to my shoulder, and my eye fixed upon 
 the leopard, which had alighted on the ground only about 
 ten yards in front of me, I gradually drew back. The 
 creature just crouched upon the ground like a huge cat 
 lashing its tail backwards and forwards, snarling horribly, 
 showing all its fangs. And thus I left it. It now began 
 to get dark, and I was much alarmed at the prospect 
 of being kept out all night in so weird and dangerous a 
 quarter, therefore I commenced to blow with all my might 
 the whistle which I always carried in my belt. I don't 
 know why I did not think of it before. After blowing 
 away for some time I heard a call, and making off in that 
 direction suddenly found myself entering a village. The 
 natives, when they saw me, fled in all directions, and I 
 could not get near enough to make my request for help 
 known to them. I wandered about in the village for a 
 little while and then blew my whistle again ; this time 
 with better success, for from out of the thicket emerged 
 my cook, who missing me in camp and expecting that I 
 had got lost, had set off to find me, and hearing the 
 whistle was led to me by that. I found that we were 
 a long distance from camp, and I did not arrive until 
 quite dark. Very thankful I was at last to get into my 
 little canvas tent, and I had learned a lesson, which has 
 stood me m good stead during all my travels in Africa — 
 viz., never to wander off alone in a country that you do 
 not know, particularly in a forest-covered district.
 
 CHAPTEE III 
 
 GLIMPSES OF CAMP LIFE 
 
 Under the tamarind tree — Refreshment for the cows — Hope deferred at 
 Mbuzini river — The Wami — First real wash in Africa — Famine 
 stares us in the face — Fever — Crossing river on African bridge — Tent 
 left behind — The cook's story — Overtaken by Bishop Tucker — The 
 wild ass — The Bishop to the front— Long solitary march — Kindly 
 reception — Lions in the path — Mamboya — Hospitality in Central 
 Africa — The "Mission boy" again — Practical Christianity — We split 
 our caravan — The porters rebel — How we squashed the rebels — Peace 
 making — Mpwapwa — Kisokwe — Famine and its horrors. 
 
 ON the 11th of October, we pitched our camp at a place 
 called Pongwi, the chief of which was called Kolwa, 
 a regular old scoundrel, who did his very best to fleece us. 
 The usual custom of a chief upon receiving a visitor into 
 his country, is to bring to him some kind of present, for 
 which he expects the traveller to give a present in return 
 equal in value. This old gentleman Kolwa, evidently saw 
 that we had not travelled in Africa before, and therefore 
 he wanted to make the best of his opportunities. He first 
 brought us a sheep with a fat tail, and for this we gave 
 him a suitable present, although we could have done well 
 enough without the sheep. He went away, to return 
 with a few eggs ; for these he again expected a return 
 present, which he did not get, however. He then asked 
 for some soap and went first to one European and then 
 to another, bothering each for a piece of soap. He was 
 
 64
 
 IN DWARF LAND 65 
 
 very dirty, and needed it badly, so, as I had with me some 
 good strong carbolic dog soap, I gave him a piece and 
 with this he seemed delighted, especially with the scent. 
 After this he went away chuckling, and showing his 
 followers what he had received, and I think he was 
 thoroughly satisfied. 
 
 With a temperature of 96° in the shade, we pitched our 
 camp under a tamarind tree, and right glad we were to 
 gather the ripe beans which hung from the branches. 
 Their acid flavour seemed in some way to allay the pangs 
 of thirst which could not be satisfied with the horrible 
 salty water, which was the only kind procurable in this 
 place (Pongwi). A very good drink can be made from the 
 tamarind bean, which is broken up, and boiling water 
 poured over it with sugar to taste, and then left to cool. 
 So scarce was the water that we had hardly enough to 
 wash in, and our cows (we had two with us) had to be 
 content with the water that we had used for our 
 wash, which, however, they swallowed with the greatest 
 satisfaction. 
 
 We were glad enough to leave this droughty place 
 early the following morning. Our guide told us that 
 about four hours' journey further on we should come to 
 the beautiful river called the Mbuzini ; our porters were 
 therefore most anxious that we should push on as fast as 
 possible, for already the terrible thirst was beginning to 
 tell upon them. Occasionally we would come upon some 
 of them trying hard to extract a little moisture from some 
 root ; others would dig holes in the hollows, hoping to 
 find the precious fluid they so much needed. 
 
 We left camp at Pongwi before it was light and walked 
 for five hours with scarcely a stop, and then, when we 
 were beginning to feel the heat of the day most oppressive, 
 and were simply dried up for want of water, the guide 
 suddenly pointed out to us in the distance a long stretch
 
 56 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 of trees, and these he said were growing on the banks of 
 the Mbuzini river. We pushed forward with greater 
 energy than ever with the prospect of at last having 
 plenty of water, for by this time we were almost suf- 
 focated by the thirst and ready to give in. 
 
 Presently we entered the wooded country and almost 
 ran to the banks of the river. But no sound of rushing 
 waters greeted our ears, not even the ripple of a tiny 
 stream. Oh, bitter disappointment ! the river had dried 
 up, and only a few muddy puddles told us of its previous 
 existence. Our hearts sank within us. With swollen 
 lips and parched tongues, we stooped down to drink, and 
 never did water seem so sweet to us, as did that from the 
 muddy pools of the Mbuzini river bed. 
 
 Our guide, who was quite as disappointed as we were — 
 for he said that only a month or so before he had passed 
 that way, and found the river full — went off up the river 
 bed for some long distance, and by indefatigable effort, 
 at last found a tiny spring of good water, and with care, 
 this was sufficient for the whole caravan. 
 
 To give some little idea of the oppressiveness of the 
 heat that day, I may mention that even a little terrier dog 
 that was in the party, was so much fatigued by the heat, 
 that it lay down under every bush and tree we passed, 
 and when we went on, it howled most piteously, and then 
 ran on to the next. A large mastiff, which was also with 
 us, literally fainted after reaching camp. It can be 
 imagined, therefore, how much we Europeans suffered if 
 these creatures were affected by it in the way I have 
 described. Some of our porters never reached camp, and 
 one of our tents was left behind. 
 
 The following day, our hopes, which were deferred at 
 the Mbuzini river, were abundantly realised at the Wami, 
 a broad, rushing river, plenty of water. It was quite im- 
 possible, after being so long with such a limited supply, to
 
 IN DWARF LAND 57 
 
 keep out of it, and so we had a most delightful bath. We 
 were warned against crocodiles, so had to choose a very 
 shallow part, but to have water all over one's body, after 
 hardly having sufficient to moisten one's tongue was in- 
 describably delightful. Having finished our first real wash 
 in Africa, we looked out all our soiled clothes and sent our 
 boys to the river to wash them, and in the afternoon the 
 neighbourhood of our tents looked like the drying ground 
 of a large laundry. 
 
 Again we had the awful fact brought before us of the 
 scarcity of food. K'shimba came to us and said that a 
 number of our porters had deserted on account of the 
 shortness of food, leaving their loads by the roadside, and 
 that he anticipated others doing the same. The loads 
 were brought on by the head-men, but it was clear that if 
 famine continued and many more men deserted, it would 
 be impossible to proceed. Our own extra loads of food 
 were gradually becoming less, as each morning we gave 
 out a cup full of rice to the needy ones. But this could 
 not go on for any length of time. 
 
 We next reached Matungu, but still no food to be 
 found. The natives were unwilling to sell what little 
 they had, and we greatly feared lest our porters, driven to 
 desperation, would try to raid the villagers. 
 
 To make matters worse many of the men were getting 
 ill from other causes ; some were beginning to display 
 huge ulcers, sore shoulders and backs, caused by carrying 
 the loads ; dysentery, and even smallpox. 
 
 At Matungu we were told that we should find ante- 
 lope, and thus we hoped to be able to provide some 
 food for the porters. I started off when I got into 
 camp, and I soon saw some antelope in the distance, but 
 the heat was so intense that I was far too exhausted to 
 stalk them, and I turned homeward. Before I could 
 reach camp, I knew that fever had got hold of me.
 
 58 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 Fortunately the good Doctor was still with us and he 
 did everything possible for me. All night the fever was 
 raging and the patient Doctor sat by my bedside tending 
 me with almost motherly care. The caravan left next 
 morning but the Doctor and Mr. Pike remained till 
 evening with me, when I was able to proceed on my 
 donkey. "We caught up the others at 11 p.m., had a 
 few hours' rest, and then we all continued our journey, as 
 still there was a great scarcity of food, and famine with 
 all its horrors seemed to stare us in the face. 
 
 Ngulu was reached on October 18th, and again we 
 pitched our camp, near the beautiful river Wami. The 
 water was very pure, and it was quite delightful to have 
 plenty, after the muddy fluid we had been obhged to 
 drink. 
 
 Our tents were pitched at the foot of a low range of 
 mountains, the whole surrounding country being covered 
 with scrub and sycamore. The natives were very friendly 
 and were able to sell us a little food. Maize grew in 
 great abundance, also a kind of pumpkin or vegetable 
 marrow, which is very palatable. We remained a few 
 days, to allow our porters to do their best to procure what 
 little food was available, and then we proceeded. 
 
 We had to cross the Wami river ; the porters waded 
 through the water, which at its deepest was not more 
 than four feet, while we Europeans crossed by a native 
 bridge, a very rickety affair, made by the natives of the 
 districts. It consisted of a few forked stakes driven into 
 the ground at the bank, and corresponding stakes in mid- 
 stream and on the opposite bank ; then from stake to stake 
 there were stretched strong timbers, and upon these were 
 laid a quantity of thinner branches. We had to cross 
 very carefully as nothing was secure, and some of the 
 stakes had been washed away by the current. Soon after 
 leaving the bridge we missed the way, but were not sorry
 
 IN DWARF LAND 59 
 
 as the path we took led through some very pretty places. 
 At times palms and bananas and other large-leaved 
 plants completely over-arched us, and bigger trees were 
 growing over our head. Wild pepper shrubs also, in great 
 abundance ; the natives seem to use these in some way as 
 food. Later on we passed through plantations of maize 
 and what is called " mtama," a kind of millet seed, which 
 makes a very good porridge, and we frequently used it 
 in this way. It grows in a kind of reed some 12 feet 
 to 14 feet high, and is very prolific, but is always the 
 first thing attacked by locusts, and in this part these 
 insects had been . very busy. They go about in huge 
 clouds and sometimes quite block the sunlight, and when 
 they settle, all green things disappear. Guinea fowl 
 were plentiful, and seemed very tame. Sometimes we 
 would walk quite close up to them before they took flight, 
 and constantly we were able to supply the larder with 
 these most acceptable birds. 
 
 Although we missed the way on this particular occasion, 
 yet we got into camp ahead of everybody else. The 
 porters were very tired, having had a long, roundabout 
 march in the heat. One of the tents, to our great con- 
 sternation was missing ; we therefore sent back the cooks 
 at once to look for the porter who carried it and to bring 
 it into camp. However, night came on before the tent 
 arrived and we were obliged to make one tent do for two. 
 In the very early morning the cooks came back bringing 
 with them the porter and the tent. This is the cook's 
 story : — They got right back to our former camp, and 
 there they found the tent all rolled up, but no porter to 
 carry it. They waited until nine o'clock, when the run- 
 away turned up. The rest must be told in the cook's own 
 language. "At nine o'clock we see him come, we say, 
 ' Come on ' ; he say, ' I must stop and sleep.' We then sit 
 down and think till ten, then we get up and beat him
 
 60 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 with a stick, then he come." They were walking all 
 night, reaching us about 5 a.m., and started off with us 
 at 5.30, getting into camp again at 11 a.m. When I 
 asked the cook how he was after his long walk he said, 
 " My feet very large, master; I rest here," and well they 
 deserved their rest. 
 
 One of our party now fell sick, Mr. Blackledge, fever 
 being, of course, the complaint. We therefore rested a 
 few days in a most lovely camping ground among the 
 Mpamwani Hills, with a clear, rushing stream quite close 
 to us. 
 
 During this time of rest we had the great pleasure of 
 welcoming into our midst good Bishop Tucker, He was 
 on his way to Mamboya, and having only a small caravan 
 he was able to push along quickly although he left the 
 coast nearly a week after we had done so. Our party 
 now numbered six Europeans, and about five hundred and 
 twenty porters. 
 
 About midday, after the Bishop's arrival, a wild ass got 
 into camp and commenced fighting with our donkeys, and 
 made such a noise and disturbance that we called up the 
 whole camp to catch it. It was a very shapely little 
 animal and had most extraordinary powers of dodging 
 those who tried to secure it, of kicking and braying also. 
 With the combined energies of five Europeans and a 
 whole host of Wanyamwezi porters we felt sure it would 
 be caught. The Bishop was very much to the front in 
 this hunt, and made several good attempts to lasso the 
 little creature, but still it evaded us. At last, however, 
 while the ass stood for a rest at a good distance from its 
 hunters, one of the men leapt from the grass where he was 
 completely hidden, almost under its nose, and swinging 
 his arms right round its neck, clung on, in spite of all its 
 plunging. We then gathered round, and soon were able 
 to secure the now frightened ass. I found to my great
 
 IN DAVARF LAND 61 
 
 satisfaction that it was my own boy who had thus captured 
 the animal. He told me that he was a great hunter, and 
 seemed very pleased to display his power of concealing 
 himself, which I admit was most extraordinary (especially 
 was this the case if I happened to want anything in a 
 hurry). We tied up the wild ass to a tree and left it 
 with the natives, who were most delighted to have it. 
 
 From this camp to the next was a distance of about 
 eighteen miles. There was supposed to be a large river at 
 the camp, but when we got there we found only a dry 
 river bed, all covered with deep cracks ; apparently no 
 water had been there for months. We searched about 
 and found some pools of muddy water, and by the side of 
 these we camped. It was fairly good when boiled and 
 filtered, and only tasted a little like dish-water, but we 
 were about used to that, so thought nothing of it. 
 
 At 3 a.m. next morning we were off again, a long 
 solitary march through the most wild country we had 
 yet passed. 
 
 The start was a most difficult one. Our way led right 
 over a high range of hills, and the path was narrow and 
 very stony, and terribly steep in places. It was some- 
 times literally a climb in the dark, for although there was 
 a moon nearly at its full, its light was almost entirely lost 
 to us by the thick trees overhanging our path. My boy 
 and I went on ahead to secure a good camp, and for six 
 hours we marched with only one stop of five minutes. 
 When we arrived at the village we were making for, 
 Magubika, the chief came out to greet me. He was a 
 fine-looking young fellow, rather above middle height, 
 well-proportioned, and with a searching eye. He shook 
 hands with me, and then called to one of his numerous 
 attendants to bring a stool for me. This was soon given 
 to me, and I sat to exchange with him a few Swahili 
 compliments that I could think of. He was dressed in a
 
 62 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 bright red cloth, with a leathern girdle round his waist 
 and a white turban on his head ; he had a great crowd of 
 attendants and slaves, and gave one the impression of 
 being a very important man. He brought me a big 
 cup of curds, which was very refreshing; and then he 
 produced a large prepared cowskin, and upon this I 
 curled myself, and in the midst of a crowd of staring 
 natives I was soon fast asleep. My little dog " Sally," 
 that I bought at Zanzibar, stood guard over me, growling 
 angrily if she thought any native approached too near. I 
 slept for two hours, and then was suddenly aroused by 
 hearing the report of a revolver. I started up, fearing 
 something was wrong, but found out that it was Mr. 
 Lewin, who was signalling to a party of porters who had 
 missed their way. We pitched our tents under the shade 
 of some bananas, and the caravan gradually filed into 
 camp, all being very tired. 
 
 The Bishop informed us that he intended pushing on in 
 the afternoon to Mamboya, to prepare the missionaries 
 there for 'our arrival. Accordingly he set off at about two 
 o'clock, to be followed in an hour's time by a man carry- 
 ing one of his boxes. After the latter had been gone 
 about two hours, he came running back into camp saying 
 that he had met two men who had just escaped a lion, 
 and were fleeing from it, so he joined them and came 
 back into camp with the Bishop's box. 
 
 The next day's march was to be a short one, so we 
 did not have to start before 6 a.m. I must say that long 
 before this I had grown very weary of the early morning 
 starts ; I think this is the greatest of all camp life trials. 
 One is roused sometimes at 4 a.m., always before light, and 
 while the heavy dew is on the ground one has to pack up 
 everything into boxes and bags, and turn out of a warm 
 bed into the cold and damp night air, while the boys and 
 porters pull down one's tent and roll it up, and cram
 
 IN DWARF LAND 63 
 
 everything into the boxes. No one ever feels ready for a 
 breakfast at that unearthly hour, and yet if breakfast is 
 neglected one gets faint and weary long before the end of 
 the march. 
 
 It only took us two hours to walk from Magubika to 
 Mamboya ; we camped at the foot of the Mambira Hills, 
 about half an hour's walk from the Mission Station of the 
 Church Missionary Society, which is beautifully situated 
 ^mong the hills, in a most healthy position. There were 
 six missionaries, viz., Eev. and Mrs. Wood, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Deekes, the Misses Waite and Colsey ; there were also 
 two babies, the Deekes having a boy of two years, and 
 the Woods a girl of three months. 
 
 There is no doubt Mamboya is one of the prettiest 
 C.M.S. stations in Africa. The houses are nicely built, 
 and when we arrived there it was just like getting home 
 pnce more after a few weeks of rough camp life. We 
 were most heartily welcomed by Mr. Deekes, who came 
 down the hill to our camp in the valley, and escorted us 
 up to the Mission, Here we found the Bishop, who had 
 j arrived the day before, and seemed none the worse for his 
 jlong march, and he had seen nothing of the lion. 
 ' It was a great treat once more to sit down before a 
 nicely spread board, but what seemed to take our fancy 
 most was the delicious home-made bread, which of course 
 we had not partaken of since we left Zanzibar, and this is 
 one of the things one misses most in tramping through 
 Africa ; the tasteless "chupati " or the roast sweet potato 
 has to take the place of bread on the march. Milk, too, 
 and fresh butter, and a whole leg of mutton, instead 
 of condensed milk, tinned butter, and scraps of fried 
 meat. 
 
 We spent five days at Mamboya, and thoroughly en- 
 joyed the rest, and the kindness which we received from 
 the missionaries was very great ; they insisted upon our
 
 64 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 taking all onr meals up at the Mission, and we used to go 
 up the hill at 8 a.m. not returning to camp until late 
 in the evening. 
 
 Soon after we arrived here some of the Europeans' boys 
 declared that they wished to leave, and they brought 
 their parents to us, who lived at Mamboya, who said that 
 they would not allow their sons to proceed with us any 
 further. It will be remembered that when they came to 
 us they declared themselves to be " mission boys," and 
 upon that recommendation we engaged them, and we 
 now found that they were not mission boys, and that 
 their reason for engaging themselves to us was merely to 
 get back to their home at Mamboya. We had paid them 
 for two months in advance, and so insisted that the 
 money for one month should be returned to us if the 
 boys remained behind. After some hesitation it was 
 brought to us in the shape of sheep and goats. For- 
 tunately for me my boy had no relations and was 
 quite willing to proceed to Uganda with me, and as 
 he had pleased me so far, I was very glad to retain his 
 services. 
 
 The population of Usagara is large and scattered, but 
 the people are generally very poor, largely as a result of 
 their laziness, and also on account of the constant 
 famines. They rely upon their crops of mtama and 
 maize almost entirely, and if locusts come and eat these 
 up there is nothing left for them. Their flocks and herds 
 are not large, but each chief seems to possess a few. 
 Woman, as almost everywhere in uncivilised Africa, is 
 the slave and drudge of the family, bought and sold by 
 the man, and ill-treated at his pleasure. 
 
 Missionary work amongst such a tribe is necessarily 
 difficult, and must be of a very practical kind, and un- 
 doubtedly this is a very marked feature of the Mamboya 
 mission. The real self-denying character of its mis-
 

 
 IN DWARF LAND 65 
 
 sionaries, and especially of the two young ladies, who, 
 living in this wild place, are seeking to help their dark 
 sisters into a better life, is a sine qua 71011 for the success 
 of the work. 
 
 During the famine time, hundreds of pounds of rice are 
 distributed to the needy ones, and thousands flock to the 
 Mission premises to receive the precious gifts of food. 
 This is what appeals to the savage, for in it he can see 
 love, an attribute which is little known among them. At 
 this station Dr. Baxter has his headquarters, and every 
 day has a great number of patients come to him for treat- 
 ment, and during our short stay he had several important 
 operations, which he performed with his usual skill. 
 
 We left Mamboya October 29th, and can look back 
 upon our stay there as one of the very pleasant incidents 
 in our life in Africa. Such kind and hearty, not to say 
 generous, hospitality received right away there in Central 
 Africa, was better than all we could have hoped for, and 
 as we bade our friends goodbye, it was with mingled 
 feelings. The road that lay before us was very dark, 
 famine hovered about us like some beast of prey, and 
 at Mamboya we were to leave behind our good and 
 trusted friend Dr. Baxter, whose help had been so 
 readily given in managing our great caravan during the 
 short time he had been with us. We now split our 
 caravan into two parts. Selecting the loads, &c., that 
 would be required by us on the journey up to the Lake, 
 we gave them to a party of the strongest and best men, 
 and with these we were to push forward, leaving K'shimba 
 to follow on with the main body of the caravan. He, of 
 course, would be obliged to go much slower than it was 
 necessary for us, and we felt that the sooner we could get 
 to the Lake the better ; our health was already beginning 
 to suffer from the exposure and roughness of camp life, 
 although we hardly knew it. 
 
 5
 
 66 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 Four hours' march from Mamboya is a lovely little 
 glen, through which runs a clear, bubbling stream, and by 
 the side of this we had our tents pitched. Mr. Pike and 
 I then went off into the thicket to try and shoot guinea- 
 chicks, but failed, and when coming back to camp after 
 sunset, walking in the faint light of the moon, a huge 
 snake suddenly reared itself just a yard in front of me. I 
 darted back not a moment too soon, and it then glided 
 away with its head reared and its eyes fixed upon me ; 
 it was a narrow escape, another step would have taken 
 me to certain death, for I saw that it was a black and 
 yellow-breasted adder, one of the most deadly snakes in 
 Africa. 
 
 At Kabayo, two days from Mamboya, we had a little 
 
 excitement. It was the first sign of a rebellion amongst 
 
 our porters. They had had but little food, and water too 
 
 was scarce, and feeling that their head-man, K'shimba, was 
 
 far enough away to be harmless, they organised a raid upon 
 
 one of the villages near to the camping-ground. I had just 
 
 selected a suitable site for my tent and was looking about 
 
 for the porters and boys to put it up, but the camp seemed 
 
 deserted, when to my utter astonishment I saw all the 
 
 porters, armed with their knob-kerries, sticks, spears, &c., 
 
 making their way rapidly up the hill, upon the summit of 
 
 which was the village. At once I guessed their design to 
 
 be that of theft, and this would of course mean disaster 
 
 to our caravan in a thickly populated district, as this was. 
 
 There was not a moment to spare, and so, picking up a 
 
 stick, I ran at full speed up the hill, caught the first man 
 
 up, and then turned round upon them all, and in the best 
 
 Swahili I could command ordered them back again, 
 
 telling them that I knew what they were after. There 
 
 were about seventy of them all told, and at first they 
 
 seemed to ignore me, and some attempted to force their 
 
 way past me, looking threateningly first at me and then
 
 IN DWARF LAND 67 
 
 at the weapons they carried. When I saw this I knew 
 that they had made up their minds to carry out their 
 purpose in spite of the resistance offered by the European, 
 so I dashed at the man who was leading them, seized him 
 round the waist and gave him the "throw," at the same 
 time bringing my stick down across his bare shoulders 
 with considerable force. Although he was a man half as 
 big again as myself, and carrying a gun, he was thoroughly 
 cowed, and picking himself up stared at me in blank 
 astonishment. I immediately followed up the impression 
 I had made by a sudden rush at the whole gang, and 
 they all, with about ten exceptions, ran away as fast as 
 their legs would carry them, and I chased them, flourish- 
 ing the stick above my head. Mr, Pike then joined me, 
 having discovered the trouble, and he entered into the 
 chase with great enthusiasm. What a sight it was, to 
 see about seventy great stalwart fellows, all armed — any 
 one of whom, if he possessed pluck enough, would have 
 been a match for either of us so far as strength is con- 
 cerned — racing headlong down the hill, chased by two 
 Englishmen armed with nothing but sticks ! In this 
 manner we drove the main body of the porters back to 
 camp ; but further trouble was ahead of us. 
 
 We walked back up the hill to the village to try and 
 make friends with the villagers, but we found that while 
 we had been driving back to camp the greater number of 
 the men like a flock of sheep, the rest had crept past us 
 in the long grass and had entered the village, driven out 
 all the startled inhabitants, and were freely helping them- 
 selves to the little food there was. The villages of this 
 district are built either in a square or triangular form. 
 There are two main entrances to the village, and the 
 houses are all joined together and form a wall around it, 
 with an open square in the middle. There are no win- 
 dows in the rooms, but small holes about two inches in
 
 68 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 diameter, are apparently used for spy-holes by the inhabi- 
 tants. Of course, as soon as we entered the village there was 
 not a soul to be seen, but we knew that ten or a dozen of 
 our men were somewhere in the houses hiding themselves. 
 Without any hesitation (although, as we thought of it 
 afterwards, it was rather risky) we rushed into the nearest 
 house. All was pitch dark, and not a hand's length could 
 we see before us. We felt our way about from house to 
 house as best we could, and every now and then we could 
 hear some one glide past us in the darkness, and if we 
 made a dash at this invisible person, we were sure to come 
 violently in contact with either the wall or the doorpost. 
 It seemed hopeless for us to try and catch these fellows, 
 besides being somewhat dangerous, as I suppose none of 
 them would have been particular about using their spears 
 if they had been caught. We therefore stationed our- 
 selves one at each entrance to the village on the outside, 
 so as to pounce upon them as they came out. We waited 
 and waited, but not a man stirred. They were too sharp 
 for us, and presently on looking down the hill we saw a 
 number of them stealing back to camp ; they had climbed 
 over the houses, and thus evaded us. However, we 
 recognised several of them as they crept in the grass 
 with stolen food, fowls, &c., in their hands, and when we 
 got back to camp pounced upon them, and they were 
 punished by the head-man with a few smart lashes. In 
 the evening of the day we had a great oration. Mr. Pike 
 spoke to them by interpretation, telling them why we had 
 stopped them from stealing, and pointing out the great 
 danger in which they placed the caravan by indulging in 
 such raids upon the villages. We then went up to the 
 village again, to call back the people if possible. At first 
 no one could be found, but after a little time I saw a man 
 whom I believed to be the chief, at some distance, trying 
 to hide himself behind a tree. I called him to me, but
 
 IN DWARF LAND 69 
 
 he refused to come, and so, throwing down my umbrella 
 and the small stick with which I had been belabouring 
 the rebel porters, I walked towards him with outstretched 
 hands. He then saw that I meant peace, and came to 
 meet me. I explained as best I could that we were 
 Englishmen and wished to be his friends ; and that we 
 had been trying to prevent our porters from stealing his 
 property. He then embraced me most affectionately, and 
 we walked hand in hand back to the village. He next 
 called his people together, and we had a great peace- 
 making, and they all showed themselves most grateful 
 for the deliverance we had wrought on their behalf. 
 But there is a very serious side to the whole matter. 
 We heard afterwards that immediately our porters com- 
 menced to raid the village, the chief sent off messengers 
 through all the district calling the native warriors to fight 
 against the caravan. When we found this out we asked 
 the chief to send other messengers to assure the people 
 that all was peaceful ; but it will be seen what great 
 trouble might have arisen from such an act. 
 
 As I have said, the European is largely at the mercy of 
 his porters. Sometimes these unscrupulous fellows would 
 actually tell the village people that the Europeans had 
 sent them for so many bags of corn, or so many sheep or 
 goats, and that if they did not send them to him, he 
 would come himself and fight them, and the village folk, 
 being greatly afraid of the European's guns, would rather 
 give away all they possessed than make an enemy of him, 
 and having done so, look for an opportunity of attack- 
 ing his caravan when least expected, and so take their 
 revenge. 
 
 We next had to cross an immense Masai plain, called 
 Mlala, over which these well-known warriors of Eastern 
 Africa wander in bands with their cattle ; being entirely 
 nomadic in their habits of life, they never settle in one
 
 70 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 place for long, and of course never cultivate the ground. 
 The plain was full of game of all descriptions. We saw 
 quantities of antelope and zebra, but were unable to 
 leave our caravan to hunt, lest our porters, being left for 
 a time, should again try to raid the villages eii route. As 
 we marched we were able to get a shot now and then ; 
 bustards, guinea fowl, partridges, quails, and pigeons were 
 in abundance, and made useful additions to our larder. 
 
 On Friday, November 2nd, we reached the second 
 inland station of the C.M.S., called Mpwapwa. The 
 missionaries here were the Eev. J. H. Price and Mr. 
 Doulton. They received us very kindly and put us up 
 in the mission houses. They could not speak of any very 
 marked results of their work, as the people were very dull 
 and thoroughly indolent. Still there were the few who 
 had been raised into a better life, and who shall say that 
 Missions are a failure if it be but the few that are raised 
 and made better ? 
 
 At Mpwapwa the Germans have a large fort, and two 
 or three officers live there. Their rule is very strict and 
 decidedly military in character, the natives being very 
 much afraid of them. It would be difficult to find what 
 real benefit the natives themselves derive from this 
 military occupation, and I think it must be a minus 
 quantity, for apart from the fine houses built for the 
 Europeans and a broad road leading up to the fort, there 
 seemed to be no attempt at improvement in the country. 
 The native builds the houses and makes the road. The 
 former are no use to him, and the latter, in his opinion, 
 is quite unnecessary ; he can do equally well with a 
 footpath a few inches wide. 
 
 From Mpwapwa to Kisokwe is only two hours' walk, 
 and here again we met with friends, missionaries of the 
 C.M.S., Kev. and Mrs. Cole, Eev. and Mrs. Beverley, 
 and Mr. Briggs. We remained a few days at Kisokwe to
 
 IN DWARF LAND 71 
 
 allow K'shimba with the main portion of our caravan to 
 overtake us, as we heard that he was not far behind. 
 Several of the porters that we had agreed to take on 
 with us had deserted, and it was necessary for us to pro- 
 cure from K'shimba a few more trustworthy men, that 
 we might proceed without delay to Nasa. 
 
 We were told by our friends at the Mission that famine 
 was still raging in the district, and that we might expect 
 it all the way to Nasa. How important it was to hurry 
 along will therefore readily be seen. While waiting at 
 Kisokwe for K'shimba we amused ourselves by going out 
 hunting. There are numbers of antelope living on the 
 Kisokwe Hills, and we had several very good hunts. 
 There are also numerous leopards in the district, and one 
 of Mr. Cole's goats was killed by one of these animals. 
 The herdsman, however, drove the leopard off before it 
 had time to devour its prey, and poison was put upon 
 the carcase, with the result that a fine big leopard was 
 found dead by the side of it the following morning. One 
 of our donkeys died suddenly at this place, and hyenas 
 spent the whole night hovering about the carcase, making 
 most objectionable noises. All had disappeared by day- 
 break, donkey included. 
 
 After leaving Kisokwe some of the awful horrors of 
 famine came under our notice. The porters could buy 
 no food ; they must get it somehow or else die. They 
 were in a terrible state and ready to do anything. One 
 day they came upon the corpse of a man who had been 
 dead some days and was quite decomposed, and yet so 
 famished were the poor fellows that they actually took 
 the corpse and devoured it, and this was repeated the 
 next day when some natives were seen carrying the body 
 of a man, who had just died, into the bush — they seized 
 it and consumed it. Some of them were like living 
 skeletons, and the majority were so very improvident
 
 72 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 that even if they did procure a Httle food they never 
 thought of making it last for more than one meal, and 
 the consequence was that they did not derive proper 
 benefit from it. 
 
 But we still hoped for better things. Sometimes we 
 were told that in three days we should be in a district 
 where there was plenty of food, and at others we were 
 informed that the famine reached even to the Lake shores. 
 We could only keep moving, trusting God to help us and 
 provide for our poor half-starving porters that which we 
 in our helplessness were unable to procure.
 
 CHAPTEK IV 
 CAMP LIFE (continued) 
 
 Wagogo thieves — K'shimba in distress — Trouble in the forest — The Mar- 
 tini rifle — Our hunting expeditions — When the boots wear out — 
 Burungi, the land of plenty — Rains are upon us— Buying food — The 
 Warungi — The warriors and my dog Sally — How troubles come — 
 Irangi — A courteous reception — We tend the sick — The Governor as 
 a patient — An African's gratitude — K'shimba turns up — He relates 
 his troubles— Bwana Kitangi to the rescue. 
 
 WE were now entering the country of Ugogo, the 
 people of which are very much given to stealing, 
 and it was necessary for us to keep a sharp look-out for 
 these notorious robbers. Although the country seemed 
 very little populated, so far as we could tell by the 
 number of villages, still large bands of the Wagogo were 
 constantly met with, and we never knew when they were 
 in our neighbourhood. Any straggling porter was liable 
 to be murdered by them and his load stolen. We there- 
 fore split up the Europeans into two sections ; two of us 
 went at the head of the caravan to prevent any going on 
 too fast, and two of us remained with the head-man at 
 the rear to stop any from loitering behind. In camp also 
 we all kept close together with the loads stacked up in 
 the midst. But even with all our efforts to protect the 
 porters their own utter stupidity frequently led them into 
 trouble, and as we marched the two Europeans in the 
 rear had the greatest difficulty to keep the men together. 
 We knew that in every thick part of the forest through 
 
 73
 
 74 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 which our way led there were enemies waiting for the 
 stragglers, whom they would at once spear, and then 
 steal the loads ; and although the porters knew this per- 
 fectly well they did not seem to mind at all, and for the 
 sake of a little rest were willing to risk their lives. 
 
 I remember one day when I was behind the others, 
 suddenly coming upon a number of Wagogo thieves, 
 armed with their spears and bows and arrows. They 
 were in the act of creeping up to a few of our porters, 
 who were foolishly sitting down by the roadside smoking. 
 When they saw me they entered the bush and I hurried 
 the porters on to join the caravan. We had not gone 
 many days' journey from Kisokwe, however, before we 
 received news from our head-man, K'shimba, who it will 
 be remembered was in charge of the main caravan, and 
 was a few days' journey behind us, that he had lost a 
 number of his porters in this way. Staying behind, they 
 had been murdered and their goods stolen. He sent on 
 to ask us to allow forty of our men to return to him 
 to help bring on the loads. We of course could not do 
 this until we had reached Irangi, which was still some 
 days ahead of us. We therefore sent back to K'shimba 
 telling him to follow us- on as best he could, and that 
 when we reached Irangi we would send him help if 
 possible. 
 
 Between us and Irangi there was a thick forest to 
 go through. Hour after hour we toiled along in the 
 terrible heat — there seemed to be no air to breathe — 
 now pushing our way through the tangled undergrowth, 
 now stooping almost double under some bending trunk 
 of a tree, then climbing over another only a few yards 
 distant. Add to all this the sickening want of water and 
 proper nourishment, not to mention the weary work of 
 urging on the porters, and it will be seen that these few 
 marches through the forest were very hard indeed. And
 
 IN DWARF LAND 76 
 
 if it were so hard for us who had nothing to carry but 
 ourselves, and if loe felt to such a degree the burning 
 thirst, what must be said of the poor creatures who 
 carried our loads ! Amongst them death had become 
 quite common ; some through want of food, others from 
 various causes had to give in and simply lay themselves 
 down to die. Pike and I were walking together at one 
 time when we came upon a poor fellow sitting, or rather 
 reclining, by the roadside. We went up to him and tried 
 to urge him to come on, but he simply shook his head. 
 We raised him to his feet, but he could not even stand 
 upright. What were we to do,? There were no villages 
 for miles and miles around. I felt his pulse ; it seemed 
 to have stopped, and his heart scarcely beat at all, and 
 we knew that all would soon be over. As a last act of 
 kindness we carried him to a more comfortable spot, gave 
 him all the food we had with us and the bottle of cocoa 
 that I carried on my back, and with sad and aching 
 hearts we left him there to die. 
 
 It seems inhuman thus to leave a dying man, but as 
 men who might be speedily overtaken by the same fate, 
 we felt it our duty to go forward. Before the last man 
 of the caravan had passed that spot this poor dark heathen 
 soul had gone ! Gone ! but can we doubt for him a 
 Father's care ? No ! I cannot bring myself to believe 
 that such as he will be left and forgotten, without the 
 watchful, pitying eye of the loving Father. Africa is full 
 of the most heartrending scenes, and hearts must be 
 made of adamant that will not melt with compassion. 
 What, therefore, can be the feelings of the sympathising 
 Christ for these dark, ignorant souls that go down into 
 the valley of the shadow of death with no glimmer of 
 hope? 
 
 We were now getting near to the land of plenty, at 
 least so we were told by those we met on the road,
 
 76 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 and our porters began to gain courage. Moving out of 
 camp one morning, only about five hundred yards away 
 from the outskirts of our camping-ground, I came upon 
 the body of a man who had been dead only a few hours ; 
 a little way from him were his broken cooking-pot and 
 mat, and an empty water-bottle. In his hand he still 
 grasped a little iron hoe, and a few yards away was a 
 deep hole that he had evidently been digging in order if 
 possible to procure water, but, overcome with thirst, he 
 had probably fainted, and the pangs of death laid hold 
 upon him — so near to our camp that he might almost 
 have heard our voices, and had he pushed on but a 
 few hundred yards he would have received from us the 
 precious liquid he so sorely needed. When at last we 
 emerged from the forest we found ourselves upon a huge 
 plain, well watered and abounding in game of all sorts — 
 buffalo, zebra, rhinoceros, and all kinds of antelope both 
 large and small. Each day upon getting into camp we 
 would go off hunting, trying to provide ourselves and our 
 porters with food. Sometimes we were successful, at 
 others we came back empty-handed. I found that the 
 Martini sporting rifle was by far the best for antelope and 
 smaller game. Some antelope, however, are most difficult 
 to get. They will run off with a bullet in the shoulder 
 as if nothing were wrong, and suddenly disappear in the 
 thicket. The hunter is apt to think that they have made 
 good their escape, but by a careful search along the trail 
 the wounded animal will be found reclining, only to race 
 off again if a second shot is not soon forthcoming. A 
 rifle with smaller calibre seldom drops an antelope, 
 unless hit right through the heart, and even then I have 
 known them run fifty yards before falling. For elephants, 
 buffalo, hippo and rhino, there is nothing like a "SOS 
 calibre, but the sportsman must have a steady hand and 
 a strong nerve, as a "SOS bullet will not stop a charging
 
 IN DWARF LAND 77 
 
 elephant unless it penetrates the brain, which is not an 
 easy shot. 
 
 To give some idea of the vitahty of the antelope, I 
 fired at two hundred yards with my Martini at a large 
 Kob ; the bullet entered the hind quarters and broke the 
 thigh, it then ran quite a quarter of a mile ; I stalked it, 
 and again fired at about the same distance, and this time 
 the bullet expanded and literally turned the poor beast 
 inside out, but even then it made off at a headlong gallop. 
 Just as it was entering a thicket I fired a third shot, 
 and this time the bullet pierced the heart. A few herds 
 of the larger Koodoo roamed about on the plains, also 
 Jacksonii, Spring-buck, Reed-buck, &c. 
 
 My next personal trouble was the wearing out of the 
 only pair of boots I had with me. I had hoped that they 
 would last until we reached Irangi, where we were to 
 wait for K'shimba, but they came to an end before I 
 expected, and so I had to tramp along the rough roads 
 with large holes in the soles of both boots. Blisters were 
 the result, and I bid fair to become a cripple. It may be 
 wondered why I did not ride my donkey ; the fact was, 
 the donkey was now in constant use as a pack animal, 
 and each day carried a large load of things, as many of 
 the porters had either died or deserted us, and it was the 
 same with the other two donkeys that remained. So I 
 had to walk, and many a weary hour I spent in this 
 painful way. 
 
 Friday, November 16th, found us in the country known 
 as Burungi, very beautiful, and in reality like an immense 
 plain surrounded by hills on every side, covered with 
 villages, and plenty of food. We waited here a day or 
 two so that our tired porters might buy food and 
 recuperate a little after the very tiring time they had 
 passed through. We anticipated difficulty in getting 
 them to start again from such a place where there were
 
 78 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 so many allurements for the weary traveller. There 
 was, however, still so much ground to be covered, and 
 the rainy season was coming on so fast, that we felt it 
 wrong to stay more than two days. 
 
 We therefore got up in good time on the third morning 
 after our arrival, pulled down our tents, and packed up 
 our camp furniture, but our "darling" porters sat still 
 around their fires unwilling to budge an inch. We urged 
 them with kind words, but they only laughed and looked 
 pleased. We urged them with angry words, then they 
 seemed quite sorry for us, but stuck manfully by the 
 flames. At last we got really angry, shivering as we 
 were with cold in the early dawn, and with no tents to 
 shelter us. We jflnally rushed upon them and began to 
 scatter their fires about and to drive our now startled 
 " Wanyams " out of camp. 
 
 When we thought all had gone and were striding out 
 of camp ourselves, we discovered about a dozen of the 
 lazy fellows hiding from us in one of the huts, eating 
 away as hard as they could. It was now time to make 
 an example of one of them, so I seized hold of one great 
 fellow, and with a thin cane that I carried I gave him a 
 pretty smart thrashing. He then shouldered his load 
 and walked merrily out of camp along with the others, 
 and he did not appear again until I arrived at the next 
 camp, when he came up to me as pleased as possible to 
 show himself. Of course, as with children, so with 
 Wanyamwezi porters, we have to make our anger short- 
 lived, and so, when this stalwart old fellow came into 
 camp, I praised him for getting in so soon, gave him a 
 biscuit, and generally made a fuss with him, and, it is a 
 fact, I never had any more trouble with that man. 
 
 About the middle of November the rains began in real 
 earnest, and we were brought face to face with another 
 serious difficulty, this time not scarcity of water, but too
 
 IN DWARF LAND 79 
 
 much of it. If there is one thing an African dislikes 
 more than another it is rain, and our Wanyamwezi porters 
 were no exception to the rule. As soon as ever a shower 
 came on, down went the loads, and away went the porters 
 into huts, under trees, anywhere, out of the rain. Of 
 course the loads didn't matter, they could be left on the 
 roadside ! and beautifully wet our things got. So much 
 so that by the time we got to Nasa many of our clothes 
 were simply rotten and utterly spoilt. Day after day 
 this would happen, and we began to wonder whether we 
 should ever be able to get along. It is true that these 
 poor fellows die like rats if they are exposed much to the 
 rain, and they would sit crouching in the tiny huts of the 
 natives or in bushes by the roadside, and, all wet as they 
 were, they soon got ague and fever, and the best thing 
 we could do was to urge them on. As we entered one 
 house and drove them out they would enter another, and 
 hide on the shady side, hoping not to be detected. Then 
 perhaps the rain would stop, and we would set them 
 going once more, and for an hour or so all would go well, 
 but when the rain comes down again, away they all run, 
 and we give up in despair, and, soaking wet ourselves, 
 creep into one of the filthy huts, full of smoke, which 
 nearly choked us, rats and other vermin abounding. 
 Thus, huddled up together with our naked porters, we 
 " wait till the clouds roll by." 
 
 The Burungi natives are a very fine race of men. 
 They are warlike and bold, and tolerably industrious, for 
 although all around famine was raging, they had plenty 
 of food stored away, and they were very good in selling 
 to our porters. Every morning they would come into 
 our camp bringing all kinds of produce, also sheep, goats, 
 fowls, and eggs, and it was pleasant to stand by and 
 watch the sale proceed. Our porters had but a few trade 
 goods left, having paid exorbitant prices for little bits of
 
 80 m DWARF LAND 
 
 food through the famine-stricken district, and therefore 
 they did their best to cut down the price asked by the 
 Burungi warriors ; but they were not to be had in this 
 way, and they stood upon their dignity, asking a fair 
 price and expecting to get it, and when offered a few 
 inferior beads for a full-grown cockerel the way they 
 would toss their heads and stride away in their dignified 
 manner was most delightful to see. 
 
 Sometimes a large number of the V/arungi would come 
 to our tents and ask to see our various belongings. I think 
 what astonished them most was my Berkefeld filter, to see 
 dirty water transformed into a beautiful clear liquid 
 simply did for them, and was more than they could 
 understand. The camera also was a great wonder in 
 their eyes, and to look through the view finders and see 
 their companions all sitting round was to them most 
 remarkable. My field-glasses also were a source of great 
 amusement, and they never tired of looking at them. 
 
 They are great hunters, using dogs and nets for the 
 smaller game, and digging pits for the larger animals. 
 Their own weapons consist of spears, bows and arrows of 
 a very primitive kind, and they certainly do not excel as 
 iron workers. 
 
 Another incident occurred which greatly amused me. 
 I was some long distance in front of our caravan, accom- 
 panied only by my boy and my faithful little dog Sally, 
 when, as we came to the top of the hill, we suddenly saw 
 a large body of the Burungi warriors in full war-paint 
 racing towards us. I immediately thought that they 
 intended to attack us, and as I stood still I called my 
 little dog to my side and spoke a few words to her, some- 
 thing about " going for them," when she started barking, 
 and charged down upon the warriors, tail in the air. It 
 was a grand sight and worth going to Africa for, to see 
 these warlike men run for their lives, with Sally at their
 
 IN DWARF LAND 81 
 
 heels. Upon inquiry, I found that the warriors were con- 
 ducting a supposed witch back to her hut. She had been 
 charged with the evil eye, and brought before the medicine 
 man, who had made medicine and found her not guilty. 
 They therefore took her and covered her with a kind of 
 white paint from head to foot and were in the act of 
 taking her back to her hut chanting strange warlike 
 hymns, when their course was shghtly altered by reason 
 of meeting with my little dog Sally. But to show the 
 contrast of this little joke when a small army was put 
 to flight by a little dog. These same people, after we 
 left, attacked our head-man K'shimba, and his caravan 
 of about 300 men, killing 20 (so report said) and wounding 
 many others. Not without cause was this attack made, 
 for the usual misconduct of the porters stealing from the 
 villages had brought it about. 
 
 I often used to say that I and my little dog Sally might 
 walk across Africa alone in perfect safety, and undoubtedly 
 where trouble with the natives does happen to a caravan 
 with Europeans in it, it is usually occasioned either by 
 ill feeling between the tribe to which the porters belong 
 and the people through whose country they pass, or else 
 it is caused by the porters making petty robberies from 
 the villages. I have known of exceptions, however, when 
 the European himself has been headstrong and hard with 
 the natives, treating the people with utter indifference and 
 making demands upon them for food, &c. It is then not 
 to be wondered at if the natives do attack the caravan, 
 and if the Em'opean lose his life. If the African is trusted 
 and generally treated as a human being, and not as a 
 lower animal, it is perfectly easy to get on with him, but 
 suspicion or high-handed treatment on the part of the 
 European will always bring disaster in the long run. 
 
 On Monday, November 19th, we reached Irangi, a large 
 settlement consisting of well-built houses and beautiful 
 
 6
 
 82 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 gardens, with an Arab (Bwana Kitangi) as its chief. We 
 were received by the Arab and his followers in great stj^le. 
 He and about thirty others, dressed in their beautiful 
 flowing robes, walked down to the river-side just outside 
 the town to meet us. Such splendour would hardly be 
 thought possible right away there in Central Africa. 
 We shook hands all round, and were conducted by the 
 Governor into his house, while our tents were pitched 
 near his enclosure. In front of his house was a long 
 flagstaff, and the German flag was flying, Bwana Kitangi 
 being in German employ, and placed here at Irangi by 
 the Germans. He took us to the verandah of his house, 
 and regretted that we had not sent him word of our 
 coming, as he would have met us more suitably. In 
 every way he was most polite. 
 
 After a few moments' rest, we went to see to our tents, 
 and then about an hour or more afterwards, while resting, 
 Bwana Kitangi sent to us two trays with a large pot of 
 tea on each, a roast fowl with curry and eggs, and two 
 different kinds of pastry, also some bananas. In the after- 
 noon we all went to see him and to thank him, and as we 
 sat under the verandah of his house he ordered coffee for 
 us, which was served in tiny little bowls holding about 
 half a wineglassful. These were filled several times, and 
 we very much enjoyed it, the coffee being extremely 
 good. 
 
 After we had returned to our tents, he sent us two fat 
 sheep, a lot of sweet potatoes, a bag of native flour, ten 
 sticks of sugar-cane, and a quantity of yams. Each 
 morning we went up to the Governor's house to " told " 
 him "good morning," as our good cook put it, and then 
 he "told" us "good afternoon." Quite a little bit of 
 society life in this wild land. 
 
 Presents followed one upon the other — fruit, consisting 
 of bananas, guavas, &c., and each day a present of pastry.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 83 
 
 We began to feel as if we were running up a big bill, as 
 our friend would expect a large present from us before 
 we left. 
 
 Our tired porters were faring no less sumptuously than 
 we were. Great loads of food were carried into camp 
 every day, and alas! "Pombi" also found its way 
 amongst them. This is a fermented drink made either 
 from the millet seed, or else from the banana. It is a 
 mild intoxicant, but of course the black man has no idea 
 of moderation, they therefore suffered very considerably 
 from intoxication. Especially was this the case with the 
 head-man, who had more money to spend than had the 
 ordinary porter. 
 
 During the few days that we spent at Irangi we had 
 our work cut out to attend to the various sick folk ; not 
 only did many of our porters need treatment, but the 
 people of Irangi also came in large numbers. I had told 
 the Governor that as he had been so kind to us, we should 
 be very pleased to give medicine to any of his people who 
 needed it. He was very delighted, and to my surprise 
 and consternation he put himself into my hands, com- 
 plaining of pains in the shoulders and limbs. From what 
 I could make out (my medical knowledge being very 
 limited) he was suffering from chronic rheumatism, and 
 as he was an elderly man it was of course a difficult case. 
 However, I did my best for him, I need not say here what 
 treatment I used ; suffice it to say, in a few days he 
 declared himself quite well, and seemed most grateful. 
 In consequence of this wonderful cure he sent to me all 
 kinds and conditions of men, women, and little children. 
 Once a chief came, bringing one of his wives suffering 
 from a very bad internal abscess. It was rather a difficult 
 undertaking for me, but I got through in a most pro- 
 fessional manner, and the poor woman was very thankful 
 to be free from pain. This kind of thing was kept up all
 
 84 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 through the daytime and at night ; one was very tired and 
 yet thankful to have been some httle use in alleviating 
 some very few of the sufferers of this great land. 
 
 Some of the cures were rather remarkable considering 
 the ignorance of the physician. One case in particular 
 called forth the admiration of the people. A poor fellow 
 who for weeks had been suffering from dysentery in its 
 advanced stage was brought to me in a very terrible 
 condition, simply a living skeleton and utterly powerless. 
 Naturally I felt very unable to do anything for him, but I 
 did what I could. Day after day he was brought to my 
 tent during our stay at Irangi, and before we left he was 
 so changed that one would hardly know him. The last 
 day he came to me I asked him if he had come for more 
 medicine. " Oh no," he said, " I have come to thank 
 you very much, I am quite well." He then produced a 
 large fowl that he had brought to me as a thank-offering 
 for having recovered from that terrible sickness. 
 
 Some people seem to think that the black man has no 
 gratitude in his nature. I can only say that my own 
 experience leads me absolutely to deny such an idea. 
 There are of course exceptions, but even these can be 
 accounted for according to the custom of the people, but 
 the majority of Africans are most truly grateful for any 
 real kindness shown to them, not in a merely patronising 
 way, but acts of kindness prompted by love always call 
 forth true gratitude from them. 
 
 K'shimba arrived at Irangi on Thursday, the 23rd, and 
 immediately entered most joyfully into the delight of 
 having plenty to eat and, best of all, plenty to drink. 
 The first evening he got into camp he was very drunk. 
 Pike and I found him in the village rolling about and 
 making a great noise. So we took him, one on each side, 
 to his own tent. He went quite willingly, and each time 
 we spoke to him he said, in a drunken voice, "Yesh,"
 
 IN DWARF LAND 85 
 
 which means "Yes," being the only English word he 
 knew. We were more amused with our experience of 
 taking home a drunken nigger than we ought to have 
 been. When we got to his tent he immediately called 
 for his wives to come and entertain us, and he ordered 
 hot water to be brought for tea, and food to be prepared, 
 and was evidently most hospitably inclined, but we 
 excused ourselves, saying we were tired, and came 
 away and left him to sleep off the effects of the in- 
 toxicant. 
 
 The following morning he gave us the true story of his 
 experiences in the forest with the natives of Burungi. 
 He stated that his loss of men amounted to twenty-two 
 killed and ten wounded ; of these thirteen were killed by 
 the people of a village to which they went on the 14th, 
 presumably to buy corn, probably to rob, and who seem to 
 have been mistaken by the villagers for other natives with 
 whom they were at war. Of the remainder, three were 
 loitering at the end of the caravan with their loads next 
 day, and were attacked by the Warungi warriors and 
 speared, but one man managed to overtake the caravan 
 before he died of a ghastly wound between the shoulders, 
 and men were sent back by K'shimba, who rescued the 
 loads before much damage was done, after a short, sharp 
 struggle with the robbers. The remaining six died from 
 want of food and water in the forest, the result, probably, 
 of their own improvidence, for when these people have 
 food they eat away for hours together, although they 
 know perfectly well that they may be unable to procure 
 more food for days to come. 
 
 Before leaving Irangi we had another review of our 
 porters, and all the loads were counted. To our great 
 surprise we found that none of our personal belongings 
 were missing ; K'shimba had done his best, he said, to 
 preserve our private loads, and if a porter deserted or died
 
 86 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 who had been carrying our things, he had given the load 
 to some other man, preferring to leave behind some of 
 Mr. Stokes' cowrie shells rather than call forth denun- 
 ciations from us. "We highly complimented him upon 
 his skill as a head-man, and promised him big presents if 
 we got to Nasa all safe and well. He was very proud 
 and glad to receive our compliments, and especially our 
 promises. The porters themselves were greatly improved 
 by the few days' rest and abundance of food. Some 
 were looking quite fat again, and all seemed eager to 
 press forward. 
 
 "Posho" (food-money) was given out in the shape of 
 cloth to all, and a clear day allowed them in which to buy 
 food for the next few days' journey. K'shimba asked that 
 now, as we had much difficult country to pass through, 
 he might accompany us, and that there should be no 
 splitting up of the caravan. He assured us that where- 
 ever we were there was safety, and it was only when 
 they were alone that the danger was great. We readily 
 agreed, and decided that however much longer it might 
 take to reach our journey's end, it was only right that we 
 should remain as protection to our poor black porters 
 who were carrying our loads. 
 
 We were told by K'shimba that two ways were now 
 open before us, and it was for us to decide by which we 
 should proceed ; one way would take us five days to the 
 border of the Wanyamwezi country, and another month 
 or so to Nasa, but the five days' journey would be through 
 a country the people of which were wild and hostile to 
 Europeans. The other way was much longer, taking a 
 circuitous route of fifteen days through the forest to 
 escape the hostile natives. 
 
 We referred the matter to Bwana Kitangi, the Arab 
 Governor of Irangi, and he told us that he knew yet 
 another road, taking only ten days to Wanyamwezi
 
 IN DWARF LAND 87 
 
 country, with plenty of food and water all the way, and 
 friendly natives. 
 
 We therefore chose most readily this new road. But 
 our many experiences must be related in another 
 chapter.
 
 CHAPTEE V 
 
 THE LAST STAGES 
 
 Farewell to Bwana Kitangi — Rains — Washed out — Floods— Swampy ground 
 — The porter's slave — Sandawi — More troubles — Considered himself a 
 dead man— A hostile people — Turu — Poisonous roots — Christmas Day — 
 The Wanyamwezi country — Sickness — We reach Nera — Meeting with 
 Messrs. Gordon and Nickisson — Carried in a hammock — Arrival at 
 Nasa — Rest at last — Native cloth — Embarkation on Lake — Our canoes 
 — Hippopotami — Ukerewe — Mr. Stokes— A narrow escape — The German 
 Station — The stormy winds do blow — The Wasese — Crocodiles — The 
 last day. 
 
 THE rest which was so welcomed by us at Irangi, 
 came to an end on the 27th of November. We felt 
 very grateful for all the kindness shown to us by the old 
 Arab governor, Bwana Kitangi, and as a mark of our 
 appreciation, we gave him a watch and a quantity of 
 coloured clothes, with both of which he was highly 
 delighted. He was up very early in the morning to see 
 us off, and expressed a wish that we could have stayed 
 longer with him, thanked us for the presents we had 
 given him, and finally bade us farewell. 
 
 Our path led along a dry river bed for some distance, 
 and in the evening of the first day from Irangi we camped 
 on the river bank. Eain came down upon us in the 
 middle of the night with truly frightful force, it seemed 
 as if our little tents would be utterly washed away. This 
 continued till daybreak, and then when we got up and 
 
 88
 
 IN DWARF LAND 89 
 
 looked towards the river we were amazed beyond measure, 
 for the whole of the immense river bed was full of raging, 
 roaring water, which dashed along in great waves like 
 the sea, carrying away trees and vegetation of every 
 description. As our path lay on the opposite bank of 
 the river, we had to wait until the water had gone down 
 a little. 
 
 At this camp a large number of our porters deserted us, 
 and we were consequently delayed, rearranging our loads. 
 Fortunately we had been able to procure a reserve of men 
 from Bwana Kitangi, and the delay therefore was only a 
 short one. 
 
 On again we went, into a thick forest, in which there 
 was an abundance of game of all kinds — elephants, zebra, 
 giraffes, buffalo, and antelope. We were able to supply 
 our larder with many good things. 
 
 The rains troubled us very much the last few weeks, 
 and nearly every day there was a downpour ; our clothes 
 never seemed dry, and it gave one a creepy sensation 
 to be obliged to put on cold, wet clothing in the early 
 dawn. At about eleven o'clock one night I awoke, to 
 find the rain pouring down upon us in sheets. I called 
 to my boys, who were sleeping under a tree, and told 
 them to come into my tent, to lie down on the floor, on 
 which was my ground sheet, and go to sleep, which I 
 also tried to do ; and in spite of the lightning, which 
 kept my tent ablaze with light, just as if the whole 
 forest were on fire, and the thunder, which was like in- 
 cessant artillery close to my ears, I dozed off quite calmly. 
 Not for long, however, for presently I heard the boys 
 talking wildly together, and when I was fully awake I 
 found that the ground on which we were camped was all 
 flooded to the depth of several inches, and the bottom of 
 my tent was like a rushing stream. The two boys were 
 standing in one corner of the tent, shivering, and on my
 
 90 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 bed was my poor little dog Sally, and a monkey that had 
 been given to me at Irangi, both curled up against my 
 legs, their little backs quite wet. We endeavoured to 
 pack everything that would be likely to spoil on to the table 
 and chair, and finally I did what I had never done before, 
 namely, shared my bed with a black man. That is, I 
 allowed my two black boys to curl themselves up at the 
 bottom of my bed, taking up as little room as possible, 
 and then, with my knees up to my chin, I also curled up 
 like a mouse and went to sleep. 
 
 At daybreak I awoke and looked round, and could not 
 help laughing heartily. There were my two boys so much 
 doubled up together that I did not know to which one a 
 prominent leg or arm belonged — sound asleep. There 
 also was my little dog cuddled up with the monkey, both 
 asleep ; and last, but not least, was the rushing stream 
 of water — by no means asleep. Everything, including 
 blankets and clothes, was wet, and, shivering from head 
 to foot, I slipped into my marching "toggery" and we 
 set off. The other Europeans had suffered in much the 
 same way as I had, but fortunately none of us were any 
 the worse for it. 
 
 And now every day we had to battle with fresh diffi- 
 culties occasioned by the rain. Huge districts flooded 
 with water through which we had to wade, or else a 
 tramp of five or six miles through a thick swamp of 
 black, plastic mud with a few inches of water on 
 the top. 
 
 Soon after we had left camp, a few days past Irangi, 
 we came to a great river which had to be crossed. I was 
 preparing to wade, the water being only up to one's waist, 
 when one of the head-men came and offered to carry me 
 across. About half-way he tripped against a hidden tree- 
 stump and rolled backwards, putting me under. I struggled 
 to shore like a drowned rat. After the river came a great
 
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 IN DWARF LAND 91 
 
 plain, which was really a bog of thick, black mud, and 
 extended for a mile or so. I shall not easily forget it. 
 
 The first difficulty in this bog was — the donkey got 
 stuck fast, and it was only by literally carrying the poor 
 beast that we could get it to dry ground at all. It was 
 an awful experience, standing up to our knees in most 
 ojffensive mud ; the rain pouring down upon us with 
 relentless fury ; and a poor donkey hopelessly stuck fast. 
 I too got fixed, and then I could more truly sympathise 
 with the donkey. I sank in the mud up to my thighs 
 and could not stir ; Pike and several of the porters finally 
 dragged me out, but my joints seemed dislocated by the 
 strain. Then, far worse than this, lying in the swamp 
 was a poor fellow, quite dead, with just a green bough of 
 a tree put over his body by a companion. The poor man 
 had apparently struggled on till he dropped. As we looked 
 upon that corpse by the roadside with the green bough 
 over it, I think I never before realised what a solemn 
 thing Death is. Alone, that soul had passed through the 
 dark valley, so truly dark to him. Alone ! passed from 
 this world of sorrow ; and as I looked at the newly bud- 
 ding branch, one could only pray that this might be a 
 bright simile of what it was with him, a birth into a better 
 life. The winter of his darkness over, the springtime come. 
 As we passed the body a large black adder glided from 
 beside it and disappeared into the bush. 
 
 We next came upon a poor boy, a porter's slave, who 
 carried a small load of cooking pots for his master, lying 
 in the mud in a dying state. We gave him what food we 
 had and tried to urge him on, but it was useless. Finally 
 we took his load and carried it ourselves, and I think I 
 never fully sympathised with our porters until I had that 
 small load of cooking pots on my shoulder ; but the boy 
 could not even walk then, so we gave the load to one of our 
 boys and then took it in turns to carry the poor little slave.
 
 92 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 At last we got through the swamp and found one of the 
 donkeys waiting for us, so we put the boy on its back, 
 and finally reached camp more dead than alive. We all 
 decided that another day like that would be the end of us. 
 
 On December 5th we reached Sandawi, a large populous 
 district, the people of which were friendly and had plenty 
 of food. But alas! alas! our troubles had not ceased; 
 there are more sad stories to tell. 
 
 K'shimba came to us in great excitement and said that 
 one of our boys had just come into camp with a great 
 quantity of food that he must have stolen. He had five 
 fowls and a great lot of corn, and as he had a very little 
 cloth for bartering purposes, it was plain he had stolen 
 the things. Two others had been out with him, and they 
 had returned to camp loaded with all kinds of good things. 
 They readily admitted that they had stolen them. The case 
 of the boy was, of course, the worst. His master had trusted 
 him, and we all liked him, but he had gone about his thefts 
 so deliberately that we found that it was not the first time. 
 He had received permission from his master to go and 
 buy food, and he immediately went into one of our tents, 
 took up a gun that he found there, and as we afterwards 
 discovered, he went off to the villages round about and 
 said that the Europeans of the big caravan had sent him 
 to demand food; and in their fear the people gave what 
 they could. He was publicly punished very severely, and 
 also the two porters who had accompanied him. His 
 master also reduced his position to that of donkey boy. 
 
 Late the same night K'shimba came to us again, this 
 time bringing one of the under head-men, who had been 
 stealing. He was a man we had all liked because of his 
 pleasant though somewhat forward manner. As a head- 
 man he should have been an example for good conduct to 
 the rest of the caravan, and have done what he could to 
 prevent stealing : and this was therefore considered a very
 
 IN DWARF LAND 93 
 
 bad case, and thirty strokes were awarded as a punish- 
 ment, in full view of the whole caravan. The stolen 
 property was collected and given back to the natives. 
 
 About nightfall of the second day at Sandawi a porter 
 came in with a severe spear wound on his head and 
 thigh, saying that he went to a village to buy food and 
 the people took his cloth from him ; and when he tried 
 to recover it again they stabbed him with a spear. 
 K'shimba and our whole caravan were highly indignant 
 at this grievous insult, and declared that they would go 
 off and fight the people and burn the village down. 
 We restrained them with some difficulty, for we ourselves 
 suspected that the man had been trying to steal, and 
 had been speared in the act, and had only received his 
 rich deserts. 
 
 An investigation was made, and the culprit who 
 speared the man was brought to us. He said that he 
 had been out hunting, and upon his return he found his 
 house had been robbed of corn by some of our porters ; 
 and when one of them came a little while afterwards 
 asking to buy food, he decided to keep his cloth, and 
 he speared the man to make him give it up. He 
 was afterwards told by the other villagers that there 
 were four Europeans in the caravan, and he was fright- 
 ened at what he had done and let the man go. He 
 described to us most graphically how he already con- 
 sidered himself a dead man, and how the head-man 
 of the village had sent him to be punished before we 
 should fight them, and how the people crowded round 
 him, mourning and bewailing his expected death. "But," 
 said he, " when I go back alive, they will all be 
 angry with me for making trouble." The chief gave 
 five goats to the man who had been wounded, and so 
 the matter ended, but our sympathies were quite with 
 the accused.
 
 94 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 Again K'shimba had a difficulty ; he came to us at 
 night with three of the head-men, all carrying their guns, 
 and said that one of his sons together with four others 
 had gone off to buy food a few days before, and they 
 had not been heard of since; and K'shimba declared 
 that they must have been killed by the natives from 
 whom things had been stolen, so he wished to kill the 
 porters who had been stealing, to revenge the death of his 
 son. We pointed out to him that they had already been 
 punished, and told him not to think any more about it. 
 He certainly did not seem to feel the loss of his son very 
 keenly. When a man has sixty children, as he says he 
 has, one less or more can make but little difference. 
 K'shimba's threat to kill the porters who had been 
 stealing, somehow or other became known to the caravan, 
 and several of the culprits, including the head-man who 
 had been beaten, made off during the night, so we were 
 again reduced in numbers, and more shells belonging to 
 Mr. Stokes had to be left behind, so that the porters 
 might carry on our things, which were of the first 
 importance. 
 
 In the middle of the night of December 4th an alarm 
 was given. K'shimba again came running to our tents 
 carrying his gun, and drew our attention to a peculiar cry 
 or shout, apparently about a mile away, which he said 
 came from some of the porters in danger. He called 
 out some command, and at once the various head-men 
 appeared before him armed to the teeth with guns and 
 spears. It was a great surprise to us to see them come 
 so promptly, in answer to their chief's call, for it was 
 raining heavily at the time and was very dark. He next 
 sent these off in fives, in various directions, and in the 
 meantime the cries were getting nearer, and we certainly 
 did not think they proceeded from men in much danger. 
 After a time we heard the head-men coming back, chanting
 
 IN DWARF LAND 95 
 
 something which sounded rather pretty, and as they ap- 
 proached us, we could see by the hght of the camp fire 
 that they were dancing and brandishing their weapons, 
 and the crowd standing around us caught the enthusiasm 
 and began to sing and dance too. At a word from 
 K'shimba they were all quiet. This was their war-song 
 and dance. They had brought back two men who had 
 been making cries, one of them being K'shimba's son 
 who was supposed to have been murdered, and who 
 said that they had been to buy food, and at one village 
 they were captured and tied up as thieves, and threat- 
 ened with death, but they had escaped. Of course the 
 great K'shimba made a few remarks about going to 
 fight the people who had dared to tie up two Wanyam- 
 wezi warriors, but soon altered his mind ; and I do not 
 think there was much fight in them for all their war- 
 dances. 
 
 Our march on December 11th was much delayed by a 
 long consultation between K'shimba and ourselves, and 
 the chief of the village we had left the day before. A 
 message had come from the people of the district Turu, 
 which we were to enter the following day, to the effect 
 that they would not let us go that way, but were prepared 
 to fight us if we attempted it. To avoid their country we 
 should have been obliged to go a long way round, adding 
 five days to our journey, and taking us through unin- 
 habited parts ; as the men were already short of food, it 
 would have been a serious matter, and in all probability 
 we should have lost a number of our men. Finally the 
 chief of the village we had just left, agreed to go and 
 persuade the people of Taru to let us pass. On his 
 return he bade us, in the name of the Turu people, to 
 enter their country without fear, and so we started. We 
 took every precaution to keep the caravan together as the 
 path led through a thick jungle, and we feared treachery.
 
 96 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 Presently we emerged from the jungle and at once saw 
 a great extent of country thickly covered with villages, 
 large and small. We made our way towards one of 
 the largest of these, and here we only saw the armed 
 warriors and none of the women. After a little while 
 they grew friendly, and by interpretation we were able 
 to chat with the chief and he was quite pleased, and 
 brought us presents of corn and flour, as a proof of 
 his friendship. They told us we were the first white 
 people they had ever seen and they therefore greatly 
 feared us. The chief informed us that he had received 
 a message from a native a few days before, telling him 
 that four white men were coming to fight him, but 
 that if he would send two tusks of ivory to him he 
 would be able to stop them from coming. This he had 
 done, but the white men had come for all that. We were 
 much struck by the appearance of this race of people, 
 tall, active-looking men, with most intelligent faces. 
 V Their dress (or undress) was peculiar, and seemed to 
 consist of a few bracelets on their arms. All the women 
 wore large ornaments in the lobes of their ears, and also 
 a few of the men. There was an abundance of food in 
 this district, and all the time we were there the natives 
 were bringing supplies into camp which the porters bought 
 with their " posho " cloth. 
 
 We had several hunting expeditions while the porters 
 collected food for themselves, and we were fairly successful. 
 
 A number of the porters died at this place from eating 
 a poisonous root that they gathered in the district. We 
 warned them when we saw them eating it, but it was of 
 no avail, and in one day eight men died and several 
 became alarmingly ill. They told us that it was a root 
 that made them strong for work, and better able to 
 march. Alas ! it proved too strong for them. 
 
 At Mongula, a large town that we reached on December
 
 rSAGAKA (JLEEX. 
 
 VlJlM. UMKILII. 
 
 To face page ^/^.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 97 
 
 23rd, we left behind fifty-five loads, so as to be able to 
 proceed more quickly to Nasa. 
 
 Christmas Day came and went as any other day, 
 excepting that we devoured a plum pudding brought 
 out from England by one of our party, but it was a 
 sorry dinner party. We tried to look happy, but it was 
 almost a failure. Our tents were pitched inside a 
 large village which had a rough sort of stockade all 
 round it, and it was well for us that we did pitch them 
 there, for all kinds of wild beasts roamed about at night. 
 Our constant visitors were wild sort of people who sat 
 and gazed upon us with the utmost astonishment. 
 They told us they had never seen white people before. 
 These were our surroundings on Christmas Day. All 
 four of us were a little unwell, and the strain of the 
 journey and the privations which we had so long been 
 suffering, were beginning to tell upon us ; and we each 
 had constant attacks of fever, dysentery, &c. Even on 
 Christmas Day we were obliged to march, although it 
 was only for two hours ; the constant stoppages seemed 
 to demoralise our porters, the inevitable result being 
 that they would go off to the villages, stealing whatever 
 they could lay their hands upon. 
 
 We had to cross several huge plains after leaving 
 Mongula, and upon these roamed game of various kinds. 
 It was upon one of these plains that I saw a great many 
 rhinoceros ; ostriches also in large numbers ; buffalo 
 and antelope ; but the spirit was getting knocked out 
 of us, and we no longer cared to go off hunting after 
 a long, weary march during the heat of the day. 
 Walking before the caravan we often came close up with 
 zebra and antelope, and then a shot or two was fired, 
 but it usually meant that we did not leave the path to 
 follow up the wounded game; and unless the animals were 
 shot in a vital part to cause instant death, nothing resulted. 
 
 7
 
 89 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 On one of the plains of which I have spoken there was 
 a quantity of water, and for several hours we were 
 wading through this, sometimes up to our knees, and 
 in the middle, right up to our waists. The water 
 seemed to be the result of a flood, for it was very muddy 
 and did not rise above the top of the long spear-grass, 
 and the bottom was very soft and slippery, which made 
 walking very difficult, and many a struggle we had to 
 keep our perpendicular. 
 
 For our porters, of course, it was far more trying, for 
 they had been in the habit of resting every half-hour or 
 oftener, and now to have to walk on and on for close upon 
 four hours through water without any rest was more than 
 we expected them to be able to accomplish. Our greatest 
 fear was lest they should slip and let our precious loads 
 into the water, but with one exception all came through 
 without a soaking. 
 
 As soon as we were on dry land again we called 
 a halt and rested for half an hour, and then proceeded 
 to camp, another two hours further on. There was 
 no village, and we pitched our tents on the open plain. 
 
 The New Year was ushered in by a great thunderstorm, 
 which seemed to burst upon us in fury. Such a deluge 
 of rain I had never seen ; the whole surrounding country 
 was soon under water, and the small streams became 
 rushing rivers. Two of us were down with fever, and 
 we still had a long way to go, and to cross the now 
 swollen rivers was by no means an easy task. Sometimes 
 balancing ourselves upon a tree that had fallen across 
 the stream, at others holding on to some kind nigger who 
 tried to help us, and yet again wading breast-high into 
 the swollen tide — none of these things tended to improve 
 our state of health, and it became very serious. 
 
 We reached Kakora on the 3rd of January, and here 
 more of our men deserted. We were then on the out-
 
 NATIVE LOOM, L■SUK^^^A. 
 
 ' ■•■II 
 
 .^«^' 
 
 
 I. Hi II' OK NKK'A AM) WIVKS. 
 
 To face page 98.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 99 
 
 skirts of the Wanyamwezi country, and this accounted 
 for it. The district was thickly populated, and K'shimba 
 did his best to secure fresh men to take their places. 
 
 But at this place I began to lose interest in everything ; 
 life seemed a burden, fever burning the spirit out of me. 
 I was too feeble to walk. Fortunately my donkey was 
 still in the land of the living, and he carried me along 
 many a weary mile. My companions too were in a 
 similar condition to myself, and we did all we could to 
 help each other. 
 
 On January 9th letters came to us from Messrs. 
 Nickisson and Gordon, C.M.S. missionaries, stationed at 
 Nasa, at the south of the Victoria Lake, saying that 
 they were coming to meet us, and we expected to see 
 them the next day. 
 
 When we got to Nera, which turned out to be 
 K'shimba's native place, great crowds of gaudily dressed 
 women came rushing to meet our head-man and the few 
 surviving porters. There was great rejoicing. Alas ! we 
 could not enter into it, and heartily wished that the 
 yelling crowds would disperse and leave us in peace. 
 K'shimba brought us his wives to gaze upon, a comely 
 set of women, about ten in all, but far too noisy for our 
 shattered nerves that day. The chief of Nera and all his 
 attendants also came to visit us, and presented us with 
 various gifts of good things. He did not impress us as 
 being a very intelligent specimen of humanity, nor did 
 his wives, who accompanied him ; but perhaps it was 
 through ignorance of native character that we failed to 
 see their good qualities. 
 
 It was January 10th at noonday that once more we 
 looked an Enghshman in the face. It was a great treat 
 again to see white faces and to feel that our journey was 
 now nearly over. Messrs. Gordon and Nickisson, accord- 
 ing to their promise, met us at Nera, and at once attended
 
 100 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 to those of us who were sick, and continually contrived 
 some new scheme for our comfort. 
 
 I was put into a hammock and carried the rest of the 
 way; the others either rode donkeys or were likewise 
 carried. It was only four days' march from Nera to 
 Nasa, but it seemed to us the longest part of the journey. 
 Every movement or jolt of the hammock in which I lay 
 caused me frightful pain, as with parched lips and throb- 
 bing head I was trotted along on the backs of two 
 stalwart Wanyamwezi porters. Once they dropped me, 
 but it seemed delightful to again reach solid earth, and I 
 rolled over in my hammock and went to sleep, only to be 
 aroused by the constant bump of the hammock as the 
 carriers changed the pole, on which it was slung, from 
 shoulder to shoulder. 
 
 But rest came at last, thank God ! No one ever needed 
 it more than we did. We were sick and tired of camp 
 life, our provisions were running very short, and the con- 
 stant worry with the porters had driven all the pluck out 
 of us. I was told by K'shimba that out of the five 
 hundred porters who started from Zanzibar with us, 
 not more than twenty-five arrived at Nasa. Many had 
 deserted, and many, alas ! had died, and the greatest 
 wonder was that ever we reached Nasa at all. But get 
 there we did, and I shall not soon forget the feeling of 
 real rest when I was lifted from my hammock and gently 
 laid upon a comfortable bed in a nice clean house in the 
 Mission compound at Nasa, and at first I almost wept 
 with delight at the strange sensation of comfort. But I 
 was soon fast asleep, absolutely content to sleep on. 
 
 The Mission premises at Nasa are stationed about a 
 mile from the lake shore, and command a most extensive 
 and magnificent view of the lake and surrounding country. 
 There are three European houses, a church, kitchens, and 
 outhouses, all substantially built of "wattle and daub."
 
 IN DWARF LAND 101 
 
 A beautiful garden in front of the buildings supplied the 
 occupants of the station with fresh vegetables and fruit. 
 At the back was a large cow kraal, and there were plenty 
 of cows. Oh, the luxury of fresh milk to us who for three 
 and a half months had been living upon tinned milk of a 
 very inferior quality ! 
 
 I am afraid that while we were at Nasa we caused our 
 good friends, Messrs. Gordon, Nickisson,* and Hubbard,* 
 much trouble in nursing us. The leader of our caravan, 
 Bev. A. J. Pike, after suffering from fever and other slight 
 but none the less trying complaints, had a very severe 
 attack of rheumatism, which rendered him quite helpless. 
 Eev. G. K. Blackledge and Mr. Lewin had considerably 
 recovered from their indisposition upon their arrival at 
 Nasa, and a few days' rest put them all right. Personally 
 I suffered a great deal, for even when I had got rid of the 
 fever and dysentery, pleurisy again laid me low. 
 
 Yet in spite of all the worry we must have caused our 
 brethren by our constant need of attention, with true 
 Christian brotherly kindness they did everything in their 
 power to help us, and never once complained. On 
 February 1st two of our number were able to proceed 
 across the lake by canoe to Uganda — Eev. A. J. Pike and 
 Mr. Lewin. I was still too unwell to be moved, and Mr. 
 Blackledge kindly offered to wait until I was sufficiently 
 recovered to make the journey across. 
 
 During my stay at Nasa I had an opportunity of 
 examining some of the cloth made by the natives with 
 their own loom. I was surprised to find of what com- 
 paratively good quality it was, and, considering the rough 
 instruments that had been used, it was difficult to under- 
 stand how it was possible to get such good results. The 
 whole process is done by hand, and requires immense 
 patience, but as a rule an African is not deficient in that 
 
 • Nickisson died June 28, 1896 ; Hubbard died March 9, 1897.
 
 102 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 quality ; time is nothing to him ; to-morrow or next 
 year are as good as to-day, and if you worry him he 
 will often reply, "The whole of my life is before me." 
 
 On February 19th I was well enough to start, and 
 although I had to be carried down to the boat on 
 account of excessive weakness, I soon regained strength 
 while on that magnificent inland sea, the Victoria 
 Nyanza. Five canoes were procured for us. They were 
 of very different construction from what one expected. 
 Instead of the ordinary African dug-out canoe, which 
 hitherto we had seen, there was a large, well-shaped 
 craft varying from 15 to 50 feet in length by 3 to 5 
 feet beam — long planks neatly sewn together with a 
 tough creeper that grows on the lake shores. The keel 
 is composed of a solid piece of wood carved into shape, 
 and protruding some 6 feet in the bow of the boat. 
 Upon this are fixed the horns of some antelope, and 
 a quantity of plaited grass to give an ornamental 
 appearance to the whole. They were painted red, and 
 were decidedly fine-looking boats. They were propelled 
 by a number of boatmen with small paddles with leaf- 
 shaped blades ; some of the boats contained twenty or 
 even thirty boatmen ; and we were much surprised at 
 the great speed that could be attained. 
 
 Into the stern of the boat were placed our hammock 
 chairs, and with an umbrella to shade us from the sun, 
 nothing could have been more pleasant to us who had 
 been toiling along over hill and dale for three and a half 
 weary months. Being the rainy season, we had constant 
 storms : and they always came on so suddenly that we 
 had to be most careful not to get too far from land, for 
 although in calm water the canoes are seaworthy enough, 
 when the waves begin to dash with violence against them 
 they are most unsafe ; it is not at all an uncommon 
 thing for these canoes to break to pieces. It will easily
 
 IN DWARF LAND 103 
 
 be seen that the fibre which holds the planks of the 
 canoe together must get rotten in time, and if it gives 
 way, the whole thing tumbles to pieces at once. 
 
 The boatmen were Wasese, and live on the islands to 
 the north of the lake ; they were most kind and attentive 
 to us, and did all they could for our comfort, especially 
 for me during my weakness. There is a kind heart 
 beats under the dark skin of many an African ; low and 
 degraded as he may be in his habits of life, his manhood 
 will come out, and will easily be seen by those who look 
 for it. I have been both surprised and delighted to find 
 this true. There was a time when I did not believe an 
 African capable of any kind of goodness ; I was sadly 
 mistaken, and I am glad I have lived to find out my 
 mistake. He is not appealed to by rough blows and 
 hard words, these only make him the more a savage, but 
 he is softened and moved by kindness and his own heart 
 reciprocates it ; and happy is the traveller in Africa 
 who learns this lesson, before he has steeled himself 
 against it. 
 
 The boxes of provisions needed for the voyage were 
 taken with us in our canoes, while the rest were left to 
 follow later on in other boats. Each day we started 
 about 6 a.m. and pitched our tents on some island of the 
 lake about 3 p.m. in the afternoon. The scenery was 
 magnificent, some of the islands being thick with tropical 
 vegetation, while others were wild and rocky and desolate 
 looking, but each had a grandeur of its own. 
 
 There were great numbers of water-fowl on the lake, 
 and we lived almost entirely upon them. Spur-winged 
 geese, Egyptian geese, and small black and white ducks 
 abounded, and we were fortunate enough to shoot 
 sufficient for our need. Black and white " divers " went 
 about in clouds ; we also saw pelicans, egrets, cranes, and 
 numerous species of water-hens. Crocodiles basking on
 
 104 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 the rocks in the sun, and huge hippopotami floundering 
 about in the water, frequently putting their great ugly 
 snouts out of the water to gaze at us as we passed. 
 The boatmen are afraid of them, and they told us that 
 there was great danger of a hippopotamus charging down 
 upon the boat with open mouth ; and they had been 
 known to bite the canoe in two. 
 
 Our first camp was at Nafa, a small island near the 
 mouth of Speke gulf. The people were not particularly 
 friendly, but did not tft-ouble us, as we left in the early 
 morning for Ukerewe, It was at this place that 
 Mr. Stokes, the English trader, had his headquarters. 
 A splendid house built of burnt bricks facing the 
 lake, the grounds beautifully laid out with European 
 vegetables. 
 
 The caretaker kindly allowed us to spend the night in 
 the house, and I was shown into Mr. Stokes' own room 
 and slept upon his bed. It was a strange coincidence 
 that just about that time Mr. Stokes, away there in the 
 Congo Free State, met with his death at the hands of 
 inhuman men, for, to put the matter in as mild a form 
 as possible, his execution by the Belgians was an act of 
 inhuman cruelty. For a solitary Englishman to be 
 murdered by another European, right away in the very 
 heart of Africa, with no proper trial, and but a mock 
 investigation into the charges made against him, appears 
 to me to be one of the most dastardly deeds that could be 
 perpetrated by a civilised being. I believe Mr. Stokes 
 was an honest trader, legitimately procuring the ivory 
 from the country, he was thoroughly respected by the 
 natives wherever he went, and one never heard him 
 spoken unkindly of by any one. The fact is, in that part 
 of the country there were two opposite forces at work ; 
 both were traders ; the one procured his ivory by fair and 
 honourable means, the other simply got it at any cost
 
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 IN DWARF LAND 105 
 
 whatever to the poor sable son of Africa, and one cannot 
 but suggest that jealousy was at the bottom of that 
 atrocious act, which stirred up so much indignation in 
 England and elsewhere. 
 
 It is well known that the Belgian officer on the Congo 
 is simply a commission agent, who, for every pound of 
 ivory and every pound of rubber, gets a percentage, and 
 there are many unscrupulous fellows who are sent out as 
 officers of the State who will not let anything stand in 
 their way of procuring these things. Hence, if an honest 
 trader comes upon the scene, the natives gladly bring to 
 him their ivory, &c., knowing that they will get a fair 
 equivalent for it, and thus jealousy is caused. 
 
 On the island of Ukerewe are great numbers of snakes. 
 While there I saw several, and one very large one was 
 killed a few weeks before which took four men to carry. 
 It was a large boa-constrictor, and, although its bite is 
 not poisonous, its strength is so great as to crush the 
 life out of the strongest. 
 
 We had one rather narrow escape after we left 
 Ukerewe. The water was a little rough, and a strong 
 wind was blowing. Our boatmen begged us not to 
 proceed that day, but we insisted upon doing so. We 
 had to cross a large expanse of water to get again to 
 the mainland, and when about half way a regular 
 hurricane came on. The boatmen lost heart and threw 
 down their paddles, and cried, " Oh, we're dead ; we're 
 dead ! " The water was beginning to rush into the 
 boat, and it seemed as if the tremendous force of the 
 waves dashing against the canoe would soon break it 
 to pieces. It was only by picking up the paddles, and 
 putting them to rather different purposes than those for 
 which they were originally intended, that I was able at 
 last to make the men realise that there was still a 
 chance. After receiving from me a smart whack or two,
 
 106 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 they seized their own paddles once more and pulled for 
 all they were worth, making for the shore, which was but 
 a few miles distant, although it was only occasionally that 
 we got a glimpse of it on account of the blinding rain. 
 When at last we got to shore our boat was nearly half 
 full of water. 
 
 On the 24th of February we camped on an island 
 called Nswaswa, a most lovely spot. It receives its 
 name from the water lizard, and the whole island seemed 
 alive with these creatures. They are quite harmless, 
 and are much appreciated by the Wasese as a luxurious 
 dainty. The island was absolutely uninhabited, and only 
 about a mile in diameter, but is one of the prettiest of 
 them all. 
 
 From Nswaswa we had four days' row to the German 
 station on the west of the lake, called Bukoba. The 
 houses of the Europeans were by far the most sub- 
 stantial and the best built of any that we had seen in 
 Africa. All were built of bricks and were very lofty, well- 
 ventilated places. They were enclosed by a high brick 
 wall with loopholes and windows, at the four corners of 
 which were bastions for seven pounders and Maxims, 
 making it an almost impregnable position. We were 
 
 kindly received by the officer in charge, Lieut. E , 
 
 and by Dr. M , the medical officer of the station. 
 
 The soldiers employed were drawn from many nationali- 
 ties — Soudanese, Manyema, Wasukuma, Wanyamwezi, 
 and a few Swahili. They were a fine set of men, well 
 drilled and nicely equipped with brown kaki uniforms and 
 leather accoutrements. 
 
 The officer in charge asked us to put up in one of the 
 houses in the fort, but as we wished to start early in the 
 morning we declined to do so. However, we dined with 
 the officers, and a right jovial meal we had together. 
 Before dinner Lieut. R gave us an exhibition of
 
 WASESE FISHERMEN. 
 
 IJI'.AI) IIII'IMII'OT AMI'S. 
 
 To face f"gc lofi.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 107 
 
 pistol shooting which impressed us very much. At forty 
 yards he hit a 6-in. bull three times out of four, and 
 repeated the feat several times. He also showed us his 
 various trophies of the chase, including a fine collection 
 of rhinoceros' and antelopes' horns. There were also 
 some parrots, a chained eagle, and a few species of wild 
 fowl in the fort. And of course the inevitable monkey 
 and the scavenger dog. 
 
 Very early the following morning we were all aroused 
 by a terrific gale. Our tents were pitched by the lake 
 shore and the pegs were driven into the sand, and when 
 the stormy winds began to blow with all their fury our 
 tents swayed about in such a manner as to make us 
 expect to be blown away. I jumped out of bed and clung 
 to my tent-pole with all the strength I could command; 
 peg after peg gave way, and disaster seemed inevitable. 
 I never experienced anything like the violence of this 
 storm. My companion's tent could not withstand it, and 
 down it came, exposing the poor sleepy occupant to the 
 rain and wind. 
 
 The boys very readily helped to hold up my tent and 
 rebuild Blackledge's. After about half an hour the 
 storm abated. Never shall I forget that day : thunder 
 and lightning such as I had never before thought pos- 
 sible ; wind and rain such as one had never dreamed of. 
 
 March 2nd brought us to the first of the Sese Islands, 
 and we then found how thoroughly kind-hearted the 
 Wasese are. They brought us all sorts of presents, and 
 did not even wait to receive anything in return. One 
 man, chief of a small island, gave me a large goat and a 
 great quantity of food. I asked him how it was he could 
 afford such a big present. He simply said : " You are 
 one of the great white masters and you will need the 
 food." To all strangers it is the same with the Wasese ; 
 they are not wealthy and only exist by their fishing,
 
 108 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 but for all that they are most kind and hospitable to 
 visitors. 
 
 On one of the Sese Islands I had rather a startling 
 adventure. I v^as walking by the shore gathering some 
 very pretty flowers, when my eye was arrested by some 
 movement in one of the bushes about fifty yards from 
 the water. I went up to the bush and peeped in, thinking 
 it might be a water lizard or some kind of bird. I pressed 
 forward right into the bush, when suddenly there rushed 
 out upon me a huge crocodile with mouth wide open. I 
 jumped on one side only just in time, and then it made 
 off down to the water. These horrible reptiles do constant 
 damage amongst the inhabitants of the island ; at one 
 place I visited a man was taken from the bank and never 
 heard of or seen again, and the next day a cow also was 
 dragged down into the water by a crocodile and lost. 
 
 On March 6th we arrived at Ntebe, which was then 
 the headquarters of the military forces of Uganda ; from 
 this place to Mengo is twenty-three miles by road, and 
 would take about two days by boat. We made up our 
 minds to proceed by boat, starting at about 12.30, mid- 
 night, to arrive in Mengo the next day at noon. We got 
 up and had breakfast, pulled our tents down and packed 
 up, and then began to hunt up the boatmen. To our 
 astonishment we found they had disappeared. We 
 searched about in the cold, looking everywhere, and 
 were beginning to give up all hope of starting before 
 dawn when my head boatman came to me and, in a most 
 miserable tone, told me we should all die in the night. 
 I laughed at him and ordered him to fetch the men, and 
 then bundled into the boat. It was then an hour before 
 dawn, and was very dark and a sky like ink, and on the 
 horizon before us was a cloud which told of a severe storm 
 coming up. We had not gone far when it burst in all its 
 fury upon us. The boat in which I was had been very
 
 IN DWARF LAND 109 
 
 shaky during the voyage and so we immediately put into 
 a small uninhabited island. I jumped out on to land, 
 having a lantern with me, and discovered a little cave 
 where we could shelter from the rain. I crept in and 
 was about to sit down upon what appeared to me to be 
 a large boulder, when I saw the boulder move, and up 
 jumped a hippopotamus. It nearly knocked me over in 
 its headlong flight to the water, into which it disappeared. 
 The storm passed over and we passed on, and by twelve 
 o'clock noon we were at Munyonyo, the port for Mengo.
 
 PART II 
 
 UGANDA. THE SOUDANESE WAR 
 CHAPTEE VI 
 
 UGANDA 
 
 Our entrance into Mengo — The four hills of Mengo — Kampala — The British 
 Government of Uganda — Troubles from without — Missionary occupa- 
 tions — Native customs — The Waganda — Woman's position — Mission- 
 ary efforts — Loyalty of the native Christians — Medical work — The 
 chief dresser — Native industries — Iron-working — Wood-working — 
 Pottery — Basket work — The bark cloth — The native market — Efforts 
 to catch zebra. 
 
 MENGO, the capital of Uganda, is about seven miles 
 from the lake shore, and this would have been rather 
 a stiff walk for one who had so lately recovered from fever 
 and pleurisy. Fortunately our requirements had been 
 anticipated, and a pony, belonging to the notorious king 
 Mwanga, was brought to me with his permission. I 
 was delighted to have this assistance into Mengo. As 
 we approached the capital we were much impressed by its 
 imposing position and by the good style of the native 
 houses. Those we had seen on our journey up-country had 
 been of such a very inferior type, but these were fine, lofty 
 dwellings, with beautiful fences built all round them, 
 enclosing the gardens. They were constructed with the 
 
 110
 
 IN DWARF LAND 111 
 
 reeds from the tiger grass, which grows in great abundance 
 in the country, and thatched with the coarse spear grass 
 called " senki." The roads were wide and well kept, 
 with a fence on either side. 
 
 The capital is built upon four distinct hills, called 
 respectively Mengo, Rubaga, Namirembe, and Kampala. 
 Mengo being the hill upon which the king's house is 
 built, the capital takes its name from that. Rubaga 
 is the hill on which stands the Roman Catholic Mission ; 
 Namirembe, the Protestant Mission ; and Kampala, the 
 Government fort. 
 
 The king's house, or perhaps we should say palace, is 
 a large two-storied building, made entirely of reeds, and 
 thatched with grass. At the back are the houses of his 
 wives, and in a separate enclosure those of his pages and 
 other dependants. 
 
 The whole crest of the hill is surrounded by a huge 
 reed fence, some 15 feet high, forming a complete circle. 
 This fence is perhaps two and a half miles in length, and 
 it contains various entrances to the king's enclosure, or 
 Lubiri as it is called, each one being guarded by a couple 
 of men who act as sentries, and whose little huts are built 
 just outside the large fence. 
 
 Rubaga used to be the hill occupied by the King of 
 Uganda, but when he left, and built on Mengo hill, the 
 French Roman Catholic priests took up their abode 
 there, and they have erected a very beautiful station ; a 
 high brick wall, or fort, surrounds the whole. 
 
 On Namirembe, which is the highest of the four hills, 
 the Church Missionary Society in Uganda has its head- 
 quarters, consisting of a large, imposing church or 
 cathedral built on the summit, and a number of reed 
 houses scattered about the hill, which are occupied by 
 the missionaries. 
 
 The Cathedral from the outside has the appearance of
 
 112 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 a large barn, and inside that of a pine forest, there being 
 about three hundred poles supporting the roof. It is by 
 no means an elaborate building, but answers its purpose, 
 providing room for about three thousand five hundred 
 people, and the natives of Uganda are not slow in avail- 
 ing themselves of the privilege of attending the services ; 
 the building is generally quite full on Sunday mornings, 
 and during the week a good average attendance is 
 maintained. 
 
 Around the Cathedral are built several smaller churches 
 or schools, each one large enough to hold five hundred 
 people, and in these the classes are held. In 1894 the 
 large church was blown down during a great storm that 
 swept over the country ; but a new one was at once 
 started, and ultimately completed by the Katikiro, or 
 prime minister of the country, he being a native of 
 the finest type and a man of great power as a statesman 
 or chief, and above all as a Christian. 
 
 The missionaries' houses, although plain and unosten- 
 tatious, are nevertheless comfortable ; each man has his 
 own house and small garden. A large two-storied house 
 was in the course of construction upon our arrival, and 
 when we inquired its purpose we were told it was for a 
 party of Enghsh ladies who were expected to arrive 
 towards the end of the year, and indeed they did so on 
 October 4th, a noble band of women, who ever since 
 have been working most devotedly amongst their dark 
 sisters. 
 
 Kampala hill is the smallest of the four, but for all that 
 is of the greatest importance, and at the top is the fort, 
 which has now become almost historic. At the time of 
 our arrival there was no fort at all, nothing but a rough 
 stockade enclosing the houses of the Commissioner and 
 the officers in charge. 
 
 On the eastern slopes of the hill were the Soudanese
 
 IN DWARF LAND 113 
 
 quarters ; on the north, the encampments of the traders, 
 &c. ; and on the west was the large drill ground, where 
 each morning would be seen about three hundred stalwart 
 Soudanese soldiers, performing their drill. 
 
 Kampala is the busiest of all places in Mengo — caravans 
 coming and going every day ; a labour bureau in full 
 working order, where hundreds of natives flock to seek 
 employment. Here one also sees the Swahili and Arab 
 traders bartering their goods for the ivory brought in by 
 the Waganda, and all is bustle and stir. Just inside the 
 stockade was a large house called the Baraza ; there every 
 week the king with his parliament met the British Com- 
 missioner to talk over and arrange the affairs of the 
 state. 
 
 The British Government of Uganda is undoubtedly on 
 the right lines ; it is distinctly a civil government, and 
 the "powers that be" already in the country are not 
 ignored, but controlled and used. The consequence is 
 that each chief has become a man of much more im- 
 portance since the occupation by the British than he ever 
 was before. He is respected by the British ofiticers, and 
 trusted to do his duty, and until he proves himself in- 
 capable of controlling the district allotted to him by the 
 king he retains his chieftainship. 
 
 The native government of Uganda forms an excellent 
 base upon which the British can work. The king is 
 controlled by twelve big chiefs, called Masaza, and he 
 can do nothing without their agreement. Therefore the 
 Government, working in conjunction with this assembly 
 of chiefs, by tact and good management can rule the 
 whole country, and it is well to bear in mind that the 
 troubles which have disturbed Uganda of late years have 
 been brought about largely by outsiders, for the big 
 chiefs, or Massoza, have nearly all remained loyal to the 
 Government. 
 
 8
 
 114 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 In the case of the rebellion caused by the flight of 
 Mwanga, the fault no doubt was with the Soudanese, who 
 revolted shortly afterwards and joined forces with him; for 
 although the news of the Soudanese war came suddenly 
 and unexpectedly to the ears of the Foreign Office, there 
 was no doubt whatever that it was brewing for months 
 before the actual outbreak, and many signs were given of 
 its coming ; but more of this later on. 
 
 Soon after our arrival in Uganda we were sent off to 
 various districts where our missionary work was to be 
 done ; and although it is not my purpose in this record to 
 give many details of missionary work, still a short sketch 
 of a missionary's life in Uganda would be of general 
 interest. 
 
 Let me commence by saying that his occupations are 
 varied, and by no means is his life that of a Sunday- 
 school teacher every day of the week. He is a teacher, 
 but he must also be a builder, for houses, cattle-pens, 
 stores, and outhouses have to be constructed by the 
 missionary. He must also be a doctor of medicine and a 
 dentist ; he must dose the sick natives, who will trust 
 him implicitly to cure them of even leprosy, and he must 
 be able to draw the most solidly rooted molar that ever 
 grew in the skull of a black man. More than this, he 
 must be his own cobbler, and when his boots wear out he 
 must be able to re-sole them with good understandings, 
 and must be content sometimes with nothing but a few 
 French nails and a piece of cowhide with which to 
 accomplish it. His own socks he must darn, and keep 
 his temper while he does it, or his fingers will come off 
 second best ; and it must be done well too, or else he will 
 go for weeks with a blister on his toe. Better for him, if 
 he cannot darn, to cut the foot off the stocking and [put 
 his bare foot into the boot. He must be his own carpenter 
 and house decorator, as well as furniture maker ; chairs
 
 IN DWARF LAND 115 
 
 and tables constructed out of old chop boxes are not the 
 easiest things to make with no other tools than a small 
 hand-saw and a chisel. But he must also be his own 
 lawyer, accountant, and book-keeper, and when the 
 currency takes the form of cowrie shells, as it does in 
 Uganda (where three hundred tiny cowries make a 
 shilling), it is not easy to keep the accounts right. 
 He must marry and divorce, give judgments and bap- 
 tize. He must be gardener, cook, and dairymaid, grow 
 his own food, and look after his live stock. In addition 
 to all this he is the parish minister, to help and comfort 
 all who come to him. 
 
 During the first few months in the country, when the 
 language is quite unknown, curious mistakes occur, as a 
 result of his ignorance of the customs of the people. 
 
 Soon after my arrival a most embarrassing incident 
 happened. A young damsel of very handsome appearance 
 came one day to visit me at my house, bringing a basket 
 of fruit, asking my acceptance. Of course I thanked her 
 as best I could and accepted the gift. The following day 
 she came again bringing another present, and again I 
 gladly received it. But when this went on day after day 
 for nearly a fortnight I began to think that something 
 was wrong. I therefore sent for one of my boys, who 
 explained to me the meaning of these constant visits. 
 It appears that this is one of the native customs. Any 
 young woman seeking a husband, and finding a young 
 man to whom she feels drawn, immediately brings him a 
 present, and if he receives it she is encouraged to renew 
 the gift ; each acceptance makes it more certain that she 
 has found favour in the sight of the young man, and at 
 the end of a certain time he is expected to propose to 
 her ; and she becomes his wife. Imagine my feelings 
 when I heard the story and thought of the many un- 
 deniable proofs I had unconsciously given her that she
 
 116 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 was an accepted suitor. With great embarrassment, 
 therefore, I had to tell her that my ignorance had caused 
 me to do what otherwise I should not have done, and 
 finished up by telling her that a white man could not 
 possibly marry a black woman. Alas ! she did not seem 
 to see the reason why it should be so, and I fear went 
 away with a heavy heart. 
 
 The people of Uganda, or the Waganda, as they are 
 called, are really a fine race. Surrounded as they are by 
 naked savages it is a great wonder that they have not 
 degenerated and become like them. Instead of this the 
 ordinary Uganda man is as much above the savage as 
 the Englishman is above the Arab. There is that in 
 his nature that desires improvement, and anything that 
 really appeals to him as a benefit he will do all he can 
 to possess. Good roads, for instance, strike him as being 
 a decided advantage for the traveller, and the chiefs of 
 the country, therefore, are most anxious that these should 
 be made, and in many parts there are splendid roads, 
 swamps and rivers bridged, and forests cleared. How- 
 ever, the disturbed state of the country during the last 
 three years has greatly hindered this work, and the paths 
 that once were six feet wide and well cleared of vegetation 
 are now overgrown again. 
 
 The Waganda are not a tall race, but thoroughly well- 
 built and muscular, and as a fighting force, if properly 
 trained, would undoubtedly compare very favourably 
 with any other native regiment. They are brave as 
 lions, and will rush up to the cannon's mouth without 
 the least sign of fear. But, like all other untrained 
 soldiers, when severely beaten they are soon demoralised, 
 and a heavy loss will dishearten them. The Waganda 
 are certainly very sly and capable of great craftiness, and 
 if they can deceive a European they consider it a very 
 smart thing indeed; but among themselves I believe,
 
 IN DWARF LAND 117 
 
 generally speaking, they are truthful, and a lie is looked 
 upon by them as a shameful thing, excepting when a 
 European is concerned. One can understand this to a 
 certain extent with an uncivilised race, and the Waganda 
 have not always been treated with the utmost candour by 
 Europeans, and, indeed, frequently have been deceived. 
 This being the case, there is little wonder that they 
 should copy the white man's vices and forget his 
 virtues. 
 
 In his own home the native of Uganda shows to his 
 best advantage, and it is there perhaps that a man's 
 character is more clearly understood. He loves his 
 children and enjoys family life, but he is a decided auto- 
 crat, and all must be subservient to the master of the 
 house. Generally speaking he does not treat his wife 
 unkindly, and I have known many a man and wife in 
 Uganda as truly united by love as man and wife should 
 be, but his dependants are treated with the utmost 
 severity, and as a rule the female section of the house- 
 hold slaves has rather a miserable time of it. With the 
 spread of Christianity through the country woman is 
 undoubtedly being raised to a better position. A few 
 years ago it was a thing unknown for a woman to par- 
 take of food with her husband, but now in thousands of 
 families this is done. Then, women were bought and 
 sold for a few sheep or goats or a few thousand shells ; 
 now, this is no longer the case. 
 
 A Christian government has, little by little, introduced 
 laws based upon the Ten Commandments, and now even 
 wife beating is illegal, and a woman thus treated can 
 enter an action against her husband. A slave need no 
 longer remain as such, his freedom is secured to him if 
 he desires it. 
 
 But what of the missionary's efforts? It is not for 
 him to interfere with State affairs ; it is not for him to
 
 118 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 attempt to hold any political influence, lie is to mould 
 the native character, to instil into the untutored mind 
 the great principles of Christianity. By any and every 
 means at his command the missionary's clear duty is 
 to help the individual, and whether this may be done 
 by reading-classes, by industrial mission work, hospital 
 work, visiting the homes of the natives, preaching in 
 the by-ways or in the great cathedral, it is his duty to 
 see that in every way possible he is fulfilling this mission. 
 This, I feel confident in affirming, has been the sincere 
 desire of the C.M.S. missionaries in Uganda, and to the 
 most disinterested it is plain enough that a great work 
 has been done. I know there are some who will visit 
 a place like Uganda and spend a year or two there, and 
 will come home and declare that missionary work is 
 either a failure, or that it has been greatly exaggerated. 
 Let the loyalty of the Christian Waganda during the 
 late rebellion silence for ever such statements as these. 
 It was during the rebellion that I think the eyes of all 
 were opened to see that the Christian native was then 
 the one to be relied upon. Mohammedans and heathen 
 alike joined with the rebels, and it was the Christians 
 who showed their loyalty in standing by the Government 
 from the first to the last day of the campaign. And this 
 at no little discouragement to themselves. Among the 
 killed and wounded were their best, the flower of their 
 nation ; the quarrel was not their own, nor anything to 
 do with them, it was the white man's quarrel, but for all 
 this they did their best throughout. 
 
 Before leaving Uganda for Toro, which is a large 
 country to the far west of Uganda, I had an opportunity 
 of seeing some of the splendid medical work that was 
 being carried on in Mengo. If there be one side of 
 missionary work that must appeal to all men — no matter 
 what their opinions are with reference to other methods
 
 IN DWARF LAND 119 
 
 of missionary effort — it is the medical work. As I have 
 ah'eady stated, it is a practical Christianity which appeals 
 to the black man, and it is only this kind of Christianity 
 that is worth anything at all. Indeed there is no other. 
 To watch the crowds of suffering humanity, gathered 
 together every morning in the waiting-room of the 
 Mengo hospital, and to see how one by one they are care- 
 fully and skilfully attended to, their wounds dressed with 
 the best appliances, their disorders treated with European 
 drugs, and to hear their grateful words of thanks as they 
 pass on their way, speaks to one in a way that is difficult 
 to express. There was a time when the missionaries in 
 Mengo, or at any rate as many of them as were able, 
 had to attend each morning to the sick folk that came 
 to them. Many a time have I watched good Archdeacon 
 Walker sitting in the verandah of his house, dispensing 
 medicines to the poor sufferers as they came to him for 
 aid. But the time arrived when a noble young doctor, 
 with all the highest prospects of success before him 
 in England, chose rather to go where he felt he was 
 most needed, and where he might do the most good. 
 And so it came about that early in the year 1897 Dr. 
 Albert Cook arrived in Mengo. 
 
 A little hospital was then built to accommodate about 
 twenty in-patients, and a dispensary close at hand for the 
 use of the out-patients. Some thousands of cases have 
 now been treated, and quite a revolution has taken place 
 in Mengo. It has been found that the lame can be made 
 to walk, that the blind have their sight restored, and that 
 those who for years have never left their beds may now 
 be healed. 
 
 Every one who can, pays a few shells for the medicine 
 or treatment that he or she receives, but the poor are 
 attended to without payment. In the wards may be 
 seen Roman Catholics, Mohammedans, heathen, and
 
 120 IN DWARF LAKD 
 
 Protestants, all side by side, each one receiving from 
 a common source the help they need, and all alike are 
 taught to recognise the one Great Physician — Christ — as 
 the only Healer of the ills of the soul. Morning and 
 evening prayers are held in each ward, and bright services 
 on the Sunday, and these meet with the most hearty 
 appreciation of all classes alike. 
 
 Dr. Cook has been most ably assisted in this work of 
 love by Nurse Timpson, who for some time held a position 
 of very great trust and distinction in one of the large 
 London hospitals. The women's ward is her chief 
 delight, and her presence there is without doubt the 
 greatest pleasure to the patients. Her kind and cheering 
 word, her sweet smile and loving actions call forth the 
 wonder and deep admiration of all the poor dark souls in 
 that hospital. Not only are the small ailments under- 
 taken, but the most difficult operations are performed by 
 Dr. Cook, and often I have stood by and watched 
 the most critical cases attended to in the operating-room, 
 and great has been the success of these efforts, not only 
 from a doctor's point of view, but eminently from a 
 missionary's standpoint. Dr. Cook's chief dresser is a 
 Uganda boy, who, suffering from an internal abscess, first 
 visited the hospital soon after it was opened and asked for 
 medicine ; he was most skilfully treated and recovered. 
 He then offered his services to the doctor to do anything 
 he could to help in the efforts put forward to relieve the 
 sufferings of his own people, and without receiving 
 any set wage, in fact nothing at all but his food and 
 clothing. This young fellow has ever since stood by 
 the doctor in all his work, and by his self-denying, self- 
 sacrificing devotion has not only been able to render very 
 valuable assistance as a dresser, but he has constantly 
 proved that the Waganda are not without the capacity 
 of reciprocating love and manifesting their appreciation
 
 IN DWARF LAND 121 
 
 of kindness shown to them. But space forbids my en- 
 larging upon this and other missionary efforts that are 
 being put forth in Uganda for the enhghtenment of the 
 natives. 
 
 In speaking of the Waganda there is one subject that 
 one must not omit to mention, viz., their industries. 
 Although naturally lazy, like all Africans, they have their 
 different occupations, and manufacture various things for 
 general use. Their chief industry perhaps is iron-working. 
 The iron is dug from the earth, smelted by the natives, 
 and then used for making knives, spears, axes, and spades, 
 which are the implements of first importance ; but 
 articles of far greater intricacy are also made by the 
 native smith. I have seen a complete Snider rifle made 
 by a Uganda blacksmith, and although it was not suffi- 
 ciently well made to admit of a strong charge of gun- 
 powder, or a regulation Snider cartridge, still the gun 
 was perfect in every other particular. 
 
 When one considers the roughness of the tools used by 
 the native workmen, it is a matter of great surprise that 
 they are able to turn out such really good work. A stone 
 is the anvil universally used ; a lump of iron with a flat 
 surface on one side constitutes the hammer, which has 
 no shaft. These, with a few rudely made iron sets, are 
 all the tools he has to work with. The forge is of very 
 primitive construction, but does its work exceedingly 
 well. Two large earthenware basins, with tubes leading 
 from the bottom to a common nozzle, and over the top of 
 each of these basins is loosely stretched a prepared goat- 
 skin, and into each goat-skin is fastened a hollow reed, 
 and these reeds are worked up and down ; when raised 
 the hole through the reed is left free, but when forced 
 down it is covered with the thumb, and thus drives the 
 air through the earthenware nozzle. The two reeds 
 being worked alternately, a constant blast is kept up.
 
 122 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 Charcoal is used for the fire, and a very good heat can 
 be procured and sustained by this simple but efficient 
 method. 
 
 Wood-working is also quite a native industry in Uganda, 
 and remarkably well performed. The native stool in 
 itself is a good specimen of their work, carved out of the 
 solid trunk of a tree with all kinds of ornamental work. 
 Some are round, others square, but all are very low, and 
 there seems very little desire on the part of the natives 
 to perch themselves on high chairs. The native bedstead 
 is also thoroughly well made, and consists of a wooden 
 framework with carved legs of various designs and a 
 cowhide spring mattress ; they are most comfortable and 
 very strong. But the masterpiece of wood-working is 
 found in the planks, which are cut out by hand. Some- 
 times these are 20 feet in length, and 3 feet or 4 feet 
 broad. They are cut from the solid trunk of some forest 
 giant, and take months to finish. 
 
 Pottery also, among the Waganda, is quite a fine art. 
 Very near to Mengo there is a whole village of pottery 
 workers; large cooking-pots and water-pitchers, basins 
 and cups of all shapes are made. No wheel is used, and 
 the only tool is the hand. They are very clever in copying 
 European things, such as cups and saucers, teapots, &c. ; 
 all are cleverly moulded. The pottery is burnt after it 
 is moulded to shape — huge fires of wood are made, a 
 quantity of fine dried grass being mixed with it, and into 
 the hot ash the pots are placed for an hour or two. 
 Smoking, being almost universal in Uganda, pipes are 
 therefore made by the potter ; a finer kind of clay is used, 
 and they are coloured black, with a glazed shiny surface. 
 Some of the pipes are very curious ; I have seen them 
 made in the shape of the English brier, and others made 
 to represent a gun. The common Uganda pipe consists 
 of a very large bowl, holding about half an ounce of
 
 IN DWARF LAND 123 
 
 tobacco, but this amount is seldom put into it, as room 
 must be left for the burning ash at the top. 
 
 Basket and mat-making are both industries practised 
 by the people of Uganda, and some very beautiful work 
 is produced, especially in the basket line ; so closely are 
 these plaited that some are almost watertight, and indeed 
 are used in which to brew the native beer, which is made 
 from the banana and called " mwenge." 
 
 Bark-cloth making is also quite an art ; a species of 
 fig-tree produces a particular kind of bark suitable for 
 the purpose. A grooved mallet is made of wood, and the 
 bark being cut into strips is beaten out gradually upon a 
 wooden block. The bark thus treated spreads out, and 
 from a strip of bark a foot in width a piece of cloth will 
 be made, at least three times the width of the original. 
 This cloth is worn by most of the poorer classes, and by 
 all the women, whatever rank they hold. When finished 
 it is dark terra-cotta colour, and very durable. 
 
 The women wear the bark cloth loosely thrown round 
 the body, secured at the waist by a band of some other 
 cloth and held in position by the arms, the shoulders 
 being left bare. The men, however, merely tie together 
 the two opposite corners of the cloth, which is thrown 
 over the shoulders, the knot being worn on either the 
 right or left side, the cloth falling carlessly round the 
 figure. 
 
 There is a very large native market in the capital, and 
 the people flock to this with their wares, and a great deal 
 of business is transacted ; meat and other foods, such as 
 bananas, maize, sweet potatoes, and yams, can be bought 
 or sold here as well as the manufactured articles of the 
 country. Cloth is also on sale in the market, and is 
 brought into the country chiefly by Swahili traders, and 
 is worn by the better-class men in place of the bark 
 cloth.
 
 124 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 In Uganda the women do all the cultivating and the 
 cooking, and the men do the sewing that is necessary and 
 the housebuilding. It has been said that one woman in 
 Uganda, by her cultivating, can easily supply food enough 
 to support nine men, and therefore when a man possesses 
 five or six wives it will be seen that the woman's work 
 is not excessively laborious. She goes into the garden at 
 daybreak, remaining there till about 11 a.m. Again in 
 the afternoon from about three to five. The rest of the 
 day she has to herself, for looking after the children or 
 visiting her neighbours. 
 
 The chiefs all possess cattle, and the poorer classes 
 have instead, sheep and goats and fowls. The little 
 boys attend to the former and the little girls to the 
 latter. 
 
 After I had settled down in the country some little 
 time I conceived the idea of capturing a number of zebra 
 to train for transport work ; so utterly disgusted had I 
 been during my journey up-country from the coast with 
 the horrible practice of human porterage, that I was 
 prepared to do what I possibly could to substitute for it 
 some other method, at any rate so far as I personally was 
 concerned. I first offered a big price in cloth to any chief 
 or common man who would catch for me a young zebra. 
 To the north-west of Mengo there are great quantities of 
 these animals roaming about, and the wonder to me was 
 that they had never been utilised for this purpose. 
 "Whether the chiefs doubted the sincerity of my offer or 
 not I cannot say, but certain it is no effort was made to 
 trap the zebra. I next visited a place not far from the 
 station where I was living, where I knew there was a 
 large herd of zebra. Arriving there in the evening, I 
 called together about twenty men, and got them to 
 promise to help me the following morning in my enter- 
 prise.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 1^5 
 
 As soon as day broke I hurriedly dressed, took up my 
 gun and a long coil of rope, called the men together and 
 set off to the plain. We had not started more than 
 an hour when we came upon the herd. It consisted of 
 close upon thirty full-grown animals, with three or four 
 young foals. My first idea was to shoot the mare and 
 then proceed to catch the little one, which I felt sure 
 would not run from its mother's side. We were soon 
 able to decide upon one with a little foal of about three 
 or four months old, and very carefully we crept up in the 
 grass until we were within easy range. I then fired, the 
 mare dropped, and away went the herd, and to our 
 disappointment away went the little one too, leaving 
 its mother dead upon the plain. The meat, however, 
 was not wasted, and right glad were we to partake of 
 zebra steak. It was impossible to get up to the herd 
 again that day, and so we went back to the village 
 and waited, and the next day we tried different 
 tactics. 
 
 I collected about one hundred men to go with me, and 
 when we came to the zebra I sent them in single file 
 right round the whole herd, so as to shut them in on 
 every side and then at a given signal to advance slowly, 
 allow the full-grown animals to escape, and catch the 
 young one whose mother we had killed the day before. 
 All went well until we had got the ring round the herd 
 complete, and then a great disturbance took place ; a 
 large male zebra, evidently the most important of the 
 herd, came rushing towards me, and the men who were 
 near, with wide-open mouth. All the men fled for their 
 lives, or dodged behind trees and bushes, to get out of 
 the way of the infuriated animal. I had no idea, that a 
 zebra would thus attack a man when hardly pressed, but 
 the natives assured me that it was quite a common 
 occurrence, especially with a wounded zebra. Of course.
 
 126 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 the result of this mad rush was that the whole herd again 
 got away. 
 
 I next decided to make a huge drive, formed of stakes 
 driven into the earth, culminating in a strong stockade, 
 then to chase the herd into this drive, and finally pick out 
 those required and allow the rest to escape. But as I had 
 already spent two days without any result, I thought I would 
 return to my station for a week or so and then renew my 
 efforts. In the meantime I offered an even greater present 
 to the man who would bring me a live zebra, and this time, 
 having seen my earnestness to catch one myself, the 
 natives believed that I really meant what I said. About 
 four days after my return to the station a great company 
 of men set off by themselves to try and catch a zebra for 
 me. They adopted the tactics we had used on the second 
 occasion, that of surrounding the herd and closing in 
 upon it. They were successful, and one fine, strong fellow 
 captured a young zebra about four months old, and in 
 spite of all its kicking and biting managed to fasten a 
 rope to one of its legs. They were so highly delighted 
 with their success that they gave the captured zebra into 
 the hands of one of the young fellows, and the rest set 
 off after the herd to try and secure a second. Alas ! for 
 them ; the young man left in charge was an untrust- 
 worthy fellow, and when the little zebra began to kick 
 and prance about he actually loosened the rope and let 
 it go ; and when the men came back in the evening, tired 
 and unsuccessful in their second attempt, they found to 
 their great annoyance that the zebra had been liberated, 
 and they all completely lost heart and returned home. 
 The man who had caught it, however, came to me asking 
 for the present ; and when I said, "Oh, but you have not 
 brought the zebra" ; he said, "Yes, but I caught it, and 
 you ought to reward me." I gave him a smaller present 
 to encourage him to try again, but it was hopeless ; and
 
 IN DWARF LAND 127 
 
 the next time I went to carry out my scheme of a 
 " drive " I could not get half a dozen men to accompany 
 me. It was also about this time that I was moved from 
 Uganda and sent on to Toro, so that my efforts to catch 
 zebra have been fruitless up to the present.
 
 CHAPTEK VII 
 
 UGANDA TO TORO 
 
 Experiences gained — Toro— Ruwenzori — A lay missionary's work — Vale- 
 dictory feasts— Obtaining porters — The boys— Mika's conversion— A 
 leopard scare— The Mayanja— Mosquitoes— Mitiana— Crossing the 
 Mpamujugu— Elephant country— Antelope steak— Forest glades- 
 Elan— Sally, a distinguished guest— Unfriendly Papists— I nurse a 
 black baby— Cow stealing— Fishing for breakfast— Mwenge—Byakwe- 
 yamba — The banquet— An embarrassing welcome to Toro. 
 
 MY journey was not continued westward until after I 
 had spent fifteen months in Uganda, carrying on 
 there the work of a missionary. They were months full 
 of pleasurable service, and afforded me ample opportunity 
 of learning the native language of Uganda, and also of 
 studying the native character. One trusts that during 
 that time some good may have resulted from the efforts 
 put forth ; at any rate the experience I gained during that 
 period has been invaluable to me ever since. 
 
 It would be impossible to give full details of my work 
 during those fifteen months. Upon my arrival in the 
 country I was sent to Gayaza, a large district with about 
 ten thousand inhabitants, about twelve miles from Mengo, 
 where I remained for the first six months ; taking classes 
 and services for the people ; visiting through the district 
 from house to house; making friends of many by dis- 
 tributing medicines to the sick and suffering ; and in every 
 way possible, though very imperfectly, doing what I 
 
 128
 
 m DWARF LAND 129 
 
 could to make known to all the gospel of the Lord Jesus. 
 I was afterwards sent to open a new station at Nakan- 
 yonyi, some thirty miles to the north-east of Mengo. 
 Here I was able to build a station suitable for the resi- 
 dence of a European, and a church accommodating about 
 a thousand people ; visiting also Bulondaganyi, the district 
 lying on the left bank of the Victoria Nile, and many 
 other places, endeavouring to open up the country for the 
 reception of Christianity. 
 
 In 1895 Christianity was introduced into Toro by 
 native missionaries of Uganda. Toro is a large district 
 to the extreme west of the Uganda Protectorate, having 
 a separate king, and being in no way allied to Uganda, 
 excepting that it receives the protection of the British 
 Government. It lies between the two lakes, the Albert 
 Edward and the Albert, being bordered by the Mountains 
 of the Moon. Kasagama, the King of Toro, had years 
 ago been driven from his country by Kabarega, the King 
 of Unyoro, but was reinstated by Captain Lugard at the 
 beginning of the year 1894. The king became a Chris- 
 tian, and invited European teachers to his country. 
 Bishop Tucker, accompanied by Mr. A. B. Fisher, made 
 a notable journey in the spring of 1896 to the capital of 
 Toro, and the Bishop thus depicts his first impressions : — 
 
 " Ruwenzori is indeed a mighty mass towering into the 
 clouds, which give to much of it a mystery and beauty 
 hard to describe. The people differ considerably from 
 the Waganda, but are not so vigorous and robust. The 
 distinguishing bark cloth is not made in Toro, the 
 dress of the people consists therefore more largely of 
 skins." 
 
 When the Bishop returned to Mengo after this journey, 
 he decided to send to Toro another European missionary 
 to join Mr. Fisher, whom he had left there, and I was 
 the one chosen to go. My desire had always been to be 
 
 9
 
 130 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 in the forefront, and wherever pioneer work was neces- 
 sary I was anxious to go. This was a very natural desire 
 of mine. From a boy I had loved adventure, and sought 
 it upon every possible occasion, and our exploits as 
 schoolboys in the " bricky pits," as we called them, 
 which will ever live in my memory, were good prepara- 
 tions for an adventurous life in Central Africa. 
 
 Not only was there the natural love of adventure, how- 
 ever, but the fact of my being a layman left me more 
 at liberty for opening new stations. 
 
 Nothing, therefore, could have been more to my taste 
 than this journey to Toro, for although I did not like 
 leaving so much interesting work in Uganda, and I was 
 sorry to say goodbye to so many good friends that I had 
 made among the Waganda during my stay there, still I 
 did not anticipate any difficulty in finding fresh sources 
 of interest and in forming new friendships among the 
 people of Toro. 
 
 The last ten days in Uganda I spent in bidding farewell 
 to my native friends, and I was surprised to find how 
 difficult it really was to bid these warm-hearted people 
 goodbye. Several of them had feasts in my honour, 
 inviting me to attend the festive board, but I could not 
 possibly accept all the pressing invitations given to me, 
 and, after all, a native feast is not particularly attractive. 
 Very strange dishes sometimes make their appearance, 
 and to keep in health it is not wise to indulge too freely 
 in these luxuries. One thing, however, at a native feast 
 one can always be tolerably sure of, and that is the plan- 
 tains or bananas. Cooked as a vegetable while green 
 they are a most nourishing food, and one of which even 
 the European is seldom tired. 
 
 To obtain porters for carrying goods or household 
 furniture (not more than twenty loads of 60 lbs. each), 
 I had to go to the big chief of the country, or Prime
 
 IN DWARF LAND 131 
 
 Minister, the Katikiro, and arrange with him. He 
 immediately called five of his under chiefs, and ordered 
 each one to provide six men, and after a great deal of 
 delay some of these porters came, and I decided to start 
 at once, leaving the others to follow on. 
 
 At 2 p.m. on June 25th, after a hurried lunch, I started 
 with about fifteen men. A very rough set they seemed 
 to be, and I had my fears about getting to my journey's 
 end without trouble ; they were all Waganda, however, 
 and that was in my favour, as I could speak their lan- 
 guage fairly well. We only walked for about six miles, 
 and then camped on the side of the road near to a large 
 banana grove. The porters never like a long march for a 
 start, and as I wanted to gain their confidence as soon as 
 possible, I allowed them to camp after having walked for 
 two and a half hours. The greater part of the distance I 
 was accompanied by a large crowd of my native friends 
 who had come to see me on my way, and one boy actually 
 carried with him all the way from Mengo a large calabash 
 of sweet banana wine that I might have something to 
 slake my thirst when I arrived in camp. 
 
 It must here be explained that, in addition to the 
 porters who carried my loads, I had with me eight boys 
 who accompanied me, not in the capacity of servants, for 
 they received no wage whatever from me, but as my 
 personal friends. Willingly they undertook any work for 
 me, and two of them became most expert cooks after a 
 little tuition. They came to me soon after I arrived in 
 Uganda, and remained with me till the time I left Africa. 
 I taught them all kinds of arts besides that of cooking. 
 Each boy could read well, most of them could write 
 intelligibly ; one became quite an able carpenter, another 
 a builder, another a brickmaker, and one I taught to 
 nurse, and when I have been ill and far away from any 
 other European — as I shall show by and by — this boy
 
 132 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 watched over me with the tenderest care by night and by 
 day ; he was always at my bedside, doing all in his power 
 to restore me, and I believe I owed my life to him upon 
 more than one occasion. 
 
 The oldest among them (Mika), although he was 
 always called by me my boy, was a full-grown man in 
 middle life, and was a character worth speaking about. 
 Very tall, and an exceptionally strongly built man, badly 
 pitted with smallpox, and by no means of prepossessing 
 countenance, and yet with a heart as tender as a child's. 
 My first introduction to this fellow took place in a banana 
 grove soon after I got to Uganda. It was while I was 
 speaking to a large number of natives, when on the out- 
 skirts of the crowd I saw a strange fellow standing. He 
 was tall, with very long hair, quite contrary to the 
 ordinary Uganda man, who keeps his hair very short by 
 constantly shaving his head, and he was almost nude. 
 In his hand he held a most deadly-looking weapon, a 
 huge spear, such as I had never seen before, with a blade 
 2^ feet in length and 5 inches wide in the centre, the 
 shaft was half as thick as one's wrist, and at the end a 
 sharp iron ferrule was attached. 
 
 When the people who stood near caught sight of him, 
 they all moved away as if from fear. Full well they 
 knew him ; the whole district was conversant with his 
 notorious life, his bloody deeds were spoken of by old and 
 young alike ; a wild man who had his abode in the 
 jungle, never visiting the haunts of man except for rapine 
 and murder. By the roadside he was wont to lie in wait 
 for harmless and unsuspecting travellers, spear them, and 
 rob them of all that they had. Time after time attempts 
 had been made to capture him, but so strong and active 
 was he that he had evaded every effort. Long years ago 
 he had been one of King Mwanga's famous wrestlers, 
 and once had been sent by his master to take a letter to
 
 IN DWARF LAND 133 
 
 the gallant Mackay, who was then at Kagei, at the south 
 of the Victoria Nyanza. 
 
 As soon as I had finished speaking he disappeared, and 
 I did not see him again until a fortnight afterwards, I 
 had returned to my station, when one afternoon this 
 fellow came to me, just in exactly the same state as he 
 was when I first saw him in the banana grove, and he 
 still carried his huge spear. I greeted him heartily, and 
 he proceeded to tell me that he wished to learn to read, 
 and to hear more of the "beautiful words," as he described 
 them. I conducted him into the church, where reading 
 classes were going on, and beckoning a little boy, in- 
 structed him to teach my new friend to read. Day after 
 day he came, and diligently sat grinding away at the 
 reading sheet with the little boy by his side. He finally 
 succeeded, and became quite a changed man from that 
 time. His old life was entirely given up ; the horrible 
 weapon which he had used for the purpose of murdering 
 his fellow-men he gave to me. It was wonderful to 
 notice the change in this poor fellow. One would 
 almost have supposed it to be impossible for such as 
 he, so deeply sunk in sin and wickedness, to become 
 a true-hearted follower of the Lord Jesus, but never- 
 theless such was the case, and to-day that man is as 
 true and loyal and earnest in his simple faith as he was 
 when he first decided to give up all his evil practices and 
 become a Christian. Surely this is yet another proof of 
 the glorious truth, " the gospel of Christ is the power of 
 God unto salvation to every one that beheveth." 
 
 It was therefore a great pleasure to me to have such a 
 companion as this in my journey to Toro, and in every 
 possible way he extended to me his valuable assistance. 
 The country was known to him most perfectly ; he was 
 familiar with every bypath, and many a short cut he 
 was able to take us.
 
 134 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 At our very first camp we had a scare with a leopard. 
 It was just about 5 a.m., and beginning to show signs of 
 morning, when the boys, who were sleeping in a small 
 hut close to my tent, were suddenly and forcibly made 
 aware of the presence of a huge leopard in their hut. It 
 had knocked down the reed door, and was in the act of 
 choosing a victim, when one of my boys awoke, and 
 seeing it dimly in the faint light of dawn shouted aloud, 
 and roused the others. The leopard with a snarl of 
 disappointment bounded from the hut, and just rushed 
 past my tent door as I came out rifle in hand, ready for a 
 shot. Its movements were too quick, and the light was 
 not sufficiently good, so I did not fire, and we heard no 
 more of it. The second day we camped in a village close 
 to the great Mayanja swamp, which is about two hundred 
 yards wide, and usually the water and mud are very deep. 
 The chief of the village, poor old fellow, was unfortunately 
 very drunk, but was very kind, and soon had fifteen 
 baskets of food ready for us, which consisted of plantains 
 all ready cooked, wrapped up in the leaves, and neatly put 
 into baskets. He also gave me a fowl for my own 
 personal requirements. 
 
 Quite close to the village was a small wood, in which 
 I saw many very beautifully marked monkeys, notably 
 one with long, dark, chestnut-coloured hair, and long tail 
 tipped with bright red ; there were also a great number 
 of squirrels. As evening came on we all suffered for 
 our indiscretion in camping so near to the swamp. 
 Clouds of mosquitoes came and literally besieged us, not 
 the great lanky fellow that is so easy to detect coming, 
 but those dreadful little black pests whose bite seems 
 far more irritating. It was simply terrible, myriads of 
 these little creatures buzzing so loudly that it sounded 
 like a swarm of bees close to one's ears. They attacked 
 my face so unmercifully that in a very short time it
 
 IN DWARF LAND 135 
 
 was all swollen, my hands also were most viciously 
 set upon by these horrors. We tried by great fires 
 to drive them away, but it was hopeless, and the end 
 of it was that I had to go to bed early, so as to get 
 under my mosquito net. But even here it was not much 
 better, for somehow or other they found their way in, 
 and a rare night I spent of it. In the early morning 
 they seemed worse than ever, no doubt being anxious to 
 get a final meal before being driven away by the rising 
 sun. 
 
 A march of four hours brought us to Mitiana, one 
 of the C.M.S. out-stations, where the Rev. H. E. Sugden 
 was in charge. A fine healthy station, built upon the 
 hill, with a magnificent view all round, the Lake Wamala 
 lying to the west. 
 
 The next day being Sunday, we rested at the mission 
 station, and enjoyed quiet services at the church. 
 
 Close to the lake is a Government station called 
 Fort Raymond — a very small place, and the fort wall is 
 built of stakes driven into the earth, with a mud-bank 
 on the inside ; but it is always an inspiration to the 
 Briton in Africa when he sees the old flag waving in the 
 breeze. There was no European in charge there at that 
 time, but a Soudanese officer, and a small squad of men. 
 
 Soon after leaving Mitiana on the following day, we 
 arrived at the great swamp, which is really an arm of the 
 Lake Wamala, and called by the natives Mpamujugu. 
 My faithful old follower (whom I shall in future call 
 Mika, this being the name he took at his baptism) 
 immediately came to my assistance. This swamp is too 
 wide and too deep to bridge, so has to be crossed by 
 stepping from root to root of the papyrus which floats 
 on the top of the mud and water. Mika carried me on 
 his shoulders the whole way, and it took us more than 
 an hour to cross ; he never once slipped his footing, and
 
 136 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 seemed as fresh at the end of the business as he was 
 at the commencement, in spite of having eleven stone 
 on his shoulders for more than an hour. In all, we 
 crossed no less than seventy-two swamps on the way to 
 Toro, and I did not once wet my boots, for Mika carried 
 me over them all. 
 
 We next had a huge district to cross, with no 
 inhabitants but wild animals, particularly elephants. 
 We saw one track made through the long grass by 
 these colossal beasts no less than thirty yards wide. It 
 was like a great turnpike road, cutting right through the 
 country, and must have been made by some dozens of 
 elephants. 
 
 One morning, soon after our start, I killed a fine large 
 antelope, which we immediately cooked, as we were very 
 hungry, having been without meat for some days. Fires 
 were made, and each cut a lump of flesh from the carcase, 
 stuck it on to a stick, and held it over the flames until it 
 was nicely grilled, and we enjoyed it immensely. 
 
 About seven days' journey from Mengo the whole 
 character of the country is altered, and becomes much 
 more beautiful. Short, wavy grass covered the earth in 
 place of the ugly reed grass of Uganda. The trees 
 were finer, and the landscapes much more rugged. 
 Frequently we passed through lovely forest glades, with 
 every kind of tropical vegetation growing in profusion. 
 Monkeys of varied hues chattered among the branches, 
 and butterflies of most exquisite tints flitted before us as 
 we walked. Some were so large that we could scarcely 
 believe they were butterflies. Parrots and hornbills 
 screamed overhead, and kingfishers sat silently by the 
 brook sides, and all seemed quite indifferent to our 
 presence. In some of these glades it was difiicult to 
 force our way through, on account of the thick under- 
 growth. On the other hand, we often met small gangs
 
 m DWARF LAND 137 
 
 of Waganda workmen, with an under-chief at their head, 
 road-making and clearing. Some of the swamps too had 
 been well bridged, and whenever we came up with 
 these gangs we always praised the workmen for the im- 
 provements they had made, and this seemed greatly to 
 cheer them. Just the one word " Webale " (lit. " praise 
 yourself"), spoken heartily as we passed, did not cost us 
 much, and it did a great deal no doubt to encourage the 
 workers. 
 
 While strolling along one day at the front of the 
 caravan, I suddenly came up with three huge animals, 
 which I thought at first sight were buffalo, but which 
 proved to be elan. These magnificent animals are dying 
 out very rapidly in Eastern Equatorial Africa. The cattle 
 plague of a few years ago caused great destruction amongst 
 them, and it is quite a rare thing to-day to see an elan, 
 at any rate in Uganda. These, consisted of a very large 
 bull, with a fine pair of horns, and two cows. I did not 
 fire at them, and they soon disappeared in the thicket as 
 we came into view. We next came to a small village 
 inhabited by a few Waganda and Wanyuro. They were 
 extremely kind, giving my porters most gladly plenty of 
 food, and providing me with fowls and potatoes directly 
 I arrived amongst them. 
 
 And now my little dog Sally came much into prominence. 
 I have already stated that she was a poodle, and as I had 
 not troubled to shave her, she had very long, black, curly 
 hair, almost down to the ground. When the natives of 
 this village saw her they took a great fright, and declared 
 that a "little devil" had come with the white man. 
 When I heard that this report had spread amongst them 
 I called the chief and explained to him that it was a dog 
 from Europe, and then a large crowd came round to see 
 Sally perform. First I made her stand upright, like a 
 soldier, with a stick for a gun, then beg, and next hold a
 
 138 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 stick in her mouth, being dressed up in a cap and a small 
 coat, then smoke a pipe. This last quite overcame them, 
 and they immediately looked upon Sally as an individual 
 of great distinction, and the women went away to 
 collect presents for the strange visitor. All kinds of food 
 were brought to the fortunate Sally, who seemed most 
 thoroughly to realise her importance. One old woman went 
 so far as to actually greet her in Luganda quite solemnly. 
 When Sally curled herself up and went to sleep she 
 looked just like a black ball, and on more than one 
 occasion natives have asked me " which end barks." 
 
 As we marched for about six hours each day, we usually 
 rested at noon in some nice shady spot, where we made 
 a fire and boiled water for tea. Packed away in my 
 luncheon basket was always a cold boiled fowl, placed 
 there by my cook, and this, together with a roast sweet 
 potato cooked in the ashes of the fire, comprised my 
 midday meal. The boys and porters also indulged their 
 appetites in a similar way, sometimes with antelope 
 steak, at others with guinea fowl or partridge, which I 
 had been able to shoot for them during the day. 
 
 Half way to Toro we came to Lwekula's country, a 
 very big chief, and an avowed Roman Catholic. His 
 under-chiefs also followed his example, and the whole 
 district was nominally Roman Catholic. Whether or no 
 these people had been taught to ignore and be rude to a 
 Protestant missionary I cannot say, but they certainly 
 received me very badly, speaking most rudely to me. 
 
 When I asked them to sell us food they absolutely 
 refused to do so. " We are Bafransa " (followers of the 
 
 French), they said, "and Pere is our teacher, and 
 
 when he comes to us we will cook food for him and give him 
 all he needs, but we shall not give or sell you anything." 
 I said, " Very well, we will simply sleep here to-night, eat 
 what little food we have with us, and go on to-morrow."
 
 IN DWARF LAND 139 
 
 I then asked for a house in which I might spend the 
 night, and they took me to a deserted hut just outside the 
 village, with broken roof, and dirty in the extreme. I 
 will not speak of its inhabitants of the insect tribe, but I 
 only say that I was obliged to sit with my legs on the 
 top of a tin box so as to touch the floor as little as 
 possible. 
 
 When I had got the hut into a little better condition, 
 with boxes stacked together in the middle, and my 
 bed made, I went off to visit some of the people. 
 I soon found that I could get on much better with 
 individuals than with crowds. In one house which I 
 visited I saw a little baby boy, playing with a kind of 
 rattle made from a hollow gourd with small dried beans 
 inside. I immediately took the little fellow in my arms, 
 and began chatting and playing with him, and it was 
 astonishing what a wonderful effect this had upon the 
 mother, who was heard to exclaim to another woman, 
 " Well, did you ever see such grace as this, a white man 
 nursing a black baby ! " I then spoke to the mother and 
 the other people who were in the hut, and they became 
 quite friendly. Presently the woman of the house said 
 to me, " Would you like me to cook you some food ? " I 
 thanked her, and she promised to do so, telling me to 
 send my boy round in an hour's time. In this way I 
 earned my dinner, and the dinner of my men also, for 
 after visiting a few more houses and making friends with 
 the people, several large baskets of cooked food were 
 brought to me. The chief finally altered his attitude 
 towards me, and in the early dawn came at the head of 
 quite a little army of boys and girls all carrying baskets 
 of food for the European. As a reward I gave him a 
 little cloth and a New Testament, with both of which he 
 was delighted, especially with the Testament, as he could 
 read, and was very keen to be the proud possessor of a book.
 
 140 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 On the tenth morning a little excitement was occasioned 
 among us by discovering that the cows, which I had 
 brought with me from Uganda, had disappeared. I had 
 engaged two men, natives of Ankole, who were 
 recommended to me as being thoroughly trustworthy, 
 but with whom I could not hold much conversation, 
 on account of their dialect, to look after the cows ; I soon 
 found out that these fellows had proved false, and had 
 made off with my cows towards their own country, which 
 was only one day's journey away. We at once commenced 
 a search, and after about two hours we found footprints 
 leading in quite a different direction from the one we were 
 taking. My big man, Mika, said not a word, but threw 
 off his bark-cloth, seized a stick, and started off at a full 
 swinging run along the narrow track caused by the 
 passing of the cattle. Two or three of the other boys 
 followed him, but he completely out-distanced them. I 
 stood on a high hill watching him, and for fully three 
 miles Mika kept up the fastest trot I have ever seen, 
 never once stopping to take breath. At last, in the 
 distance, I could just see a tiny speck jogging up and 
 down, and then he disappeared altogether. I was just 
 about to camp for the night, when I heard the bellowing 
 of cows a long way off, and I knew that my faithful friend 
 had got back my lost property. The two cowmen Mika 
 had in safe custody, and when I examined them the only 
 thing they could say was, that they did not intend stealing 
 them, but had taken them to water. I pointed out how 
 absurd it was to talk of taking them for water all that 
 way, when there was plenty of water at hand. It ended 
 by my cutting their pay, and sending them off about their 
 business, and they were glad enough to get off so 
 easily. 
 
 We now entered Unyoro, and had several days' journey 
 through this country before we reached the capital of
 
 IN DWARF LAND 141 
 
 Toro. There were very few villages indeed, and for two 
 days our men were unable to buy food. The second day 
 we should have fared badly had we not again had good 
 fortune. We came to a small pond, and while sitting 
 down there to rest, two wild ducks began to circle round 
 overhead, and these I was able to bring down with my 
 gun. After a little while the porters one by one went 
 into the water, and began catching fish — a large swamp 
 fish very much like that which is called by schoolboys a 
 " miller's thumb," only three times the size. To catch 
 these the porters in a surprisingly short space of time 
 made small nets from the plaited grass, and I was 
 astonished beyond measure to see the great quantity they 
 caught ; each man must have possessed himself of at least 
 2 lbs. weight of this fish. After the catching came 
 the cooking and eating, and we were obliged to pitch our 
 camp quite near to this pond that had so wonderfully 
 befriended us in our need. 
 
 On July 10th, we reached the first town of Toro, 
 Mwenge. We had been walking for about two hours that 
 day, when two young men came running to me, and said 
 that the prince had sent them to see me ; being a relation 
 of the king's, the chief was called a prince. In a few 
 moments they said, " We are going back," so I told 
 them to see the prince for me, and away they went. 
 They had no sooner gone than two more came running 
 up and saying the same words, and then returned ; others 
 came, doing the same thing, and soon there was a steady 
 stream of people running backwards and forwards between 
 the prince and myself ; the last few miles quite blocking 
 the road. This is a real old-fashioned custom of the 
 Waganda, when a chief is desirous of giving a visitor 
 a hearty welcome ; the more people sent the greater 
 is the estimated joy of the sender. As I afterwards 
 found, this prince had lived some years as a boy in
 
 142 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 Uganda, and had thus learned this custom from the 
 Waganda. 
 
 At last I saw him standing on the top of a hill 
 awaiting me in great state — a tall, fine-looking man, with 
 clean-cut features, dressed in a spotlessly white robe, 
 beautifully worked in Indian fashion, with a large 
 white turban on his head, and surrounded by his 
 attendants. As he greeted me he removed the turban, 
 and made a most graceful bow, and then stepped forward 
 with outstretched hands. I did the same, and we 
 embraced each other very affectionately. 
 
 Byakweyamba was his name, a prince of the house of 
 Toro. In his younger days he had been wounded in a 
 battle, and was consequently lame, but a more aristocratic 
 and gentlemanly fellow I never met ; he was one of Nature's 
 gentlemen. Somehow or other he had heard of my 
 approach, and had prepared a great feast in my honour. 
 Eight or ten large basketsful of boiled plantains were 
 first distributed amongst the porters and boys, together 
 with two basketsful of cooked meat, for he had killed an 
 ox on purpose. Then three large baskets were brought 
 into the chief's private room, and put on the floor before 
 me, and every one began to leave. I immediately asked 
 the chief and his head boys to remain and eat with me, 
 and to this with some reluctance they agreed. Clean 
 leaves were then strewn about the floor in the centre 
 of the room, and on to these was cast a bright yellow 
 mass of steaming hot plantains ; then several small 
 earthenware vessels were given to me, each one containing 
 some kind of vegetable prepared with butter and salt : 
 one like mushrooms, another a kind of vegetable marrow, 
 and yet another much like spinach. The second basket 
 contained meat beautifully cooked ; this was divided 
 amongst the guests, and a special pot was brought to me 
 of curried meat. The third basket was full of boiled
 
 IN DWARF LAND 143 
 
 sweet potatoes. Everything was spotlessly clean, and we 
 had no compunction whatever about falling to, for the 
 state of my appetite forbade much reticence. The prince 
 was delighted with the way I appreciated the food, and 
 offered to make another feast in the evening if I wished. 
 I thanked him, but begged to be excused ; once a day is 
 quite sufficient for any man. 
 
 Only one more day's journey now before we reached the 
 capital of Toro, but as it was twenty-three miles we left 
 Mwenge very early in the morning. Byakweyamba bade 
 me an affectionate farewell, begging me to come again and 
 see him before long, and this I promised to do. 
 
 Monday, July 13th, we reached Kabarole, the capital of 
 Toro. We had a right royal reception, not to say a most 
 embarrassing one. Hundreds of people flocked to meet 
 me, and long before I got within sight of the capital 
 a number of the king's soldiers came running towards me, 
 and the young chief who was in command when he 
 reached me, knelt down and said, " The king has sent me 
 to see you," and when I asked after the health of his 
 Majesty and of all the people he said, " Great joy is going 
 to kill us all." One messenger brought a letter to me; I 
 must give the literal translation : — 
 
 "To Mr. Lloyd. How do you do, my dear friend? I love you very 
 much indeed. I greet you with great joy. God be praised ! He has 
 brought you here . . . and this letter is of very great joy, my friend. 
 Goodbye, sir ; God be with you. — I am Victoria the Queen Mother." 
 
 Then came other letters of similar greeting from chiefs, 
 &c., and no prince could have had a more lordly welcome. 
 As I climbed the hill leading to the king's enclosure all 
 the ladies came to meet me ; they were beautifully dressed 
 in many-coloured garments, and the king's wife was in 
 the midst of the crowd. 
 
 The road was cleared, the runners standing on either
 
 144 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 side, and then at a signal from the queen all the ladies 
 walked in great state to meet me. But their excitement 
 seemed to get the better of them, for after a few steps 
 they ran at full speed, and the queen literally threw 
 herself into my arms according to the native custom. 
 They all clung to me, greeting me most warmly, and 
 then turned and escorted me towards the King's Hill. 
 Presently a cry arose, " The king is coming ! " and in a 
 moment all fell back, leaving me standing alone in the 
 middle of the road, and I saw at a little distance the 
 king, the queen mother, and my future colleague, Mr. 
 A. B. Fisher, waiting to receive me. All round was the 
 king's bodyguard, Watoro warriors armed with guns, 
 and looking very smart in their white tunics and dark blue 
 putties. Kasagama came forward to meet me, clasping 
 me in his arms and hugging me several times ; Fisher and 
 I exchanged greetings and then turned towards the 
 temporary house built for my occupation, the huge crowd 
 of now some hundreds following us to the door, and then, 
 amid great shouting and rejoicing, dispersed.
 
 Insert hrhfrcii jxir/c.s 144 (Uiil 14,j.
 
 Insert betirrcn parjcn l-!4 at^d l-i."*
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 TORO 
 
 Brief history of Toro — Kasagama — Developments in Toro — Liberation 
 of slaves — Euwenzori, Mountains of the Moon — Attending the sick 
 — I build a dispensary — Wanted, a hospital— Leopards of Toro — A 
 midnight scare — Lions — The little hero — The Watoro— Toro customs 
 — Teeth-breaking— Burning "Njoka" — Cupping — Drinking parties. 
 
 TORO has existed as an independent kingdom for 
 many centuries, and according to tradition has been 
 governed by numerous kings. It is said that the Watoro 
 migrated from Bukedi, the country situated to the north 
 of Uganda, and that the founder of the nation and the 
 first king was Lwanyantoro Lukedi. Disagreement, how- 
 ever, occurred soon after they had settled in the country 
 to the west of Uganda, and Lurega, a man of great 
 influence, rebelled against Lwanyantoro Lukedi, and 
 then a long war was carried on, which finally ended in 
 dividing up the country into two kingdoms ; that to the 
 north was called Unyoro, and was governed by Lurega, 
 and that to the south was held by Lwanyantoro Lukedi. 
 After the division of the two countries peace reigned 
 through the land for long years, and no trouble existed, 
 excepting that which came from Uganda, for the King 
 of Uganda always made Toro and Unyoro his own 
 raiding ground, and from thence came all the slaves of 
 the Waganda. 
 
 10 ^'^
 
 146 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 At last a big chief, Kaba Kega by name, was made king 
 of Unyoro. He was a man of remarkable ability as a 
 general, and very soon commenced to look round to see 
 how he might extend the domains of his kingdom. He 
 saw that Toro was governed by a man named Nyeka, a 
 very poor specimen, who was but little esteemed by his 
 people, and so Kaba Eega sent off a very big army to try 
 and capture Toro ; at first he failed, but finally succeeded. 
 Kasagama, the son of Nyeka, King of Toro, then quite 
 a boy, fled to Ankole for his life, knowing that Kaba Rega 
 would kill him, being a prince, if he were caught. He 
 was also joined by Byakweyamba, who was a prince of 
 the house of Toro. 
 
 For a time the young princes remained in seclusion 
 with a few dependants, and with Kasagama's mother, and 
 finally journeyed to Uganda and were well treated by the 
 King. 
 
 When Colonel (then Captain) Lugard made his notable 
 journey westward in search of the Soudanese left behind 
 by Emin Pasha, and to mark out the western frontier 
 of the Protectorate, he took with him Kasagama and 
 Byakweyamba, made the former king of Toro and the 
 latter of Mwenge, a large province to the east of Toro, 
 which has since been amalgamated with Toro proper. 
 A number of forts were built throughout Toro, and 
 Soudanese troops left at each to protect the country from 
 the raids that were constantly made by Kaba Rega, for 
 although he was driven from the country by Lugard's 
 column he still remained hostile, and determined if 
 possible to recapture the country, but so well did these 
 Soudanese do their work that he failed upon every attempt. 
 He at last gave up the hope of ever being able to again 
 possess Toro as part of his kingdom. 
 
 While in Uganda Kasagama had learned the Uganda 
 language and had also acquired a fair knowledge of the
 
 EFFORTS TO CATCH ZKBRAS (XC page 126). 
 
 KASA(.\M.\, KINO Ol-_1'OKO. 
 To fncc f'diic n(t.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 147 
 
 customs, and when he became King of Toro his first 
 desire was to establish there a system of government 
 similar to that which exists in Uganda at the present 
 day, that of dependent chieftainship. When I arrived in 
 Toro it was soon very obvious to me that his effort to 
 imitate this system of chieftainship had been successful, 
 and that he had by this means a very fair hold upon the 
 country as a whole. 
 
 Several months before I reached Toro Kasagama had 
 again visited Uganda, partly to answer some political 
 charges made against him and also to find out for himself 
 more about Christianity, of which he had heard a little 
 from the Uganda teachers sent some twelve months pre- 
 viously. While in Mengo he was baptized and took the 
 name of David, and upon his return he commenced in 
 real earnest to try and act as a Christian king should. In a 
 letter he wrote to " the Elders of the Church in Europe " 
 he says : **God our Father gave me the kingdom of Toro, 
 to reign over for Him, therefore I write to you, my 
 brethren, to beseech you to remember me, and to pray for 
 me every day. ... I praise my Lord very much indeed 
 for the words of the gospel He brought into my country, 
 and you I thank for sending teachers to come here to 
 teach us such beautiful words. I therefore tell you that 
 I want very much, God giving me strength, to arrange 
 all the matters of this country for Him only, that all my 
 people may understand that Christ Jesus, He is the 
 Saviour of all countries, and that He is the King of all 
 kings." Being most thoroughly in earnest to do as he 
 says, " let his people know," he at once upon his return 
 to Toro built a fine church in which they might worship 
 God. He also set about building a house for a European 
 teacher. 
 
 When we reached Toro we found the large church well 
 advanced, and the house in which my colleague and I
 
 148 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 were to live nearly completed, and quite a number of 
 people who could already read the Gospels. 
 
 A European officer, Captain Sitwell, was stationed in 
 Toro when we arrived, whose duty it was to put the 
 country in working order and to help Kasagama in every 
 way possible so that he might exercise his power as king. 
 
 Every Monday morning Kasagama's "baraza" was 
 held. This was the great court function of the week, 
 when the King sat in state upon his throne with all his 
 chiefs gathered round him in conference, and when any 
 political cases were to be tried, judgments being given by 
 the King. One interesting announcement was made by 
 the King in " baraza " soon after our arrival in the 
 country, viz., that if there were any slaves in the country 
 who wished to obtain their freedom they were at liberty 
 at once to apply for it. Some fifty Waganda women 
 slaves immediately came forward and were released and 
 returned to Uganda under proper escort. Thus at the 
 commencement of his reign Kasagama proved that he 
 was desirous of establishing Christian rule in his country. 
 
 So much has already been written by others about 
 Ruwenzori, or the Mountains of the Moon, situated to the 
 west of Toro, that I need say but little. Its massive 
 grandeur, with glistening peaks, towering for 18,000 feet 
 above the sea-level ; the gloriously snowy twin cones and 
 the magnificent Gordon-Bennett Mountain with its huge 
 base stretching from south to north some fifty miles, 
 rugged and broken. Once seen the impression made will 
 never be forgotten. Undoubtedly one of the chief sources 
 of the great river Nile, Euwenzori's melted snows have 
 for centuries past provided Egypt with its sustenance, 
 and the tiny rivulets rushing down the mountain-sides 
 from the eternal snows, broadening out upon the plains 
 into great rivers, and emptying themselves either into the 
 Albert Edward Lake, or into the Semliki river, have
 
 IN DWARF LAND 149 
 
 ever been the channels of mercy to that thirsty land of 
 the Pharaohs. 
 
 As soon as I had settled down in the capital I offered to 
 do what I could to help those who were suffering from 
 any kind of disease. I had with me a small supply of 
 drugs in tablet form, with iodoform, boracic and antiseptic 
 dressings ; but I had not bargained for the great rush that 
 was immediately made upon me. The first day fifty sick 
 folk came, and each day this number gradually increased, 
 until at the end of a fortnight no less than two hundred 
 people were coming to me to be attended to. A great 
 majority of the cases, however, were ulcers and wounds of 
 various kinds. My drug store was a very limited one and 
 could not hold out many days with such tremendous 
 claims upon it. Little by little it disappeared, and I had 
 nothing left to give out to the poor sufferers who came to 
 me. An order was sent off to England for a fresh supply, 
 but at least a year must elapse before it could possibly 
 reach us. Still they came, as many as two hundred and 
 fifty in one day, and the great cry was : " "We're dead, 
 we're dead ; give us medicine, give us medicine ! " As a 
 last resource we hunted up all kinds of old newspapers 
 and periodicals, and to every one suffering with ulcers and 
 wounds we distributed little squares of paper. We told 
 them it would not heal them, but it would at least keep 
 the dirt out, and they were delighted beyond measure. 
 Old gentlemen would be seen going away with little bits 
 of the Times newspaper sticking to them, in fact quite a 
 new field for journalism was opened up in Central Africa. 
 Fresh supplies of drugs came before we expected them, 
 however, and we were then able to carry on the healing 
 work, and the real gratitude of the poor creatures that 
 came to us — some suffering most awful agonies — was 
 most touching, and inspired us to do our very best for 
 them. After a little while I built a small dispensary in
 
 150 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 the Mission compound in which the patients might sit as 
 they waited for treatment. It was astonishing to me to 
 find how much I could help these sufferers with such a 
 limited amount of medical knowledge at my command. 
 Sometimes operations were performed, and then it was 
 that one found out to what an enormous extent the 
 Watoro could bear pain. From one man's leg I removed 
 a piece of bone eight inches long, making an incision of 
 five inches, tying up arteries and veins, and finally stitch- 
 ing up the wound, and all this done without chloroform, 
 or even cocaine, and the poor fellow never flinched the 
 whole time and never uttered a sound. A woman had a 
 cancerous growth under the arm, and this I removed 
 without the use of any kind of anaesthetic. Both of these 
 were absolute cures. Another man had a bullet deeply 
 imbedded in his chest, and this was extracted success- 
 fully ; dislocated joints and shattered limbs, snake bites 
 and spear wounds, were all attended to, and great was the 
 rejoicing among the people when a chief of distinction in 
 the country thought to be dying by the native medicine 
 men was brought to life and health once more by the 
 European's drugs. 
 
 The number of patients seemed to increase every day, 
 and cases were brought in from long distances. One 
 poor woman was carried six days' journey on a rough 
 stretcher, to be treated for dysentery, and when such 
 cases as these were brought to us we were at our wits' 
 end to know where to put the patient, for it was impos- 
 sible for them to return at "once. To overcome this 
 difficulty small huts were built close to the Mission com- 
 pound and allotted to those patients who were unable to 
 return to their homes, and quite a little settlement sprang 
 up on the waste ground close to our houses. Each day 
 after attending to the out-patients I visited these huts 
 to do what I could for the occupants.
 
 SICK FOLK. 
 
 
 
 orF.KX MO-I'UFK' OF ToKo, 
 
 To face page 150.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 151 
 
 But a hospital was sadly needed and a qualified 
 medical man to do the work, for of course many were 
 the cases brought to me for which I was unable to do 
 anything. The king, when approached upon this subject, 
 readily gave a plot of ground for the hospital, but up to 
 the present time nothing has been done towards rearing 
 the building. Each morning, before any drugs are given 
 out, a short service is held in the dispensary, and most 
 encouraging have been the results of this work. Several 
 young men who were successfully treated offered them- 
 selves as teachers, and one in particular who I remember 
 went off in this capacity to a tribe of people called 
 the Wakonjo, who live right up the great mountain of 
 Kuwenzori. 
 
 We had not resided long in Toro before we became 
 acquainted with the fact of the presence of lions and 
 leopards in the district. Great excitement was caused 
 one day about 6 p.m. by the appearance in the centre of 
 the capital of a huge leopard. The Watoro, who are not 
 noted for their excessive bravery, immediately rushed into 
 their houses and barred the doors, and that night no one 
 ventured outside. 
 
 However, in the early morning a great cry arose from 
 the King's Hill, and we hastened out to discover the 
 cause. The story was soon told ; the leopard had in some 
 mysterious way managed to get into the king's enclosure; 
 there it had wandered about until it came to an unpro- 
 tected house where about fifty men and boys were sleep- 
 ing. It deliberately walked into the house and looked 
 about until it found a young lad who was sleeping between 
 two men, seized him by the throat, and before he could 
 utter a cry strangled him and carried him off without even 
 waking one of the men, and it was not until the early 
 morning that the tragedy was discovered. The leopard 
 had actually stepped over the bodies of several men and
 
 152 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 boys who were sleeping on the floor, as the footprints 
 indicated, without even disturbing them, Fisher and I 
 immediately set off to try and recover the body of the 
 unfortunate boy, and, if possible, kill the leopard. The 
 former we were able to do, although it was terribly 
 mangled, but the latter kept well out of the way. 
 
 A few nights afterwards I was quietly sleeping, Fisher 
 being in a room at the opposite end of the house, when I 
 was startled to hear a shout from Fisher calling to me to 
 come to him, declaring that there was a leopard in his 
 room. I sprang out of bed and seized a revolver and 
 proceeded very cautiously in the dark to his room. Bang, 
 bang, bang, went my friend's revolver as I approached, 
 and I began to fear lest I should be hit in the excitement 
 of the moment. Then all was still and I procured a light. 
 There sat my friend in his bed with an empty pistol in 
 his hand, but where was the leopard ? When we looked 
 round we found that the door leading from the room into 
 the garden was partly open, having been pushed on one 
 side, and outside there were numerous footprints of the 
 leopard. Whether the beast had been actually in the 
 room or not we could not say ; probably it had, and if 
 Fisher had not heard it, that moment would have been 
 his last. 
 
 The Toro people are so much afraid of these animals 
 that they seldom hunt them, and when they do, it is only 
 to make a great noise and frighten them away, with no 
 idea of attempting their destruction. The leopards being 
 thus unmolested were very venturesome, and we con- 
 stantly had them prowling about our premises, and 
 nearly every week we heard of some one being carried 
 off. But I have mentioned the lions also. These are 
 quite as numerous, and far more to be feared than the 
 leopards. They never go about singly, and frequently 
 five or six would be seen together, and even in the middle
 
 IN DWARF LAND 153 
 
 of the day, in lonely parts, these terrible creatures will 
 seize their prey. 
 
 While staying in one of the suburbs of the capital I 
 was one morning called up by the chief to come at once 
 and shoot a lion that was doing great damage in the 
 district and had just killed a poor woman while culti- 
 vating her garden. She was stooping down pulling up 
 some weeds when in front of her she heard the awful 
 roar of a lion. Looking up in speechless horror she saw 
 in the grass a few yards away a huge male lion, 
 apparently about to spring upon her, but just at that 
 moment the lioness, which had crept up behind her, 
 sprang out, and with one terrible stroke of the forepaw 
 killed her where she stood, and then carried her off into 
 the thicket. As soon as I heard this story I started off 
 with a couple of my boys to hunt the lion ; but although 
 I spent the whole day searching never a lion did I see. 
 The mangled remains of the poor woman we discovered, 
 but the lions avoided us. However, a few days later 
 a party of native hunters, returning from their day's 
 hunt after small antelope, were attacked by the same 
 lions. Walking in single file through the long grass on 
 the narrow path, the man at the end of the line was 
 suddenly seized from behind by the lioness and instantly 
 killed and carried off. The rest of the party made off 
 with all haste, excepting one little boy, the son of the 
 man killed, and he, amazingly plucky little fellow that he 
 is, actually turned back, and, armed with nothing but a 
 small spear, followed the blood-stained track through the 
 thicket. After a little while he came upon the lioness in 
 the act of devouring his father. Without a moment's 
 hesitation this brave little chap rushed at the huge beast, 
 and the lioness, becoming aware of his approach, left 
 the prey and sprang upon the boy. By a merciful Pro- 
 vidence the spear which the boy carried entered its
 
 154 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 breast, and by the animal's own weight was forced right 
 into its body, piercing the heart, and the great creature 
 rolled over stone dead. The boy was utterly unharmed. 
 Rapidly withdrawing his little weapon he went and knelt 
 by the mangled remains of his father, and while bending 
 over him in his sorrow the male lion came roaring 
 through the thicket. The grief-stricken lad sprang up 
 and with almost superhuman courage rushed towards the 
 second lion, waving aloft his blood-stained spear and 
 shouting, " Come on, come on, I'll kill you also ! " 
 But the lion was so discomfited by the unexpected 
 approach of the lad that he turned tail and fled, leaving 
 his partner dead by the side of her mangled prey. The 
 boy then went home to his village and called his friends 
 to come and bring the dead lioness to the king, and this 
 was done. The brave little fellow was suitably rewarded 
 by Kasagama for his wonderful pluck, and he made him 
 his own page. 
 
 The people of Toro are by no means above the average 
 African. They are more lazy than the Waganda, and 
 are satisfied with very inferior houses. They wear skins 
 roughly prepared in place of the bark cloth, which they 
 will not take the trouble to make. They are dirty to a 
 degree, and their habits are most degraded. In the 
 country districts many of the women go about in a state 
 of nudity, and the men very little better. As a result of 
 their uncleanly habits they nearly all suffer with scabies 
 and many malignant diseases. And yet there is some- 
 thing good in their composition. They are very warm- 
 hearted and impulsive, and when once enlightened as to 
 better things they are most anxious to improve. 
 
 Many of the customs of the Watoro are most bar- 
 barous. For instance, they have an extraordinary prac- 
 tice of breaking off all the front teeth on the bottom jaw. 
 This is done when the child is quite young ; indeed,
 
 THE LION KILI.KR WITH HIS SPEAK. 
 
 TVI'ICAl. TdKo HIT 
 To face paiic 154.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 155 
 
 as soon as the second teeth show themselves they are 
 broken off or dragged out with the most primitive tools. 
 The chief idea seems to be to improve the looks ; and if to 
 look prematurely old is their great aim, it is certainly 
 accomplished by this custom, but it is a thoroughly 
 heathen practice and causes the children terrible suffer- 
 ing. It has also had the effect of making the pronuncia- 
 tion of their language more difficult. Curious lisps are 
 necessary and have to be coped with to make oneself 
 properly understood. 
 
 Burning, too, is another of their customs, equally 
 barbarous. For every complaint imaginable this is 
 the one great remedy ; whether it be headache, stomach 
 ache, or chest trouble, burning is always resorted to 
 at once. A piece of rough iron is made red hot 
 in the fire, and then pressed upon the bare skin about 
 the spot where the pain exists. I have seen men 
 with burns reaching to the bone, little children whose 
 heads are one mass of horrible scabs as a result of this 
 practice. Chest complaints are very common amongst 
 them, and nearly everybody one meets has old scars 
 covering his chest, where he has been burnt from time to 
 time. I believe the old idea is that all pain is caused by 
 some evil spirit dwelling in the part, and if fire is brought 
 to bear upon that place the evil spirit leaves. 
 
 Pains in the chest and stomach are always called 
 " Njoka " (snakes), and the natives firmly believe that it 
 is one of these live creatures moving about within that 
 causes the pain. A man suffering from indigestion once 
 told me that a Njoka resided in his stomach, and from 
 time to time made its way up as far as his throat, and 
 then, just as he hoped to be able to catch hold of it and 
 draw it out, it returned to the lower regions. 
 
 Cupping is also largely resorted to when fever is the 
 trouble, and sometimes I have seen at least half a pint of
 
 156 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 blood drawn from a man's head. The wide end of a 
 cow's horn is pressed upon the part, which has previously 
 been lacerated with a sharp knife, and then through a 
 hole in the side of the horn the air is sucked and the 
 small hole in the side blocked up, so that the suction 
 continues and the blood is thus drawn off in great 
 quantities. 
 
 Another very curious old custom, scarcely ever practised 
 at the present day, still not entirely unknown in the 
 country, was in vogue in case of war. If a tribe living 
 near threatened to attack the people of Toro, they would 
 send a woman whose breast had been cut, together with 
 two sheep or two cows, to the hostile tribe as a peace- 
 offering. 
 
 Great feasts and drinking parties were always organised 
 by the king at the new moons, being held in the king's 
 " lubiri " (enclosure), and all the big chiefs were expected 
 to attend, when drum-beating and blowing of horns and 
 dancing were the order of the day. These drinking 
 parties are the great festivals of the Watoro. The beer 
 is made from the banana juice, fermented with a small 
 millet. About 6 p.m. the drums begin to beat within 
 a chief's enclosure, announcing to all that there is to be a 
 great drinking bout that night. The friends and neigh- 
 bours of the chief all flock together, young and old alike, 
 men and women. The beer is kept in large gourds, each 
 one containing several gallons. Perhaps ten of these 
 gourds will be provided, or if he be a big chief twenty, or 
 even thirty, are set before the guests. The men sit in 
 groups, and to each group is given a calabash, or gourd of 
 Maruwa, as it is called. Small cups, also made from the 
 gourds, are handed round, and when the chief has taken 
 the first drink all follow suit, and the festivities commence. 
 Needless to say, the end of such parties as these is the 
 indulgence in all the evil passions of human nature.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 157 
 
 fighting and murder, lasciviousness and wanton wicked- 
 ness. Devil dances of a most disgusting character, 
 witchcraft, and fetishism are all practised upon these 
 occasions, and it is at such times that one sees the utter 
 degradation of heathenism ; and yet some people will say, 
 " Oh, leave them alone; they are happy enough in their 
 blindness." If heathenism, immorality, and sin had 
 been left untouched in our own country, where once 
 upon a time it was rampant, the British flag would not 
 be to the world what it is to-day, the emblem of a 
 Christian Government. Wherever our good flag flies 
 darkness and heathenism must be dispersed. It is 
 Britain's glory that she exists as a nation " to right 
 the wrongs of sufi'ering humanity and to establish peace 
 on earth."
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 A TEAMP INTO THE UNKNOWN 
 
 Footprints of the lions — Snake in the grass — Eavages of the lions — A 
 narrow escape — Dry and thirsty land — I meet the Captain — The 
 Soudanese guard — Following the compass — Hunting water-buck— 
 Between heaven and earth — A fine specimen — A picturesque camp — 
 Elephants — Carving our way — Up a tree — Patience rewarded — Tropical 
 vegetation — The Captain and I part company — We camp in the wilder- 
 ness — Mount Edwin Arnold — Mpanga river — A hostile people — Heathen 
 sacrifice — Home again to Toro. 
 
 NOT being content to follow merely in the footsteps 
 of other men in Africa, and to keep to the old beaten 
 tracks, I took a most interesting journey through the 
 south-eastern portion of Toro, which might well be 
 described as a tramp into the unknown. 
 
 I left the capital of Toro with a few strong porters for 
 my things and the biggest of my boys, including my 
 faithful old friend Mika. It was a glorious morning, and 
 as we set off on this another tramp, one felt a kind of 
 exhilaration of freedom which can be experienced nowhere 
 but in Africa. Our road lay to the south, and we had 
 the advantage of a fine, wide, well-kept road for some 
 little distance. On each side of the path was a high wall 
 of tiger grass 10 to 15 feet, which completely shut out the 
 view, and we felt something like the Pygmies must do 
 as they tramp through their mighty forest. 
 
 We soon became aware that the path had been recently 
 
 158
 
 IN DWARF LAND 159 
 
 traversed by other strangers, for there were huge foot- 
 prints right along, conspicuous among them being the 
 elephant's. And by a little close inspection we found 
 that there were scores of lion footprints. I loaded my 
 gun, and we had to walk close together, as they were 
 evidently in the near vicinity. Presently I was startled 
 by the unexpected appearance of a large puff-adder just 
 in the path, not a yard in front of us. It was coiled up 
 in some dead cut grass, and fortunately for me my little 
 dog, who was at my heels as usual, first saw it and gave 
 a short, sharp bark, and I knew that something was wrong. 
 At that moment the reptile reared its head close before 
 me. I was too much taken by surprise to kill it, and it 
 made off into the high grass. 
 
 We were now passing through entirely uninhabited 
 country, and the path was still covered with lion spoor, 
 and we expected every moment to meet with the animals 
 themselves. Suddenly a boy who was walking a little 
 ahead of us came running back ; he said he had seen 
 some lions, and there was something lying in the path- 
 way. I pressed forward with my rifle ready; there, 
 about fifty yards in front, I saw the body of a man lying 
 across the path. I hurried up, followed closely by the 
 rest of the party. The man was quite dead, but had 
 evidently only been so a very short time. Footprints 
 were all around, and blood smeared over the grass in the 
 vicinity, but the lions were nowhere to be seen. We 
 walked slowly on, and less than three hundred yards 
 further on we came to the body of another man, fright- 
 fully mauled and quite dead. It was a ghastly sight, and 
 made us wonder who might be the next to be seized. 
 No doubt the lions were somewhere near, and had only 
 been temporarily frightened from the path by our 
 approach. We therefore kept a sharp look-out both 
 before and behind, but saw nothing, and after about four
 
 160 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 hours' walk sat down by one of the beautiful mountain 
 streams, cooked some food, and generally enjoyed ourselves 
 for half an hour. 
 
 Another four hours brought us to a very large village 
 called Butanuka, which is the country seat of the Katikiro 
 (Prime Minister) of Toro. We were most heartily 
 welcomed by the chief and the people. The former sent 
 me a fine goat and plenty of food. After an excellent 
 meal and a little chat with the chief and the people, we 
 all retired, I to my little tent and the boys and porters to 
 the native huts. 
 
 The following day was Sunday, and I spent it amongst 
 my good friends, visiting the houses, and holding services 
 in the church, which the Christians had built for them- 
 selves. Two young Waganda teachers were working 
 here and doing really good service. The chief, an 
 avowed Christian, is very true to his faith, and nothing 
 seems to please him more than to sit with his Testament 
 in his hand, reading the Gospels to his people as they 
 gather around him. Another poor woman was the victim 
 of the lions while I was at this place. She had gone into 
 the garden to pick some bananas for the midday meal 
 when she was seized and devoured within sight of her 
 companions. One man who saw it all came running 
 into the village giving the alarm, and a large number of 
 the warriors went to try and drive the lions off. There 
 was extraordinary excitement in the village, and every 
 one seemed scared and frightened, but in the midst of 
 it all I heard some little boys singing, "Go to Perati 
 [French priest] and he will give you a medal, but 
 if you go to Lloyd you will get a New Testament." I 
 asked one of the little chaps if he knew what the New 
 Testament taught us, and he said, "Yes, I do ; I know 
 a lot about it." " Tell me what you know," I said, and 
 he answered very promptly, "I know that God loves
 
 IN DWARF LAND 161 
 
 me, because He says so." I thought that if every man on 
 God's earth knew even that much, how blessed it would be. 
 
 The next morning I made a bold resolve to hunt the 
 lions, but alas ! it came to nothing, for they were nowhere 
 to be found ; the warriors had driven them right away. 
 We had a tremendous walk, however, following up one 
 track after another, with always the same result. 
 
 I had one narrow escape that day, about which I must 
 write. Walking in front of the men and boys who had 
 followed me, I heard one of them utter a most awful yell, 
 and turning round saw them all running away into the 
 long grass. What could the matter be ? I called to one 
 of them, but could not hear what he said, he was too 
 far off. Another, who was nearer to me, seemed too 
 much startled to speak at all. So I walked back to find 
 out for myself what was wrong. The cries of the boys 
 became louder, and I found out that it was a snake that 
 had alarmed them. I laughed and was passing on, when 
 they called me back. Mika, who by this time had caught 
 us up (he having been some distance behind) now came 
 forward and asked where the snake was. One of the 
 men pointed with his stick to the very track in the grass 
 that I had made. He said nothing, but with his eyes 
 almost starting out of his head gazed at the spot. Mika 
 and I went forward and then — what a sight ! There, 
 coiled up in a tuft of grass and partly hidden from view, 
 was the largest snake I had ever seen. It was a python. 
 The middle of its body was, without doubt, a foot in 
 diameter, while the length of this awful reptile must have 
 been at least 20 feet. Oh, horrors ! I could have faced a 
 lion without blinking, but this terrible monster made me 
 quake, especially when I found that I had put my foot 
 down, as I passed, less than three inches from its head ! 
 As Mika approached it lifted its head, and made a 
 low, curious sound, its little black eyes sparkling like 
 
 11
 
 162 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 diamonds. How it glared at us ! I almost felt its fasci- 
 nation. Brave old Mika, never afraid, and always ready, 
 saw in a moment that to hesitate would be fatal, gave 
 me a push backwards, and lifting the big knobstick that 
 he was carrying rushed at it, and jumping skilfully to 
 one side as the reptile prepared to spring, brought down 
 the stick like a sledge hammer right in the middle of its 
 body, and before it had time scarcely to move he was 
 round the other side and had dealt another blow. But 
 he might as well have slashed away at a huge oak-tree 
 as to try and make much impression on this roll of 
 muscle. Another blow, and another leap by Mika, and 
 away dashed the snake into the thicket, feeling no doubt 
 that it had met its match. As it went it reared its head 
 and shot back deadly glances at brave old Mika, but it 
 did not return to the fight, and we heard it plunging along 
 through the undergrowth, making a noise like some large 
 four-footed animal, and we saw it no more. 
 
 As we retraced our steps we were surprised to find how 
 far we had wandered from camp, and I have seldom 
 suffered so much from thirst as I did that day. We had 
 at least five hours' walk through a scorching sun, and 
 nothing at all to drink. However, just as I was beginning 
 to feel I could go no further without water, we came to 
 some damp earth ; but what good was this ? "We very 
 quickly dug a hole about a foot deep, and then to our joy 
 saw the water just beginning to come ; drop by drop it 
 oozed from the sides of the hole. I first put a leaf at the 
 bottom, and when it became damp, sucked it, then when 
 a little more had come I scooped it up with the leaf, and 
 at last, after much patience, the hole filled up, the mud 
 sank to the bottom and a dehghtful pool of pure, clear 
 water appeared. I put my head down and took a long, 
 long draught, and never did water taste so sweet. Then 
 the boys and men drank, and all were satisfied.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 163 
 
 We got to our camp about 4 p.m., had a little rest and 
 refreshment, and then a short walk brought us to a place 
 where Captain Sitwell was camped on the top of a hill, sur- 
 rounded by a banana grove. We had previously arranged 
 to meet at this place, and journey together into the 
 unknown. My tent was pitched by the side of his, and 
 in a very short time we had dinner together. The 
 Captain had brought with him six cows for milk, and 
 several sheep for killing, and quite a lot of home comforts. 
 He also had with him an experienced Indian cook, who 
 had travelled with him from Uganda. We sat and chatted 
 together after an excellent repast, till nine o'clock, and 
 then separated for the night. 
 
 As Her Majesty's Vice-Consul in Toro the Captain 
 travelled under an escort of Soudanese troops of the 
 Uganda Protectorate ; they were a very fine set of men and 
 seemed to be much attached to their commanding officer. 
 At night two of these fellows acted as sentries at the 
 door of our tents, and a small camp fire was kept burning. 
 This certainly gave to me a sense of security that I had 
 seldom felt in Africa, and I enjoyed a good deep sleep for 
 once in my life. As a rule I slept so lightly that the 
 sound of a night bird, or a bat as it fluttered past my 
 tent, would always rouse me, and it was a relief to feel 
 that there was some one outside who would be awake all 
 through the night and give prompt intimation to us if 
 anything went wrong. However, "Put not your trust 
 in princes, nor in any son of man," is good advice, and 
 once, with the sentry actually standing a few yards from 
 the tent door, a leopard entered the tent of my friend 
 and carried off a dog that was quietly sleeping on the 
 chair by the bedside, and the sentry was utterly ignorant 
 of the fact until he heard the dog yell, which was then, 
 of course, too late. 
 
 Early the next morning our walk into the unknown
 
 164 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 commenced. The Captain determined not to stick to 
 paths, but just to proceed by compass, and very soon after 
 we had struck camp we made due east, and for three 
 hours were simply cutting our way through the country, 
 with axes and swords ; such dense, thick undergrowth, it 
 was hard work for the soldiers who did the cutting, and 
 seldom could we see more than a few yards in front. 
 
 In the evening we reached a small village and here 
 camped. The chief brought us plenty of food, which we 
 distributed to the porters and boys. During the evening 
 I visited some of the people and had chats with them, and 
 I found that here also the lions had been making great 
 ravages. One poor woman that I saw had been terribly 
 torn about by a lion, the whole of the flesh on one side of 
 her face being literally eaten off, and the greatest wonder 
 was that she escaped at all. 
 
 We started off very early the following morning, but 
 we could find no path leading in the direction we desired, 
 so again we went by compass. This time long, tangled 
 grass impeded our progress, and make walking most 
 difficult. The country looked very beautiful, much after 
 the style of a big English park. The recent rains had 
 had the effect of freshening up everything. After a little 
 while we saw in the distance a small herd of water-buck 
 quietly grazing on the hillside. I hurried off in front of 
 the caravan and was soon fighting my way through the 
 terrible long, rank grass, cutting myself all over with its 
 knife-like blades. I was pushing my way rapidly through 
 some of this long grass, with my eyes fixed upon a fine 
 buck, about 300 yards off, when suddenly I felt my feet 
 tread on air ! and my next sensation was one of suspen- 
 sion between earth and heaven. Quite unconsciously I 
 had come upon a deep gully, almost like a crack in the 
 earth, with a lot of water at the bottom, which seemed 
 about 20 feet beneath. My arms were held fast by some
 
 SorDAXKSE SKXTKY, 
 
 II M'l'V M(.(,l- K'>. I'l.l- ^:T^ In l':.\T. 
 
 To fiicc pane 164.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 165 
 
 creepers above my head. While wondering what I should 
 do to get out of this queer state, I was suddenly saved the 
 trouble by the creepers giving way, and down, down I 
 went with a whack, splash into the water, which was 
 fortunately deep enough to break my fall. It was a good 
 thing for me that I did not get a broken skull, for there 
 were rocks sticking up here and there through the water. 
 As it was I was not a bit hurt, only shaken and wet, and 
 I therefore soon began to think again about that water- 
 buck I had left up above. The question was, how to get 
 up ! I had my gun in my hand, and I was alone, and in 
 front of me twenty feet of steep, rocky bank. How- 
 ever, by clinging to the creepers, and holding on to little 
 tufts of grass, I got up the other side quite serenely and 
 looked about for my prize. There he was, reclining under 
 the shadow of a big tree. I walked a few yards, and at 
 about two hundred yards fired. He rolled over, but got 
 up again and was off, but as he ran I put another shot 
 into him, and this time it went through the heart, and 
 over he went, not to move again. It was a very fine 
 specimen, with twenty-seven inch horns. The caravan 
 came up, and the meat was quickly divided amongst the 
 porters. 
 
 We did not go much further that day, but camped 
 on a hill overlooking the whole surrounding country — 
 a most charming place. The wildness of it was en- 
 chanting. We were on ground that no white man had 
 ever trodden before, and possibly no black man either. 
 All around us were beautiful hills and deep valleys, some 
 of the former thickly wooded, and lovely httle rivulets 
 running through the latter. 
 
 As we sat at lunch just outside our tents we saw quite 
 close to us a large herd of elephants ; we counted about 
 thirty in all. They were quietly feeding upon the grass 
 and tender shoots from the trees.
 
 166 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 We left this charming spot at six the next naorning, 
 and after a short walk came to the thickest and tallest 
 grass I have ever seen. Every foot had to be cut by the 
 Soudanese with their sword bayonets. For three and a 
 half hours we toiled on, and it seemed to get worse and 
 worse at every step. The men were at last tired out with 
 the hard cutting, and we all sat down for a rest by the side 
 of a very high tree. The Captain called for several of 
 his men to climb up and look out for a path or village, or 
 some means of getting out of this horrible jungle. Man 
 after man tried to climb and failed ; at last I made an 
 attempt. I found a long, thin creeper hanging down 
 through the branches of the tree, just like a very thick 
 rope. I tested it to see if it would bear my weight, and 
 then commenced to swarm up. For about 60 feet the 
 creeper was separated from the tree, and when I got up 
 about two-thirds of the way I looked down, and I was 
 literally hanging in space. Up and up I went, until I 
 reached the huge bough from which the creeper hung, 
 scrambled on to it, climbed a little higher up the tree, 
 and then looked round. But while doing so I became 
 conscious of a terrible pricking sensation all over my 
 body and which I found was caused by thousands of little 
 blacks ants. I was simply smothered. It was frightful 
 agony ; I hastily looked round, but the branches were 
 too thick, I could see nothing, so I climbed out on to 
 one of the boughs, broke off a few of the smaller ones so 
 as to get a view, and then at last I was rewarded by 
 seeing a little way to the north a forest, which would, I 
 thought, be much easier to walk through than this awful 
 grass. I then came down the creeper and got a few boys to 
 pick off the little pests, that had by this time bitten me in 
 every part of my body, easily finding their way under my 
 loose clothing. The Captain agreed with me that the 
 forest would be preferable to the high grass jungle, and
 
 IN DWARF LAND 167 
 
 so we changed our direction a little, and soon came to it, 
 and found as we expected that it was much easier to walk 
 through. The tropical vegetation was magnificent : tree 
 ferns on every hand, cabbage-like lichens of immense size 
 on almost every branch, trees and twigs all covered with 
 thick green moss, and creepers festooned from branch to 
 branch. Monkeys screamed amongst the leaves of the 
 giant trees 150 feet in height. 
 
 We, however, were too tired to take much notice of 
 the forest beauties ; we wanted water and a suitable 
 camping-ground for the night. We sent off men in all 
 directions to look for water, and after a time one man 
 came running back with the tidings that a river ran not 
 far from where we were resting. There it was quite 
 close to us, a beautiful stream flowing silently through 
 the forest, winding its way in and out like a snake. By 
 the side of it we camped. It was well for the porters 
 that I had been successful in killing the water-buck, as 
 we had hoped to reach a village where they could have 
 procured food instead of thus camping in a wild forest. 
 We struck camp about 5 a.m. the next day. It had been 
 a terribly cold night, due to a damp river mist. We 
 walked another four hours through the forest and then 
 struck a path which led us to a village, and here we 
 camped again. The Captain returned to Toro from this 
 place, but I determined to go on a little further. 
 
 A big chief came to see us in the evening, and on the 
 morning of the next day I went at this chief's request to 
 visit his village, stayed a few hours with him and ex- 
 changed presents. He was a prince of Toro, Kaibari by 
 name, and used to be one of Kaba Eega's old supporters, 
 a most untrustworthy fellow. He was very kind to me, 
 however, giving me a large quantity of food to take on 
 with me. 
 
 We went on for another three hours, and at 5 p.m.
 
 168 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 camped out in the wilderness by the side of a tiny 
 stream close to a thick forest. The boys built rough 
 huts around my tent, in which to sleep. I shot two large 
 golden-crested cranes for meat, together with a red-tailed 
 monkey, and these, with the food given us by the old 
 chief, met our requirements. Just before dark I had 
 the good fortune to kill a very fine specimen of Colibus 
 monkey, which was sporting about amongst the trees 
 within sight of my tent. 
 
 It was bright and fresh the next day when we started, 
 and we had the most majestic country to pass through. 
 On our right was the big mountain called Mount Edwin 
 Arnold, beautifully covered from base to crest with bright 
 green grass ; in front of us was another large range of 
 hills, not marked on the map, but called by the natives 
 Lubala Mountains ; and behind us in the dim distance 
 we could just see the snow-capped peaks of Ruwenzori 
 some forty miles away, and all around us were the most 
 lovely trees. Being very short, soft grass, we did not keep 
 to the path, which seemed to wind about a great deal. 
 
 At about eleven o'clock we reached the banks of the 
 Mpanga river, a stream that has its source in the eternal 
 snows of Ruwenzori, winding in a horseshoe shape to the 
 east on to the great plains, and finally into the north- 
 easterly arm of the Albert Edward Lake. The water was 
 deep and the current strong, and we had some difficulty 
 in finding a place where it was fordable. 
 
 Having crossed the Mpanga river, we at once entered 
 into a new country, and at 3 p.m. approached a large 
 village. It was built on a hill, and we could see that 
 all the men were collecting together around one man, 
 who was dressed in long, white flowing robes. All were 
 armed with spears and knives, bows and arrows, &c. 
 Not a pleasant sight for a harmless individual like my- 
 self. However, one has to face such things in Africa,
 
 IN DWARF LAND 169 
 
 and so I told the boys who were carrying my sporting 
 guns, and who were very frightened at the turn of events, 
 to fall to the rear, while I went on alone, .unarmed, to see 
 what was amiss and try and make peace. As I climbed 
 the hill I heard the war-drum beating, and great excite- 
 ment seemed to animate all. At last I reached the summit 
 and was immediately surrounded, and not a word was 
 spoken, but every man grasped his spear ready for 
 instant use. I went straight up to the chief without 
 showing any sign of fear or suspicion, although I confess 
 to a little dryness of the throat and palpitation of the 
 heart. As I approached him I kept my weather eye fixed 
 upon one great fellow who had a very big spear, and who 
 seemed to be edging his way towards me. I put out my 
 hand to greet the chief, smiling pleasantly, but he refused 
 to answer my salutation, and said, " Do you want to 
 steal my sheep and my goats?" I answered him that 
 nothing was further from my thoughts. " You are a liar," 
 he politely said ; " I Jcnoiv this is what you have come for." 
 I replied, " Should I have come into your presence, and 
 into the presence of these your armed warriors, unarmed 
 and alone, if I were going to fight and steal ? " He then 
 said, "But your soldiers may be hidden in the forest, 
 waiting for you to call them to your assistance." " No," 
 I said ; "all the men I have are just now coming up the 
 hill ; look at them, and you will see that they are un- 
 armed, except my two boys, who are carrying my two 
 guns I use for killing game to eat." At this he seemed 
 more satisfied, but asked me a few more questions, and 
 then withdrew his men into his own enclosure, having 
 pointed out to me a spot where I might pitch my tent. 
 This happened to be very close to a most strange 
 spectacle, a bird sacrifice. A dead fowl was hanging 
 by the neck from a long pole, which was festooned 
 with plaited grasses, &c. This was a propitiatory
 
 170 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 offering to the spirit of evil, that is supposed to destroy 
 their cattle, sheep, and goats, &c. When I had pitched 
 my tent the chief came again to see me with all his 
 spearmen and asked me to show him various things — 
 my guns, my brush, looking-glass, field glasses, &c. I 
 took one thing after another and explained it carefully to 
 him and he was much pleased, and I soon felt I was 
 gaining his confidence ; and by and by the spearmen 
 dispersed, but not before I had spoken to them of the one 
 great Sacrifice, once offered, for the sins of the whole 
 world, and of the loving Father of us all. One sincerely 
 trusts that the good seed sown by the wayside in these 
 wild, dark hearts may bear fruit after many days. 
 
 Up to that moment no food had been brought to us, 
 but now it came in great abundance, and all the porters 
 had plenty and to spare. At night I went into the chief's 
 house and sat and chatted with him till bedtime. The 
 house was all decked with charms and fetishes of every 
 description, in all of which he seemed to put implicit 
 trust. 
 
 In the morning I bade an affectionate farewell to the 
 people, the chief showing the wonderful change of feeling 
 toward me by accompanying me a good part of the way 
 alone. We were now on our return journey, and I 
 intended visiting a large village called Karumuli, about 
 twenty miles distant. 
 
 The second day we left Mount Edwin Arnold to the 
 north ; the base of the mountain was quite invisible, but 
 the summit was very distinct, and one could easily see the 
 trees, &c., on the very top. We stayed at Karumuli two 
 days, and then made our way home by one long, forced 
 march to Kabarole, reaching the Mission station about 
 5 p.m., just eleven days from the time we left it.
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 AT HOME IN TORO 
 
 Climate of Toro — Brick-making — House-building — A tornado — A disaster — 
 The Government fort — Missionaries and the Government officials— 
 A Christmas feast — The Mission garden — My first elephant — The 
 Batatela rebellion — Adventures of a French priest — Belgian officer 
 takes refuge in British Protectorate — Fort George attacked — A 
 splendid victory — Death of Eev. John Callis — Lions again — A lucky 
 shot. 
 
 THE climate of Toro is very different from that of 
 Uganda, no doubt by reason of the mountains and 
 their snow-capped peaks. In Toro rain falls much more 
 frequently, and during the first year I spent there it 
 rained on 272 days out of the 365. In the early morning 
 the wind seems to blow always from the west, a keen, 
 cutting blast which makes one very reluctant to leave 
 the warm blankets. Very often the wind brings with it 
 clouds of thick mist, and it is not an uncommon occur- 
 rence in Toro to get up and find the whole district in a 
 thick fog. It is often 11 o'clock before it clears up. 
 
 Even in the middle of the day the heat is never what 
 it is in Uganda and other countries nearer the coast. I 
 have known the thermometer to be as low as G5° at 
 12 midday in Toro, and much lower than that at night 
 and in the early dawn, but I have never seen it below 40°. 
 As a direct result of these cold mornings the people are 
 not early risers like the Waganda, excepting perhaps in 
 
 171
 
 172 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 the dry season, which lasts for three months only — 
 December, January, and February. 
 
 The ordinary reed houses, as built by the Europeans in 
 Uganda, were not sufficiently warm in Toro. I therefore 
 commenced to teach the natives to make sun-dried bricks. 
 I had never done anything of the kind before myself, but, 
 as I have said, a missionary must be prepared for any- 
 thing. I made a wooden mould out of old broken clothes 
 boxes, and commenced operations. The bricks were larger 
 than the ordinary burnt brick of the Old Country, but my 
 idea was that it would take less bricks if I made them a 
 good size. Very soon the native boys whom I employed 
 at one shell per brick were able to turn out sixty bricks 
 per day each, and in a short time my yard was stacked 
 with good strong material for a new house. But boys 
 will be boys, and black boys are no exception, and every 
 few minutes these little blackies were flinging mud into 
 each other's faces. They are terrible little creatures, and 
 take the whole thing as a huge joke, and if a stray cow 
 or goat came walking leisurely amongst the wet bricks, 
 trampling them all out of shape, perhaps spoiling a whole 
 day's work, they simply laughed, jumped and shouted 
 with delight, and thought it great fun. 
 
 At last I started to erect what was to be the most won- 
 derful house in Toro about the beginning of January, 
 digging out a 3-feet foundation. Having got the building 
 well started, laying every brick myself, I thought I would 
 try and teach some of the boys to be bricklayers. My 
 man Mika offered to try if he could do it. I told him 
 what to do and left him. I came back in about two 
 hours' time, alas ! to find that, although the good-hearted 
 fellow had put down some hundreds of bricks not one 
 was laid straight, and the wall was crescent-shape, and 
 had to be pulled down. I tried again and again, but 
 without success, and so made up my mind to do the
 
 IN DWARF LAND 173 
 
 whole thing myself. I laid some ten thousand bricks, 
 and two-thirds of the walls were finished, and then a 
 terrible thing happened. It was the middle of the dry 
 season, and we expected a good six weeks more without 
 rain ; but one morning while I was very busy, all bespat- 
 tered with mud, laying brick after brick, I saw a great 
 black, lowering cloud come sailing up from the south- 
 east, which was always our rainy quarter; then distant 
 thunder was heard, and the women in the garden and 
 the men in the fields all ran to their houses, and in a very 
 few moments the storm burst upon us. It was an awful 
 gale, a regular tornado. The wind was so strong that it 
 carried away part of the roof of the house in which 
 I lived; the plantain gardens were laid low, trees were 
 uprooted, and many of the native huts were demolished. 
 In the midst of it all I heard a crash, and running to the 
 window I saw, to my great sorrow, that my hard work 
 of the past six weeks was all destroyed in a moment. The 
 temporary roof erected to protect the sun-dried bricks 
 while the walls were built, was blown away, and then the 
 full force of the gale fell upon the walls and down they 
 came. The storm lasted about two hours, and seemed 
 rather to increase in violence towards the end, and very 
 much damage was done. 
 
 In consequence of the destruction wrought upon the 
 banana groves there was a famine, which lasted two or 
 three months, and some of the people suffered very 
 severely. The brick-house, or the remains of it, had 
 to be cleared away, and I built a mud-house in its place, 
 and with the rest of the bricks, which were in stock, I 
 constructed a smaller house. 
 
 The Government fort of Toro was only a quarter of an 
 hour's walk from our Mission station, and we constantly 
 exchanged visits with the officer in charge. Fort Gerry, 
 as it is called, is one of the best in the whole Protectorate.
 
 174 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 Built on the top of a hill, it commanded the district for 
 miles round, and no native force could possibly have 
 stormed it with any success. A ditch 10 feet deep sur- 
 rounded it, which was usually partly filled with rain- 
 water. The fort walls were of mud, and high Maxim 
 bastions were at the four corners. There was only one 
 entrance, with a small bridge built across the ditch. The 
 Vice-Consul's house stood in the centre, with a fine, well- 
 kept lawn in the front. The military officer had his 
 dwelling next door, and officers' stores, magazine, and 
 servants' departments, &c., were the only other buildings 
 inside. The chief aspect of the place was its neat, 
 business-like appearance. The company of Soudanese 
 troops had their quarters outside. 
 
 During the two years I spent in Toro the intercourse 
 which was maintained between the missionaries and the 
 Government officials was of the best possible kind. At 
 least twice a week we exchanged visits, and tried to be 
 of mutual help in every way. Sometimes we tramped 
 together through the country, each performing in his 
 own way the duty allotted to him by his calling. If one 
 had tea and the others had none the more fortunate 
 would share what he had with his companion, and 
 although our work led us often in different directions, 
 he as an official of the British Government and we as 
 missionaries, it was the object of both to improve the 
 state of the country — the one dealing with its political 
 troubles, the others with its social evils. So should 
 Government officials and missionaries work hand in 
 hand, in every way possible helping each other, but in 
 no way whatever the one hindering or discouraging the 
 other, as, alas ! is sometimes unfortunately the case. It 
 can never be said, however, that this was so in Toro, at 
 least during the term I spent in residence there, or even in 
 Uganda, where the happiest relations have always existed.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 175 
 
 Christmas, 1896, was a day of much rejoicing in Toro ; 
 the king, Kasagama, wishing to introduce the good old 
 Christmas custom of a feast on that great day, offered 
 two bullocks towards a big festival. Fisher and I gave 
 a bullock and some sheep, several of the chiefs gave 
 sheep, goats, and fowls, and after a short, bright Christ- 
 mas service in the Church of St. John, Toro, the 
 people went off to their huts to prepare the " Mbaga " 
 (feast). 
 
 At 2 p.m. the drum began to beat, and the crowds 
 collected on the open green in front of the church. Some 
 seven hundred people all arranged themselves in little 
 groups ; each under-chief had about twenty men to look 
 after. The King and five of the biggest chiefs, together 
 with the Queen Mother and ourselves, formed a separate 
 group. When all were seated the baskets of food were 
 brought, one hundred baskets of all kinds of luxuries, 
 including bananas, potatoes, yams, millet, and many 
 other sorts of native food ; meat, broiled, stewed, and 
 curried, and large calabashes of sweet banana wine, un- 
 fermented and harmless, with a few luxuries such as 
 biscuits and tea for the king's special benefit. All the 
 food was distributed, and then the King stepped forward 
 and in a loud voice, while every head was bowed, said : 
 " ! great God, our Father, we praise Thee for Thy 
 goodness to us and for this food ; may we eat it with 
 thanksgiving, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 
 
 It was a wonderful sight in the midst of this dark land 
 there to see the king of the country, who so lately had 
 emerged from heathenism of the lowest type, surrounded 
 by hundreds of his subjects, most of whom were still 
 heathen, giving praise to the great Father of us all 
 through Christ, the Saviour of the world. It was a 
 sight from which might well be learned a lesson, by 
 many a man in this civilised land who never thinks of
 
 176 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 offering to the great God who made him the thanks due 
 unto His name. 
 
 The following day another feast was given to the sick 
 patients, and about three hundred partook of it. Captain 
 Sitwell very kindly gave two fat-tailed sheep towards this 
 feast, and right glad were the poor creatures to enjoy the 
 privilege of sharing in the Christmas festivities. Of 
 course only the convalescent among them could take 
 part, but the others were not forgotten, and little 
 luxuries were taken to them in their huts, which, as I 
 have mentioned, were built just outside of the Mission 
 compound. 
 
 We were able to enjoy in Toro the best Enghsh 
 vegetables, and our Mission garden always provided us 
 with new potatoes and green peas all the year round ; 
 in addition to these cabbages, turnips, radishes, cauli- 
 flowers, French beans and broad beans, carrots and 
 lettuce — in fact, everything seemed to do well excepting 
 wheat, and this, most precious of all, could not be reared 
 to any perfection in Toro. We tried at all seasons of the 
 year, and would reap about as much as we had sown, but 
 usually less, and often none at all. Therefore when the 
 English flour ran out we had to content ourselves with 
 maize bread or banana flour cakes. 
 
 There was plenty of game of all sorts close to Toro, 
 and very occasionally when a change was necessary (for 
 missionaries are human and get tired in their work 
 sometimes) a run through the country, enjoying freedom 
 from work for a few days, soon puts a man on his feet 
 again. Such a Httle relaxation I had early in 1897, on to 
 the Semliki plains, crossing the mountain at the north 
 end. The plains were simply covered with antelope, 
 chiefly cobus cob and reed-buck, but buffalo and ele- 
 phants and water-buck were also to be found ; gazelles 
 and wild pigs too.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 177 
 
 Eeturning from one of these expeditions, I came to a 
 village the people of which were in great distress, as 
 they said a large herd of elephants was in the district, 
 destroying all their gardens. They pointed out to me 
 their potato gardens, with the potatoes all rooted up, 
 the plantations also were torn up and spoiled, and several 
 houses had been demolished. 
 
 I had never hunted these colossal beasts before ; in fact, 
 I had always looked upon elephant hunting as being all 
 right for those who were tired of life and longed to be 
 freed from its worries, but not quite the thing for a 
 missionary who desired to live long in the land of his 
 adoption. But here was an occasion when one might be 
 doing the natives a real service ; and when I looked at it 
 in that light, I decided at once to make my first elephant 
 hunt. 
 
 I first cleaned my rifle, which was of small (*303) 
 calibre, selected three of my most plucky boys, asked the 
 chief of the village to give me a man to guide us to the 
 herd, and when he was forthcoming we started off. It 
 was not long before we were pushing our way through 
 long tiger-grass towering away about 6 feet above us. 
 In front, advancing noiselessly, was our native guide, 
 twisting himself in and out amongst the tufts of thick 
 jungle, sometimes creeping on hands and knees, and ever 
 keeping eyes and ears well on the alert, for not only 
 elephants but Hons also were about. Then I followed 
 much more clumsily, I must admit, but as quietly as 
 possible. Occasionally I would fall full length, having 
 tripped over some hidden stump or caught my foot in a 
 creeper, and each time I did so the guide would stop and 
 gravely shake his head, meaning, I suppose, to show how 
 much he pitied me for my clumsiness. A quarter of an 
 hour's progress of this kind brought us to an open patch 
 of land covered with much shorter grass. Here the guide 
 
 12
 
 178 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 stopped and told us to wait while he went forward a little 
 to scout. We waited in breathless excitement, for some- 
 how we felt sure we were very near to the herd. After a 
 time the guide returned with a beaming countenance, 
 which denoted that he had seen the elephants. He 
 beckoned to me, and I followed again with my three 
 boys at my heels, all in a state of suppressed excite- 
 ment. Then the guide stopped, and with his spear 
 pointed to what looked to me like a great granite rock 
 about forty yards away. Then, without a word, he fell 
 back to the rear, and I became "boss " of the situation. 
 I crept a little closer to get a better view, and then I saw 
 about six great trunks go up to sniff the air, but none of 
 the herd attempted to run away, for they had not seen us. 
 And now the supreme moment had arrived. There before 
 us, not thirty yards distant, stood an enormous bull 
 elephant. I raised my rifle, a fly popped into my eye 
 and obscured my vision ; I cleared it out, then again 
 raised my rifle. Yes, my hand was steady, but my eye 
 was full of tears resulting from the fly. I pulled the 
 trigger, there was a squeal and a shaking of the earth, 
 and I saw the great bull racing round and round with 
 trunk in the air, and mighty ears flapping at his sides. 
 He was looking for us. Could I have missed my aim ? 
 I lay flat down in the grass, and my boys did the same. 
 My rifle was at full cock ready for the next shot. It was 
 a rifle with a magazine for five cartridges. At last he 
 moved away, following the rest of the herd, which had 
 run off when I fired, and very cautiously we followed in 
 his track, which was now a good one, comparatively 
 speaking, that is, it was about 4 feet wide, and the grass 
 was all beaten down, but the jungle was like a mighty wall 
 on either side of us. We followed the herd for about half 
 an hour, when suddenly, as we turned round a corner, I 
 saw the bull standing facing me, not twenty yards in
 
 IN DWARF LAND 179 
 
 front. For a moment I was taken by surprise, then 
 I saw he had discovered me, and with trunk in the air 
 he came charging towards me. I knelt down and rested 
 my arm upon my knee, took very deUberate aim at a 
 spot between the eyes. I only had a few seconds to 
 aim, for the speed of an elephant is tremendous when 
 he is on the war-path. I pulled the trigger, and almost 
 simultaneously with the report of the gun we heard a 
 terrific thump, and the earth literally shook beneath us, 
 as only ten yards in front of me that huge beast fell dead. 
 The bullet had first entered the trunk, piercing that, 
 and then into the centre of the skull, between the eyes, 
 passing through the brain. It never moved again, and 
 we walked up to the carcase and congratulated our- 
 selves. 
 
 We were sitting resting upon the dead body of the 
 elephant when we heard something coming towards us 
 through the jungle. At first I thought it was some 
 men coming to see the result of the shot, but no, the 
 tread was too heavy. It was another elephant making 
 straight for us. I filled up my magazine, shot a cart- 
 ridge into the breech, and waited ; my boys also, who 
 were armed with old Snider rifles, loaded up, and I 
 ordered them not to fire till I told them. The suspense 
 seemed awful as the elephant, very slowly and with 
 measured tread, came towards us. We could not see a 
 sign of it ; we were in the midst of the thickest of 
 thick jungles. At last the crackling of the twigs seemed 
 close to us. I raised my gun to my shoulder. Another 
 second, and an enormous head came pushing through the 
 wall of thick vegetation just by the side of the dead ele- 
 phant. I fired point blank, and my boys followed suit. 
 Down went the second elephant like a clap of thunder, 
 kicked about for a moment, and then sprang up again, and 
 started off, only to fall a few hundred yards away, stone
 
 160 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 dead. He was a much bigger animal than the first, and 
 carried immense tusks, each weighing about 60 lbs. 
 The first pair of tusks I kept as a souvenir of my first 
 elephant hunt ; they were not very large, although the 
 animal was full grown, both weighing about 36 lbs. One 
 of the tusks of the second I gave to the Queen Mother, 
 who owned the district in which the elephants had been 
 killed, and the other I sold. 
 
 In the spring of the year in 1897 a mutiny which occurred 
 in the Congo Free State caused a great deal of unrest 
 and apprehension in Toro. The native troops engaged 
 in an expedition under Baron Dhanis, an officer of the 
 Congo Free State, revolted in February, and, it was 
 reported, killed no less than fifty-nine Belgian officers and 
 soldiers. It appears to have been quite unexpected, and 
 the rebellion was one of great treachery. The mutineers 
 were natives of the district to the north-west of Lake 
 Tanganyika, and were called the Batatela. Their desire, 
 after rebelling and killing as many of their officers as they 
 could lay hands on, was to make good their escape to 
 their own land, but to do so they had to first travel as far 
 west as the British territory to get out of the terrible 
 forest, and to procure food. They therefore came right to 
 the banks of the Semliki river, some of them, it was 
 reported, having crossed over. Wherever they went 
 they attacked the natives and destroyed the houses, 
 causing great disturbance, especially at Mboga, a large 
 country within the British Protectorate, on the west of 
 the Semliki river. 
 
 Unfortunately it happened that one of the French 
 fathers of the Koman Catholic Mission in Toro was 
 visiting that country just at the time, and he suffered 
 much discomfort at the hands of the rebels. I met 
 him just after he had escaped, and he told me the story. 
 It appears that he was staying with the chief of
 
 IN DWARF LAND 181 
 
 Mboga when the rebels crossed the frontier, and hearing 
 that there was a European in the district immediately 
 sent some men to catch him ; he was therefore brought 
 up before the head officer. " There sat these men," said 
 the priest, "in European clothing, with their tents and 
 camp furniture just as they had been stolen from the 
 murdered officers. They were smoking European pipes, 
 and eating European provisions, and every now and then 
 calling out * Boy ! ' to their servants." The French father 
 was most roughly used, pulled about and bullied by these 
 fellows, his clothing dragged from his back, and every 
 incivility possible shown to him. One man pulled his 
 beard, others went and ransacked his tent and took all 
 his things. He managed to make them understand by 
 speaking in Swahili that he was not a Belgian, nor was 
 he an official, but merely a teacher ; otherwise there is 
 little doubt but that they would have killed him. As it 
 was they robbed him of everything he possessed and then 
 presented him with a large tusk of ivory as compensation 
 for what they had taken, so that the priest might not tell 
 the English that the Batatela had stolen his goods, but 
 merely bought them of him. They then sent the priest 
 about his business, giving him time to get out of their 
 
 way ; and poor Pere A arrived in Toro in a most 
 
 dilapidated condition, half clothed, and with nothing but 
 what he stood upright in, but fortunate indeed to get off 
 as easily. 
 
 The rebels then moved south along the Semliki valley. 
 At Karimi was stationed another Belgian officer, whose 
 men remained loyal to him, and when he heard that the 
 rebels were advancing towards him he escaped into British 
 territory, and took refuge in Fort George, the frontier fort of 
 the British, to the extreme north of Lake Albert Edward. 
 When the rebels reached Karimi they crossed the river 
 and advanced towards Fort George, no doubt having
 
 182 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 heard that the Belgian officer was there. The fort was 
 in charge of a young Soudanese Heutenant, with a small 
 section of about eighteen Soudanese troops. These, 
 together with the few faithful followers of the Belgian, 
 were all that could be mustered to resist the coming 
 attack of about five hundred Batatela, all armed with 
 Albini rifles, and who had plenty of ammunition. But 
 the gallant few held the fort, and it was a most creditable 
 victory. 
 
 The next move of the rebels was to cross the Semliki 
 and make off down south to their own country. How- 
 ever, soon after they crossed they were met by the 
 relief party of Belgian officers and troops, and sustained 
 a ver}' heavy loss, being scattered in all directions. 
 We in the British Protectorate were free from their 
 presence, and heard but little more about them. 
 
 It was reported that I left the country on account of its 
 disturbed state, and fled into Uganda. I would here like 
 to refute that, and state that I did not leave the country 
 at all, nor was there any need whatever to do so. It is 
 true, however, that in April of that year I was obliged to 
 leave Bamutenda, the capital of Toro, to nurse my com- 
 panion, the Eev. J. S. Callis, who had lately joined me in 
 Toro, and who had gone to Mwenge, about twenty-three 
 miles distant, to visit, and had been taken ill. This may 
 have given rise to the report that " I had left the country 
 so as to escape disturbances." I may add that Mr. Callis 
 never recovered from his illness, and died only ten days 
 after I arrived at his bedside. 
 
 About the same time fresh ravages by lions were 
 reported, and every evening at about 5 p.m. we could 
 hear them roar. They seemed to be quite close to 
 the station, but the men assured us they were some 
 distance off. 
 
 One afternoon, while we were all sitting in the church,
 
 IN DWARF LAND 183 
 
 we were suddenly alarmed by hearing a great shout quite 
 close to the church, and rushing out the foremost were 
 just in time to see a lion carry off a poor fellow who 
 had been sitting outside, not many yards away. I 
 rushed off for my gun, and with my man, Mika, followed 
 up the track made by the lion as it carried off its prey. 
 We followed it for nearly an hour, and then Mika, who 
 was just in front of me, stopped, and pointed to a dense 
 piece of jungle and said, " Here is its home." There was 
 just a low entrance into what looked like a cave, but 
 what in reality was merely thick jungle, and the track 
 of the lion led right to the entrance. Mika declared 
 that the lion was inside, and urged me to go forward to 
 shoot it. But this was not an easy task ; in the first place, 
 it was too dark to see anything, and then it would be 
 rather a risky business to advance upon a lion without 
 seeing it. However, I went a little nearer and tried to 
 peer into the hole, and then I could distinctly hear the 
 low, cat-like growl of the lion as it devoured its prey, and 
 I could even hear the crunching of the bones. I then 
 made up my mind to fire in the direction from which 
 the sound came and hope to hit the beast. So, going 
 almost to the mouth of the den, I fired. There was a 
 roar and then a scuffle, and then all was still. I crept 
 inside the den with Mika, and after a moment or two our 
 eyes got more accustomed to the darkness, and we could 
 distinguish the mangled remains of a man on the floor, 
 but no lion could we see. We found after a while that 
 there was a back way to the den, and that the lion had 
 left the lair that way. We followed the track for some 
 distance, but darkness came on and we had to return to 
 the station. 
 
 About six days afterwards news was brought to us that 
 a dead lion had been found not far from the spot, and I 
 therefore take it for granted that this was the one I had
 
 184 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 shot. The body was by that time all decomposed, and 
 I could not make any examination, but the bullet evidently 
 struck some vital spot, and the animal must have died the 
 same night.
 
 CHAPTEE XI 
 
 EAMBLES BOUND ABOUT TORO 
 
 Visiting the craters — A day on the lake — A bicycle experience — Lion in 
 the path — Visiting Mwenge — The "Speed-away" — A swollen river — 
 Exhaustion — Kindly help — Fever — I am hailed as a " rain producer " 
 — I go to see Prince Matu — I overhear an interesting conversation — 
 Sally to the rescue — A would-be assassin — To the Semliki valley — A 
 black man's gratitude — A magnificent view — Albert Lake — Hunting 
 reed-buck — I start for Mboga— Elephant hunt— Over the Mountains 
 of the Moon — Fresh meat — Among the Bamba— The hot springs — 
 Crossing the Semliki — Elephant camp — A morning call — Alive with 
 game — Mboga — Church history. 
 
 SOME of my rambles round about Toro were of an 
 interesting character, and I propose in this chapter 
 to give a few of my adventures and experiences during 
 these little trips. 
 
 About five miles from the Mission station of Toro is a 
 very beautiful lake called Kijongo. It is only about two 
 thousand yards long and eight hundred wide, but it is so 
 beautifully situated at the foot of the great Mountains of 
 the Moon that it was well worth a visit. On the eastern 
 side of the lake were a number of conical-shaped hills, 
 covered with bright green grass, but each one looked as if 
 the top had been knocked off. I climbed to the summit 
 of one of these hills, which was rather steep, and to my 
 astonishment found it to be an extinct volcano, a huge 
 circular hole, extending into the very heart of the hill 
 and having a deep pool of clear blue water at the bottom. 
 
 185
 
 186 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 On the sides of the crater were most beautiful trees and 
 all kinds of tropical vegetation. I climbed down to the 
 water's edge, and found it to be quite warm and beauti- 
 fully pure. There were wild geese swimming about on 
 the water, and monkeys playing in the trees. I got the 
 boys who were with me to light a fire by the water's 
 edge, and here we boiled some of the water and made tea, 
 roasted some potatoes, and generally enjoyed ourselves. 
 
 I paid a second visit to the Lake Kijongo, accompanied 
 
 by Lieutenant H , when we embarked on its waters 
 
 in a native canoe, with the purpose of finding out its 
 extent, and if possible of shooting some of the wild geese 
 which live thereon. But being unable to procure paddles, 
 and the wind being too strong for punting, we failed in 
 our object. 
 
 A bicycle which had been sent to me during my stay 
 in Uganda was constantly used by me in taking my 
 journeys abroad, and often I have had most exciting times 
 when on the wheel. One morning I started off to visit a 
 village some few miles away from the Mission station. 
 The road was well cultivated, and about 5 feet wide. 
 It was, in fact, the main road leading to Uganda. I had 
 reached the top of a long hill, and on the other side was 
 a gentle slope into the valley beyond ; I knew the road 
 well, having often passed that way, and I therefore pre- 
 pared myself for a " coast." Near the foot of the hill 
 was a slight turn in the road, and as I approached it I put 
 my feet again on to the pedals. I was going at a great 
 speed, and as I rounded the corner an awful sight met 
 my gaze ; not twenty yards in front there lay in the centre 
 of the path a huge lion, with head down upon his paws, 
 facing the direction from which I was coming. It was 
 impossible for me to stop the machine, the speed was too 
 great. To the left of the path was a high wall of rock 
 towering some 20 feet above my head ; on the right
 
 IN DWARF LAND 187 
 
 was a steep incline, down, down, down, for 100 feet 
 to a river. I had scarcely a second to take in the 
 situation, and to make up my mind as to what course of 
 action to pursue. It was a critical moment. What coidd 
 I do ? To turn to the right down the steep incline 
 would have meant almost certain destruction ; to attempt 
 to stop, even if successful, would have meant pulling up 
 at the entrance to the jaws of the King of the Forest. 
 I therefore did the only thing that was possible— I rang 
 my bell, and shouting at the top of my voice, then let the 
 "bike" go at its topmost speed. As I shot into view, 
 the lion raised his huge shaggy head, and seeing this 
 unearthly creature come racing towards him making so 
 strange a cry, he lifted up his voice and gave forth a 
 most blood-curdling yelp. The apparition was too much 
 even for him, and when I was about five yards from him 
 he leapt on to the right of the path, and I just had room to 
 scramble past him. Once beyond, I pedalled away as I 
 never had before, not even looking round to see what 
 next happened to the startled lion. But such an ex- 
 perience, if it happen once, is quite enough, and I learned 
 the lesson not to "scorch," even in Africa, where there 
 are no policemen. 
 
 I had promised the Prince of Mwenge that I would 
 pay him another visit, and towards the end of the year I 
 did so, starting from Toro at 8 a.m. on a lovely morning, 
 with clear blue sky overhead, and a soft, cool breeze. I 
 mounted my "speed-away" (as my bicycle was called) 
 and was soon spinning along at a nice even pace ; but 
 alas ! it did not last. A stump of a tree, completely 
 hidden in the grass, caused the "speed-away" very 
 suddenly to stop, and the rider very suddenly to dismount, 
 who, when he picked himself up out of a bed of thistles 
 into which he had alighted, saw to his great sorrow that 
 one of the cranks of his faithful " bike " was badly bent.
 
 188 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 And so the " speed-away " had to be sent back to the 
 Mission station, and I had to proceed on foot. This was 
 a great disappointment, as I had anticipated a magnificent 
 ride. However, it was all for the best, as I found out 
 afterwards. 
 
 At ten o'clock I noticed strange black clouds gathering 
 in the east, the direction we were going, and slowly but 
 surely they came towards us ; then very suddenly, with- 
 out a minute's warning, there was a terrific flash of 
 lightning, followed immediately by a perfect deluge of 
 rain. There was nothing to do but to walk on, no houses 
 were anywhere near. It lasted till eleven o'clock, and 
 then a slow, drizzling rain till twelve, and another storm 
 followed, if possible, of greater violence than the first. I 
 shall never forget it. We were descending a valley, at 
 the bottom of which was a stream, and over which our 
 path led, when the second storm came on. Before we 
 reached the water we could see that it was only a few feet 
 wide, but so terrific was the downpour that in less than 
 five minutes it was a torrent one almost shuddered to 
 look upon. 
 
 Here was a pretty fix, eight miles at least from any 
 inhabited place, and this torrent in front of us ; every 
 moment the stream increasing in dimensions, and we 
 were shivering with cold. Some of the boys began to 
 cry, and the men gave in and sat down, and my teeth 
 chattered so that I could scarcely speak. It was no use 
 sitting down, however ; that would mean being starved to 
 death with the cold, and so I seized the donkey that I 
 had with me, and by sheer force thrust it into the stream 
 to try the depth, but what was my horror when I saw 
 the poor creature completely disappear, and it kept out of 
 sight for some moments, coming at last to the surface 
 some distance down the stream, and then swam to the 
 opposite bank. At any rate, it was impossible for us to
 
 IN DWARF LAND 189 
 
 cross at that spot. I started off down the valley, telling 
 the men to follow me, and after a toilsome walk through 
 long, rank grass and tangled vegetation, we came to a 
 place where the water seemed much shallower, although 
 it was much wider. I plunged in and found the water 
 reached my chest, and when I got to the middle it was 
 much deeper, and but for a fallen tree it would have 
 been impossible to cross. As it was, the current was 
 so strong that I was completely thrown off my legs, 
 but hung on to the tree, and finally dragged myself across. 
 When I reached the shallow part again I waited for the 
 men and boys, and with the greatest effort helped them 
 all safely across, none getting more than a severe ducking, 
 and few less. By this time I was so cold I could scarcely 
 walk, my limbs were shaking so violently. The rain 
 continued for three hours, the whole time coming down 
 in sheets. On and on we went, and it seemed as though 
 we should never reach our journey's end, and night was 
 fast approaching. At five o'clock, two of the boys com- 
 pletely knocked up, and fell by the wayside unable to 
 move, quite numbed with cold. Dear old Mika and 
 another of the boys remained with them, and by short 
 stages carried them the whole way. At six I was nearly 
 done, and we were still some hours from the place, so I 
 fired two shots in succession, hoping that as we were on 
 a hill the people might possibly hear us and come to our 
 relief. Happily it was so, and although we were so far 
 away, the shots were distinctly heard. I reckon the 
 angels ministered to our need and carried the sound a 
 little bit further than usual. We shuffled along again for 
 another half-hour, and all was pitch dark, and we could 
 hear no sound but the howl of a hungry hyaena, some- 
 where in our rear following us, and no doubt anticipating 
 a meal. Then came the sound of human voices, which 
 grew louder and louder, and we knew that help was coming.
 
 190 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 Suddenly three men sprang out of the darkness, chal- 
 lenging us with loaded guns. I replied, " Peace, I am 
 the European teacher." Then such a shout went up, 
 and we found that about one hundred armed warriors 
 were all around us. But it was a shout of joy as they 
 recognised me. Two powerful fellows seized me round 
 the waist and lifted me like a baby in their arms on to 
 their shoulders and carried me the rest of the way. How 
 I did thank God for their help ! Similar help was also 
 given to the porters and boys, and several bands of men 
 set off to assist those left behind. Thus I reached 
 Mwenge in a sort of dream, borne upon the shoulders 
 of my two stalwart friends, in the midst of this great 
 band of warriors. I learned afterwards that the reason 
 for this great display of arms was, that when they heard 
 the reports of the gun they thought it was an attack upon 
 their country by some enemies. 
 
 They brought to me some food and made a big fire in 
 the house in which I lay. I had had no food since six in 
 the morning, and it was 9 p.m. when we arrived. I 
 stripped off my wet things and rolled myself up in a 
 native bark cloth, but very soon fever came on and I was 
 tossing about on my hard bed with aching limbs and 
 throbbing head. About midnight I heard a soft step in 
 the room, and then I felt a beautiful warm blanket 
 thrown over me. I thought I was only dreaming, but in 
 the morning I found that my boy EHsa had gone off and 
 helped the porter who was carrying my blankets, and, 
 tired out as he was, carried them in, and while every one 
 else was asleep he covered me up and then sat by my 
 bedside till morning. It was some days before the fever 
 left me, and during it all this boy Elisa sat by me ; some- 
 times he would fetch cold water to bathe my fevered 
 brow, or feed me with spoonfuls of soup, never leaving 
 me for more than a moment or two. It was not the first
 
 IN DWARF LAND 191 
 
 time that he had showed his devotion to me. It was 
 perfectly wonderful to note how this untutored lad, not 
 long emerged from heathenism, had learned the art of 
 lovingkindness. With this devoted attention and nursing 
 I recovered in a week's time, and was able to proceed 
 with my work as a teacher at Mwenge ; and it was most 
 encouraging to me and worth all the trials of the road 
 to see the real earnestness of the people to imbibe the 
 blessed truths of the Gospel. 
 
 From Mwenge I journeyed to another place, hitherto 
 un visited by a European, and again my experiences were 
 of a very lively character. We tramped due south for 
 two days, passing through very wild but beautiful country, 
 almost entirely uninhabited, and finally arrived at a large 
 village. The gardens all seemed to be in a very dilapi- 
 dated condition, and I found that famine was rife in the 
 district, as there had been no rain and a terribly hot sun 
 for some long time. By some strange coincidence soon 
 after my arrival the rain came down in torrents. The 
 chief and all his people then came to me in great state, 
 and with much rejoicing, and thanked vie for bringing 
 them the rain, and I was immediately hailed by all as a 
 great rain-producer, and people came from all quarters to 
 see the wonderful white man who had brought the rain ! 
 I tried to tell them it was not I but God who gives the 
 rain and the sunshine and all things beautiful ; but they 
 said, " Who is God ? We don't know, but we know that 
 you are a great white man who has given us the rain ! " 
 
 Another day's journey brought us to another large 
 village, the capital of the district, with its prince, called 
 Matu, and here I had another adventure. 
 
 When I approached the village I saw all the women 
 leave it and the men only collect upon a hill. I took no 
 notice of this, but went straight into the village and sat 
 down. Presently the men all came towards me, and I
 
 192 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 greeted Prince Matu and asked him if I might spend the 
 night in his village. After some little whispered con- 
 versation with his chiefs he consented, and took me to a 
 small hut on the outskirts and told me I might sleep 
 there if I liked. As it was tolerably clean I decided to 
 sleep in the hut and not put up my tent. The people 
 were not at all friendly, and kept out of our way as much 
 as possible. I put it down to the fact that they had 
 never seen a white man before, and were very naturally 
 afraid of him. It was about seven o'clock, and I had just 
 finished my evening meal and was walking about in the 
 banana garden in the moonlight, when some little distance 
 away I heard some people talking very eagerly together 
 I crept up as quietly as possible and listened to their con- 
 versation. I was thunderstruck ! What was this I 
 heard ? Sitting on the ground before a small fire were 
 two men ; the one I thought I recognised as the chief, 
 the other was one of his followers, a great fellow with 
 massive shoulders. The purport of their conversation 
 was this: "How can we kill the European and possess 
 ourselves of his two cows?" I was completely taken 
 aback as I listened, and my first idea was to spring out 
 upon them both and accuse them of their intention of 
 taking my life. However, so fascinating was the conver- 
 sation that I kept perfectly still and listened intently. 
 I could not catch all that was said, but I most distinctly 
 heard the man who was talking with the chief say, " I 
 will spear him through the side of the hut when he is 
 asleep." This was quite enough for me, so I returned 
 noiselessly to my little hut. My boys had placed my bed 
 on the right side, close up to the wall of the hut. My 
 first precaution, therefore, was to get the boys to move 
 the bed to the opposite side of the hut, without telling 
 them my reason for this alteration. I took it for granted 
 that the man whom I had heard talking to the chief had
 
 IN DWARF LAND 193 
 
 actually been to the hut to see upon which side my bed 
 was put. I next tied up my little dog Sally to the door- 
 post, and finally rolled myself up in my blankets, lay 
 down upon my bed, and waited. Somehow or other, 
 as is so often the case, the very suspense made me 
 sleepy, and I dozed off quite peacefully. Suddenly I 
 heard Sally growl very quietly, but quite loud enough 
 to at once arouse me. I listened in breathless excite- 
 ment, and then Sally gave one of her short, sharp 
 barks and I w^as out of bed in a twinkling, deliberately 
 pushed open the door, and walked out into the moonlight. 
 There stood my would-be assassin with spear upraised, 
 just by the very spot where my bed had originally been 
 placed. When he caught sight of me he seemed to gasp 
 and then to vanish into thin air. I listened, but not a 
 sound could I hear, so I returned to my hut, closed the 
 door, and again flung myself down upon my bed and was 
 soon fast asleep. Morning came, and when I got up and 
 went out into the village there was not a soul to be seen 
 anywhere. The chief and all his men had fled ; having 
 been discovered in the very act of attempting to take my 
 life, they naturally thought I should wreak my vengeance 
 upon them in the morning, and so they fled and I saw 
 them no more. 
 
 This is not altogether an uncommon way the people of 
 these districts have of attempting to put a person to 
 death. My former colleague, Mr. A. B. Fisher, who left 
 Toro at the end of 1896, was visiting one of these places 
 round Toro, and had pitched his tent in the centre of a 
 village, when, in the middle of the night, some ruffian 
 thrust his spear right through the tent, the very side 
 where Fisher was sleeping. It pierced the fly of the 
 tent and the tent itself, right through the two blankets 
 that were covering him, and stuck into the bed, and yet 
 by a most merciful Providence did not even scratch the 
 
 13
 
 194 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 occupant of the bed. So we, who choose the wilder parts 
 of Africa in which to Hve, that we may do what we can 
 to dispel the darkness, must go forth with our lives in 
 our hands, trusting only to the All- Seeing One to protect 
 us from dangers which we ourselves are helpless to avert. 
 But even a visit such as I have just described to Prince 
 Matu, although apparently such a failure, was by no 
 means so. When I got back to the Toro Mission station 
 about a month afterwards a messenger came to me from 
 this very man Matu, asking that teachers might be sent 
 to himself and his people, so that they might learn to 
 read the New Testament. 
 
 I did not return immediately to the station, as I have 
 stated above, but after visiting Matu took a journey to 
 the Semliki valley. There are living upon these plains a 
 lot of wild fellows who live upon what they can hunt, 
 and we were desirous of getting to know them. The 
 first place I came to was Nsororo, which in the early 
 days was a fort (Wavertree) occupied by a small section 
 of Soudanese for the protection of the country of Toro 
 from raiders from the north. Nothing of this fort could 
 we see, but there was a very large garden with lots 
 of people. Here I found one of the porters who had 
 accompanied me to Mwenge when we had to go through 
 the rain and storm, and whom, as he reminded me, I had 
 helped over the swollen river, carrying his load for him. 
 He brought me two eggs, saying that he was very poor, 
 but that I was his dear friend, and he felt he must bring 
 me some small present. 
 
 The next day we had to cross a low range of hills 
 which overlook the great Semliki plains. For three 
 hours we were going up and up very gradually, and all 
 through thick mist, so that we could only just see the 
 path a few yards before us. Quite suddenly we came 
 to a sharp edge, and the path seemed to disappear at our
 
 IN DWARF LAND 195 
 
 very feet ; and then the mist lifted and a magnificent view 
 presented itself. Right before us, and yet seeming to 
 be miles away, was the great plain stretching away to the 
 Congo Free State. There in the dim distance were the 
 indistinct outlines of the Barega Hills. Through the very 
 heart of the valley flowed the great river Semliki, wind- 
 ing its way in and out like a great red vein ; a little to 
 the north we could see the beautiful Albert Lake, its 
 waters sparkling in splendour with the reflected sun rays, 
 like a sheet of burnished silver. Our path, as I said, 
 seemed to disappear at our feet, and we now had a rare 
 stiff bit of work in descending. Sometimes very steep, 
 always rocky and rough — down, down we went for 
 another three hours, when at last we stood upon the 
 plain, and one hour's walk brought us to a large village 
 on the banks of a beautiful river, a tributary of the 
 Semliki. I pitched my tent close to the river-side under 
 the shade of the lovely trees. Here were all kinds of 
 birds, and the air seemed filled with the music of their 
 song, mingled with the gentle ripple of the stream as it 
 raced along over its pebbly bed. 
 
 We were off again at six the next morning, and soon 
 became aware that all around us were the graceful 
 antelope, just waiting, as it seemed, to tempt us to shoot 
 them. It was only a very tiny village that we reached, 
 inhabited by a dozen or so hunters. I therefore spent a 
 little time hunting, and without much difficulty brought 
 down three fine reed-buck, which I deemed sufficient for 
 our immediate need. Another tramp across the plain for 
 about three hours, passing through beautiful green 
 pastures stretching away to the north, and as far as 
 the eye could see, dotted all over with many kinds of 
 antelope, elephants, &c., but there were very few people. 
 Once we came upon a little hut, but it seemed to be 
 occupied only by an old hunter, who spent a week
 
 196 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 or so hunting and then returned to the haunts of 
 men. 
 
 Having reached the hanks of the Semliki river, and not 
 desiring to cross to the other side, we retraced our steps, 
 and in six days reached the Mission station again without 
 any further adventure. 
 
 My next trip was to Mboga, a large country to the 
 west of the Semhki river, and about six days' march 
 from Kabarole. I left about 4 a.m. with four of my 
 boys and about a dozen porters. 
 
 Our first camp was in a village at the foot of the 
 Chwantegi Hills. About four in the afternoon, as I 
 sat in my tent, I heard a great yelling and crying, and 
 climbing a tree which grew close to my tent, I soon found 
 out the cause. A huge elephant was having a game in 
 the gardens and houses of the people. Now, I thought, 
 here is a chance to distinguish myself ; I have only got a 
 Martini rifle, and if I can kill an elephant with that what 
 a great Nimrodic act it will be ! At that moment the 
 village people came racing to me and begged of me to go 
 and shoot the beast ; and so, seizing my gun and with a 
 look of determination which seemed to startle the natives, 
 I set off alone after this gigantic creature. I first found 
 the path it had made through the forest, and very gingerly 
 I picked my way after it (for it had finished "making 
 hay" with the houses for a time and retired into the 
 bush). I said I was alone, but it is true that I was 
 followed at some distance by half a dozen shivering 
 blackies armed with spears. On I went as steadily as 
 possible, and then suddenly there stood the leviathan of 
 the forest, not ten yards in front of me, but all that I 
 could see were its hind legs and its tail. One of the boys 
 who had got near to me now immediately said in a husky 
 whisper, " Gite ! gite ! " (" Kill it! kill it ! "). Yes, that's all 
 very well, but I think the sight of that huge monster was
 
 liAMliA. 
 
 TAIiAI.O, CHIKF OF MIJUGA. 
 
 To face page iy6.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 197 
 
 quite enough to settle for me that to attempt to shoot it 
 with a Martini would be about as much as my life was 
 worth. The fact is, I came to my senses at that moment 
 and felt just a "pygmy with a pop-gun," for, good as a 
 Martini is, elephant is big meat to knock over, and he 
 does not die too quickly, but has a kind of way about 
 him when wounded which would make the fleetest pray 
 for wings. So what I did was to stand and look at 
 him, and no more dreamed of firing than of flying. 
 It was not long, however, before my presence was 
 observed, and a terrific crash, which seemed like a young 
 earthquake, forcibly reminded us that something bigger 
 than a dormouse was about. Fortunately he took a 
 forward movement, and ploughed his way through the 
 forest, huge trees snapping like matchwood against his 
 colossal sides. My mind was then fully made up that it 
 was time to return to camp. 
 
 The next morning we pursued our journey, and our 
 path led up the mountain-side. We had to pass over 
 the Mountains of the Moon, and although we crossed 
 at the most northerly extremity, the highest point 
 we reached was over 6,000 feet above sea-level. At 
 the summit just before we descended a very large 
 water-buck dashed out of the long grass in front of me, 
 and stood about 150 yards off, to see who we were. It 
 was standing a second too long, for a bullet from the 
 Martini laid it low, and the meat was divided amongst 
 the hungry porters. 
 
 At the western side of the Mountains of the 
 Moon we found ourselves among an entirely different 
 tribe of people called the Bamba. Wild, and grossly 
 ignorant, men and women alike practically nude, 
 adorned with numberless charms, and some with bits of 
 wood pierced through the nose protruding at either nostril, 
 others with pieces of wood sticking upright in the upper
 
 198 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 lip. All the women seemed to wear iron rings ronnd their 
 necks, some had six or seven of them, which must have 
 weighed at least 5 lbs. These rings were curled like 
 a watch spring at each end, and were quite artistically 
 made. The men, and some of the women, have their 
 teeth sharpened to points, very much like shark's teeth. 
 Their food consists of native beans and potatoes ; 
 rats and snakes, lizards and frogs being counted as 
 luxuries. 
 
 Through the kindness of their chief I was taken to see 
 the wonderful hot springs of the Mountains of the Moon. 
 They are situated right at the base of Mount Gordon- 
 Bennett, and present a most remarkable appearance to 
 the traveller. Nothing could be more strange and fan- 
 tastic than the approach to these wonders of Central 
 Africa. The chief promised me a guide to direct me to 
 the place. About twenty young Bamba warriors, all 
 armed with their spears, presented themselves to me, 
 as being prepared to take me to this strange place. 
 
 We first climbed the mountain some hundreds of feet, 
 and then one of the men pointed out to me in the distance 
 what looked like a beautiful feathery cloud resting just 
 above the earth's surface. This I was told was where 
 the springs were. We made our way down the hill 
 again and entered a thick forest which runs all along the 
 western base of the mountain. We followed a tiny path 
 winding in and out amongst the dense undergrowth for 
 about three-quarters of an hour, and then we suddenly 
 came upon a large, well-made road, evidently much used, 
 and along this we tramped. I asked what made the path 
 so big, and was told that it was constantly traversed by 
 numbers of sick folk who came every day from the 
 districts round to bathe in the springs. 
 
 Suddenly we were made aware of a distinct rise in 
 the temperature and also of a nasty, sickly odour.
 
 'Jf Iffy.!' J- ■• 
 
 v: ■/•!« 
 
 
 
 , • ^t 'I 
 
 i*«>B5ij, 
 
 ^
 
 IN DWARF LAND 199 
 
 The vegetation very rapidly became ultra-tropical, and 
 ferns, which in other places were small and stunted, here 
 were large trees. The whole scene was changed. The 
 path led through this most beautiful vegetation for about 
 a quarter of an hour, and then we entered a thick cloud 
 of highly odoriferous steam, and then into a wide, open 
 space all over which were little bubbling springs of boil- 
 ing water. Some were much bigger than others, the 
 largest was throwing up water to about a foot in height. 
 A thick deposit encrusted the whole area. The water 
 tasted of sulphur and potash, and was quite unpalatable. 
 All the water as it bubbles up passes into one large stream, 
 and this is again lost in the forest. 
 
 We crossed the Semliki in a small canoe that was at 
 hand, about 20 feet long and 1^- feet beam, cut out of a 
 solid tree. The river at that point was seventy yards 
 wide and the current was very strong, This brought us 
 to our next camp, another Bamba village. All night long 
 we were kept awake by the tramping and trumpeting of 
 innumerable elephants. I never heard such a row ; there 
 must have been at least fifty of them. While we were 
 sitting outside a hut about 9 p.m. roasting native pota- 
 toes by the camp fire, a big herd of them came charging 
 towards the village. Fortunately their course was turned 
 by the yelling of the natives, and we again sat down to 
 roast our suppers. Early in the morning, just as I got 
 out of bed, the boys came to me and said some water- 
 buck were close to the house. I took up my rifle and 
 went outside, and there, not fifty yards away, quietly 
 feeding in the garden upon potato tops, was a small herd. 
 I was able at once to replenish our larder for the day 
 without any difficulty. The village people begged me to 
 shoot some meat for them, as they said they were half 
 starved, and seeing a herd of cobus cob a little way from 
 the village I went after it and brought down nine full-
 
 200 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 grown bucks in less than an hour. This greatly rejoiced 
 the hearts of the poor, hungry folk. 
 
 After six days' tramp we arrived at Mboga. Here we 
 were most heartily welcomed by the people. This little 
 church has suffered no little persecution. When Christi- 
 anity was first introduced by Waganda teachers the chief 
 of the country strongly objected to his people imbibing its 
 teaching, and when he found that in spite of his threats 
 they continued steadfastly to believe, he did his utmost to 
 stamp out the new religion from the country. He adopted 
 all the most horrible tortures he could think of, killing 
 some of the converts, burning down their houses, thrash- 
 ing the teachers, and finally driving away into the forest 
 all who had in any way attached themselves to the new 
 faith. But it was all of no avail ; the little band of 
 Christians met day after day in a secluded spot in the 
 forest and there continued to offer to God their praises 
 and their worship. Finally, the chief himself admitted 
 that Christianity had conquered, and he began diligently 
 to search himself to see what kind of religion it was that 
 made his people so different, and that made them able to 
 suffer and even die rather than give it up. It resulted in 
 his conversion, and he welcomed back his teachers and 
 his people, rebuilt their houses and their church. But 
 then came the Batatela rebellion, of which I have spoken 
 in the preceding chapter, when the rebels again hunted 
 down the Christians and drove all the people into the 
 forest. In spite of all this trouble the Christians stood 
 firm to their faith, and at the present time the Mboga 
 church stands as a witness, on the very confines of the 
 dark forest, to the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 
 I spent a week with these whole-hearted, simple folk, 
 then returned to Toro.
 
 CHAPTEK XII 
 
 SOUDANESE EEBELLION 
 
 Political troubles — Mwanga's flight — Major Ternan wounded — Mwanga's 
 capture by the Germans — Uganda regents — A record journey — Major 
 Macdonald's expedition — Soudanese rebellion — Its causes — British 
 pluck — Battle of Luba's Hill — Murder of Major Thurston — Disarming 
 the Soudanese in Mengo — Native auxiliaries — Night attack — Battle 
 on the plain at Luba's — Some one has blundered — Eeinforcements — 
 Destroying banana gardens — Death of George Pilkington and Lieu- 
 tenant Macdonald. 
 
 THE year 1897 was filled with a succession of unfore- 
 seen political troubles, and since the occupation of 
 the country by the British there has never been so much 
 cause for anxiety in Uganda. 
 
 In the spring of the year, as I have already mentioned, 
 the Batatela rebellion which occurred in the Congo Free 
 State, although doing little damage in the British Pro- 
 tectorate, caused much unrest and serious apprehension, 
 especially in the western provinces of the Protectorate, 
 and the Government did not know how soon it might be 
 necessary to have to meet an attack upon its possessions 
 from that quarter. In May of the same year a plot was 
 discovered by Mr. George Wilson, officer-in-charge at 
 Kampala, in which three chiefs of Uganda were im- 
 phcated. 
 
 Fortunately it was brought to light in the nick of 
 time, and two of them were sent as prisoners to the 
 
 201
 
 202 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 Eldoma Eavine, but the third Gabriel, the Roman 
 Catholic Mujasi (head of the army), managed to 
 escape. 
 
 The king was suspected of having had something to 
 do with this attempt to bring about the rising against the 
 Government. Knowing that he was suspected, and ever 
 being a most arrant coward, he ran away from Mengo in 
 July and escaped to Budu. It was rather an ignominious 
 flight for a king ; he could not even find friends enough 
 in Mengo to make his escape worthy of a king ; not even 
 being able to trust his gate-keepers, he actually cut his 
 way through the great fence that surrounds his dwelling, 
 and was accompanied by only one chief. He fled to the 
 lake-shore, and there procured three small canoes. 
 
 His reason for running away would seem undoubtedly 
 to have been his fear of the consequences of his connivance 
 with the other three plotters. But for some long time he 
 had been dissatisfied with the restraint that was laid upon 
 him ; no longer could he carry on his old evil practices of 
 murder and bloodshed and crime of every kind, and he 
 disliked the moral restraints that the British Government 
 naturally imposed upon him ; of course many of the 
 heathen most deeply sympathised with him in this. 
 
 Dr. Cook, of Uganda, writing on July 12th, says : 
 " Nearly all the police have deserted ; they went off with 
 guns last night to join Mwanga. The Katikiro (Prime 
 Minister) wrote rather a gloomy letter to Walker, saying 
 he does not realise how serious a matter it is, and that 
 the people hate and detest the conquerors. . . , The 
 King hates the Europeans because they stopped his gross 
 immoralities ; the chiefs hate us because a Christian is 
 expected only to have one wife, and because no slaves are 
 allowed ; and the people hate us because they say they 
 are obliged to carry loads and make roads (measures 
 adopted by the Government for the good of the country),
 
 IN DWARF LAND 203 
 
 and because the old heathen customs are dying away. 
 The worst of it is the Katikiro says half of the Waganda, 
 when they get to the scene of war, are likely to desert 
 to the King's side. The only faithful natives are the 
 Protestants." 
 
 It is also stated that Mwanga, before running away, 
 had sent to all the feudatory states — to Busoga in the 
 east and Toro in the west, to Kaba Rega, ex-king of 
 Unyoro, asking them all to join in a revolution, drive out 
 all the Europeans from Uganda, and restore their old 
 heathen customs. 
 
 When the King reached Budu most of the important 
 Roman Catholic chiefs joined him, and the French priests 
 who resided there, fearful lest they should be captured, 
 were escorted by a small force of Soudanese troops to the 
 borders of that province. Active measures were at once 
 taken to suppress the rising, and Major Ternan, the Acting 
 •Commissioner, with a small force, routed Mwanga's army 
 in Budu, which then consisted of several thousand guns, 
 beside thousands of spearmen. Major Ternan received a 
 wound in the shoulder, but it was only slight, and did 
 not incapacitate him from renewed efforts against the now 
 scattered foe. This smash-up of Mwanga's forces at the 
 very outset rather discomfited the King, and he fled into 
 German territory. But it was an unlucky move for him. 
 The German officers, who were on the alert, pounced 
 upon him when he was quite unprepared, and took him 
 prisoner to Mwanza towards the south end of the Victoria 
 Lake. He was proclaimed an outlaw, and his infant son, 
 Daudi Chwa, was placed upon the throne of Uganda on 
 August 14th. Three regents were selected to administer 
 the necessary Government matters, Apolo Kagwa, and 
 Mugwania — the Protestant and Roman Catholic Prime 
 Ministers, or Katikiros — and the Kangao, a leading 
 Protestant chief.
 
 204 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 The same month the rebels in Budu again collected 
 and fought, with great loss to themselves, against the 
 troops under the command of Lieutenant Hobart and Mr. 
 Grant. In reply to a letter of thanks sent to Major 
 Ternan, upon his arrival in England, by Sir John Kenna- 
 v^ay " for the consideration and active concern he had 
 shown for the safety of the missionaries during these 
 native rebellions," Major Ternan said: "It has been a 
 great pleasure to me to have been of use to my friends of 
 the Mission of Uganda, and I had the pleasure of drawing 
 the attention of Lord Salisbury to the really excellent 
 example set by the C.M.S. missionaries in Uganda. At 
 a very critical moment they remained at their posts, 
 though surrounded by rebels, and by so doing reassured 
 the native chiefs in their vicinity, and were able to furnish 
 us with valuable information when most needed. I am 
 very glad I should have this opportunity of bringing to 
 the notice of the Society the very high opinion that we 
 have of the members of the Mission in Uganda." 
 
 Early in September I left Toro on a visit to Mengo, in 
 order to settle certain matters with reference to our work. 
 Of the troubles recorded above we in Toro were practically 
 ignorant. We had heard vague reports that Mwanga had 
 fled, but had put them down as merely native stories, and 
 it was only as I approached Uganda that I found in what 
 a very unsettled state the country was. 
 
 I made a record journey into Mengo, accomplishing the 
 whole distance (close upon two hundred miles by road) in 
 eight days. Nothing of any importance occurred during 
 the journey, but soon after I arrived most alarminr news 
 came to us. 
 
 In the middle of 1897 Major (now Colonel) Macdonald, 
 E.E., was sent out by the Foreign Office to conduct an 
 exploratory expedition in the districts adjoining the 
 Italian sphere of influence, to the north-east of Lake
 
 M\VAX(;.\, KX-K1X(; OF rciAXliA. 
 
 D.VriJl LIIWA, I'kl-.SKN r KIM; ol- l liAXDA. 
 To face pai^c 204.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 205 
 
 Rudolph, and the authorities in the Uganda Protectorate 
 were instructed to supply him for this purpose with three 
 hundred Soudanese troops and a number of porters. 
 Major Teman having left for the coast, Mr. W. F. 
 Jackson took over the duties of Acting Commissioner of 
 the Uganda Protectorate. Just as Major Macdonald 
 was about to start northward a large portion of the 
 Soudanese who were supplied to him by the Protectorate 
 deserted. Mr. Jackson immediately followed them to 
 their camp, after their desertion, at the Eldoma Ravine, 
 and asked their reasons for deserting, which they readily 
 gave. First, they were tired of being sent on successive 
 expeditions while many of their companions-in-arms 
 were comfortably settled in stations. Second, they were 
 not allowed to take their women with them.* Third, they 
 were going to a foodless and waterless country, where 
 in all probability they would die. Fourth, the old com- 
 plaint, that they were underpaid and insufficiently fed. 
 Their grievances were undoubtedly of some weight, 
 especially that concerning their pay. Five rupees a 
 month is hardly the rate of pay one would expect to be 
 meted out to a regiment of native troops of the British 
 Government. They had been introduced into Uganda by 
 Captain (now Colonel) Lugard in 1891 and 1892, being 
 remnants of the old force used by Dr. Emin Pasha in the 
 Equatorial Province, and left by him at Kavali's on the 
 south-west shore of Lake Albert : and from the time of 
 their entrance into the British Government employ, their 
 pay had been but slightly raised. It is always a mistaken 
 policy, and an expensive one too, to try and run a Pro- 
 tectorate like that of Uganda on insufficient means. But 
 it is not for me to enlarge upon the right and wrong of the 
 
 * The Soudanese women always carry the cooking-pots and food, &c., 
 of the men, and prepare the food for their husbands when they arrive in 
 camp at night.
 
 206 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 Soudanese complaints, but merely to tell the plain facts 
 as they occurred. 
 
 A very grave mistake was made at the very outset 
 of the mutiny, which no doubt made it a far more 
 serious business than it otherwise would have been. 
 Captain Kirkpatrick, of the Uganda Eifles, after trying to 
 get the rebels of No. 4 Company to lay down their arms, 
 ordered the Maxim to be fired upon them, having given 
 them five minutes in which to comply, and they having 
 refused to do so. This action made it then quite impos- 
 sible to expect them to quietly talk the matter of their 
 grievances over with their officers. They immediately 
 marched westward to Nandi, and were joined by other 
 companies. Most of the Nandi garrison joined them, 
 taking possession of all the ammunition, and making a 
 prisoner of Captain Bagnall, who was in charge there at 
 the time, but finally left him unhurt. The Soudanese, 
 who were at the other station called Mumia's, also joined 
 them, and Mr. Tompkins, who was in charge, had a most 
 marvellous escape, and it was only sheer British pluck 
 that saved him and preserved the fort from the hands of 
 the rebels. When he heard they were coming he at once 
 put into the fort a mixed lot of Swahilis who were un- 
 trained soldiers, and by showing a bold front, in spite of 
 the weakness of his garrison, turned the tide. 
 
 At the time this happened I was staying at Ngogwe, a 
 large place between Busoga and Mengo, where the Church 
 Missionary Society had a flourishing station, and it was 
 here that I met brave Major Thurston on his way to 
 Busoga to try and negotiate with the rebels before they 
 committed themselves further. He was at the time 
 suffering very considerably from illness, and we tried to 
 urge him to stay a day or two to recruit his strength, 
 but he evidently knew more than we did of what had 
 happened, and how important it was for him to push
 
 IN DWARF LAND 207 
 
 on without delay. Alas ! when he reached Luba's Fort 
 in Busoga the Soudanese who were garrisoned there 
 joined the rebels and made prisoners of Major Thurston, 
 Mr. Wilson, and Mr. Scott, the last named having been 
 sent from Mengo by lake with a fresh supply of ammu- 
 nition and a Maxim gun for Major Macdonald when he 
 arrived. The main body of the rebels had reached 
 Busoga by this time, and the whole party fortified them- 
 selves in Luba's Fort. Major Macdonald and Mr. 
 Jackson reached Luba's on October 18th, and imme- 
 diately fortified themselves in a strong position over- 
 looking the fort by the lake shore, which was occupied 
 by the rebels. 
 
 The whole of the Major's force consisted of ten Euro- 
 peans, eighteen Sikhs, and about 340 Swahilis — a mixed 
 crowd, most of whom were new to arms ; and he also had 
 but a very limited supply of ammunition. The first real 
 fight took place on October 19th, the rebels coming up to 
 Major Macdonald's position in great force, and as they 
 approached they shouted out that they had come for 
 a "parley," and at the same time it was clearly seen 
 that they intended an immediate attack. It was a very 
 severe fight, Lieut. Fielding being killed, Mr. Jackson 
 severely wounded, and Dr. Macpherson slightly so. Of 
 the troops sixteen were killed and thirty wounded. At 
 one time it looked as if the British must be defeated, 
 but the battle was finally won, and the Soudanese suffered 
 defeat, returned to their fort, and at once murdered 
 Major Thurston, Messrs. Wilson and Scott. 
 
 That same morning a different scene was taking place 
 in Mengo. At 6 a.m. messages came from Kampala to the 
 missionaries at Namirembe, asking some to go up at once 
 well armed, as there was to be an attempt to disarm the 
 Soudanese garrison, which was then at Kampala. I was 
 one of three who went. Upon our arrival there we soon
 
 208 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 saw how things stood. At the bottom of the hill were the 
 Soudanese, all armed, and in the fort were about a dozen 
 Europeans, each with a rifle; over the fort wall was 
 pointed a Hotchkiss gun, but the whole of the breach 
 was out of working order, and it could not possibly have 
 been used even if an attack had been made upon us. A 
 Maxim also was close at hand ; this the gunsmith had in 
 pieces, as it had jammed, and therefore that also was 
 practically useless. A deputy from the officer in charge 
 was then sent down to try and negotiate with the 
 Soudanese, and, if possible, get them to lay down their 
 arms peaceably, and warning them that if they refused 
 we should open fire upon them. After half an hour's 
 conversation they consented to do so, and it was a great 
 relief to us all to see them bring their guns and ammuni- 
 tion and lay them down. All were then collected and 
 brought into the fort, and the danger we so much dreaded 
 was averted for the present. Native auxiliaries were 
 then sent off from Mengo to help in the suppression of 
 the rebels at Luba's, between three and four thousand 
 Waganda, under their own chief, the Katikiro being in 
 command. 
 
 On October 26th they had their first engagement, and 
 fought most nobly, charging right up to the fort walls, 
 alas ! only to meet with an awful slaughter from the 
 reserved Maxim fire of the wily rebels. Dr. Cook and 
 Mr. Geo. Pilkington offered their services to the Govern- 
 ment, the former to the wounded, and the latter to help 
 in interpretation work, that there might be no misunder- 
 standing betwen the European officers and the Waganda 
 auxiliaries. 
 
 On the 26th and 28th of October the Waganda lost 
 twenty killed and fifty-four wounded ; on November 24th 
 their losses were sixty killed and 280 wounded. 
 
 On October 31st Mr. Wilson, of Kampala, sent and
 
 IN DWARF LAND 209 
 
 asked if more of the missionaries would offer to go to the 
 front. Three of us at once volunteered our services, and 
 started off, viz., Messrs. Fletcher, Wilson, and myself. 
 
 The first day we walked about thirty-four miles before 
 7.30 in the evening, and the following day reached a 
 place called Mondos, and the third day reached Busoga, 
 climbed the hill, and were most heartily welcomed into 
 the fort by Major Macdonald. Mr. Jackson, who was 
 severely wounded in the first fight, was taken into Mengo 
 the same day, and Dr. Cook accompanied him. 
 
 It was a novel sensation to be aroused at daybreak by 
 the bugle call, and one had to rub one's eyes a second 
 time before one fully realised the position of affairs. 
 
 The fort which we occupied was built on a hill over- 
 looking the lake, and commanding a complete view of the 
 rebel fort, which, as I have said, was built on the shores 
 of the lake. The fighting force at the command of Major 
 Macdonald was not sufficient to make any definite attack 
 upon the rebels, whose position was an exceptionally 
 strong one. 
 
 However, on Tuesday, 9th, a half-hearted attack was 
 made upon us ; all was peaceful when we retired to rest, 
 but about twelve o'clock a gun was fired, followed imme- 
 diately by twenty or thirty others. As soon as I heard 
 the first shot I was out of bed ; there was a tremendous 
 storm of rain, which made it almost impossible to see 
 anything. All I could find out was that around me, on 
 every side, volley after volley was being fired, and the 
 bullets were whizzing about my head. I staggered 
 through the bhnding rain to the fort wall, and then 
 found that an attack was certainly being made, but a 
 very feeble one, and our men were just recklessly throwing 
 away their powder. Then the Maxim commenced, and 
 some twenty or thirty rounds were fired ; what at, I 
 could not imagine, for I could not see the sign of any- 
 
 14
 
 210 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 thing living outside the fort. The fight, or fusilade, 
 lasted a quarter of an hour, but it seemed much longer ; 
 the enemy then apparently withdrew. Several of our 
 men described narrow escapes they had had, but there 
 were no casualties to record. One of the Sikhs, however, 
 who was standing on the Maxim bastion declared that 
 one of the rebels rushed up within ten yards of the fort 
 wall and fired at him point blank, the bullet just missing 
 him, going over his shoulder. When all had quieted 
 down we retired again to rest, leaving an extra guard in 
 case of another attack. In the morning the friendly 
 Waganda made an attack upon the Soudanese, but could 
 do very little. The rebels held their ground, and nine 
 Waganda were killed and twenty badly wounded. During 
 their attack the Hotchkiss gun was fired on and off into 
 the enemy's fort, but whether any damage was done is 
 very doubtful. 
 
 On November 24th a severe fight took place. Being 
 unable actually to storm the fort, on account of the 
 smallness of our force, it was decided to advance within 
 five hundred yards of the rebel fort and set up a strong 
 position there, while the auxiliaries built a fort on the 
 plain within eight hundred yards of the enemy's fort ; 
 this to be occupied by a strong force so as to make 
 it impossible for the Soudanese to leave their fort to 
 procure food. Major Macdonald, having gone into 
 Kampala, Captain Woodward was put in charge. In the 
 very early morning, with a force of about two hundred 
 Swahilis and two Maxim gun detachments composed 
 of Indians, we moved from our fort on the hill to 
 attack the mutineers and to take up the position above 
 named. The Waganda guns were ordered to carry on 
 operations on our right and left flank, the entire force to 
 advance simultaneously. Unfortunately the Waganda, 
 in their eagerness for the fray, and being quite un-
 
 IN DWARF LAND 211 
 
 accustomed to the ordinary methods of European war- 
 fare, rushed forward and commenced a heavy fire upon 
 the rebels, who were in the wood just to the right of the 
 fort. This was kept up the whole time that we were 
 getting into position, namely, till 7.30, when the Sou- 
 danese were obliged to retire, and we advanced to within 
 250 yards of their fort, and held out for nine hours. The 
 mutineers made several counter attacks upon our flanks, 
 and twice the Waganda retired, leaving our lines exposed, 
 but our Swahilis behaved splendidly, and repulsed the 
 attack. 
 
 While this position was being held Captain Woodward 
 pointed out a spot and gave instructions to the Waganda 
 to build a small fort, but through some extraordinary 
 mistake the fort was built in a hollow, being com- 
 pletely overlooked on two sides, and a thick wood being 
 but a hundred yards away from the third side. There- 
 fore, when evening came it was found to be utterly 
 untenable, and it was evident to all that " some one had 
 blundered." Consequently that day's fighting was abso- 
 lutely useless in hastening the termination of the affair, 
 as we all had to retire to our fort at the top of the hill. 
 
 The Waganda loss was very heavy, no less than 340 
 being killed and wounded, and the Swahili loss was 
 twenty-four, but no European was touched. Personally, 
 I was here, there, and everywhere while the fight con- 
 tinued. In the first place I was sent to look after the 
 stretchers and assist the wounded. The stretcher 
 carriers, however, ran off, and so these were useless. 
 Then in interpretation work I was kept fully occupied. 
 
 About the middle of the day one of the officers in 
 charge of a company of Swahilis fell sick, and I was sent 
 to take his place ; and it was then that I had a very 
 narrow escape. I was standing by my men, who were 
 firing volleys at intervals under a very heavy return fire
 
 212 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 from the rebels, when a bullet struck my hat, piercing 
 the crown, and just missing my skull. Then a rush was 
 made upon the left flank, which was occupied by the 
 Waganda, and who retired. It was with the greatest 
 difficulty that I got my men turned in time to meet the 
 attack. My boys, who had accompanied me on this 
 occasion, also displayed great bravery. I was next sent 
 up to the right flank to look after a Sikh who had been 
 badly wounded. I found the poor fellow dying, and 
 while I was by his side another rush was made upon us, 
 and about twenty desperate fellows came charging down 
 upon us, firing as they advanced. However, our Maxim 
 was turned upon them, and they retired a little, only to 
 renew their efforts in a similar way ; this time the 
 Maxim jammed, and had to be carried to the rear ; we 
 turned our flank, and a second time repulsed them. 
 
 On one occasion, while sitting eating a little food, 
 a bullet struck the ground not six inches from me, and 
 flung up the dust over my repast. 
 
 On the 30th of November reinforcements arrived that 
 greatly cheered our drooping spirits. Captains Harrison 
 and Bagnall, and Corporal Brodie, and 295 Swahilis and 
 a Maxim. 
 
 Major Macdonald again took the command at Luba's 
 on the 5th of December, and on the same day Lieutenant 
 Macdonald, with fourteen Sikhs and fifty men of the 
 expedition arrived, with an additional supply of ammuni- 
 tion. 
 
 On the 7th another fight took place ; three hundred 
 and fifty men, with a Maxim, under the command of 
 Captain Woodward, went down on to the plain to con- 
 struct a new work within nine hundred yards of the 
 enemy's fort. A fierce attack was made upon us, and 
 for some time the issue seemed uncertain, but the steady 
 volleys from Captain Harrison's well-trained men finally
 
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 IN DWARF LAND 213 
 
 caused the rebels to slacken their efforts, and at 4 p.m. 
 the new fort was so far completed as to be quite defen- 
 sible. A garrison of some two hundred men were put 
 into it for the night. During the day our losses were 
 not heavy, the Swahilis losing five wounded, and the 
 Waganda three killed and four wounded, but it was 
 estimated that the rebel loss was heavy, probably thirty 
 killed and wounded. 
 
 The same night the mutineers fired about two hundred 
 rounds at the fort, wounding one man. 
 
 On the 10th of December a covering party was sent 
 out under Captain Harrison, while the work of destroying 
 the banana gardens, from which the rebels obtain their 
 food, was carried on, but only a few shots were ex- 
 changed, and there was no serious loss on either side. 
 
 At one time during the day we began to wonder what 
 the rebels were up to, as there was no response to our 
 shots, and so to get a better view of the fort I very 
 quickly climbed a tree, with the intention of spying out 
 the land. I had climbed about 10 feet when, whiz-z-z 
 came a bullet just above my head, breaking the small 
 twigs close to me, and* I hurriedly descended. The 
 man who fired at me was on the rebel fort wall, with 
 several others. Captain Harrison, having seen this, 
 took twelve picked men, and one other European, and 
 crept up in the grass to within about one hundred and 
 thirty yards of the fort, and commenced sniping. But 
 a party of the rebels, seeing that the captain was right 
 away from the rest and had only a small number of men 
 with him, made a charge at them, and when within 
 about thirty yards fired a volley ; but it was done 
 hurriedly, and the bullets missed their mark ; this neces- 
 sitated a very speedy return of the snipers. 
 
 However, on the following day, when Captain Harrison 
 again took out his covering party, that the Waganda
 
 214 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 might continue their work of cutting down the banana 
 gardens, a most furious attack on the front and left of 
 our force was made. Mr. George Pilkington took up 
 his position close to Captain Harrison, to superintend 
 the cutting down of the bananas, and no sooner had he 
 done so than his boy Aloni saw a company of Soudanese 
 concealed in the grass close at hand, and fired at them. 
 Captain Harrison and Mr. Pilkington, thinking them to 
 be Waganda, reprimanded the boy for firing without 
 orders, but his fire was responded to, and one of them 
 took deliberate aim at Mr. Pilkington and fired several 
 times, hitting him in the thigh and breaking the femoral 
 artery. He was carried to the rear and back to the fort, 
 but died in a few minutes after reaching it. Lieutenant 
 Macdonald was also shot dead at the same time, a rush 
 having been made upon the left flank which he was 
 commanding. 
 
 Again and again the enemy made most desperate 
 attacks upon our men, sometimes getting up to within 
 twenty yards of our firing line. The Swahilis fought 
 most bravely, considering their inexperience as soldiers. 
 All day long the killed and wounded were being brought 
 in, until the total had reached thirty. 
 
 The man who shot Pilkington, after seeing him fall, 
 fired again at the native officer (captain) of Captain 
 Harrison's regulars. He was a fine fellow, a Soudanese, 
 but was loyal to the backbone. Alas ! the bullet took 
 effect, hitting him in the arm below the elbow, and 
 smashing the bone. The man who shot him then cried 
 out, "What are you doing here, Bilal? I know you; 
 have you come here to kill your brethren ? Go back to 
 Egypt." To this the officer rephed, "Yes, we will wipe 
 you all out, for you are rebels," and with that he drew 
 his revolver with his left hand and shot him ; and thus 
 Pilkington's murderer fell.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 215 
 
 After the fighting was over we all withdrew to our 
 forts, some to the one on the plain, others to that on 
 the hill. The Major, on hearing of the death of Pilking- 
 ton and his brother, was much overcome, but he bore it 
 like a soldier and a Christian. He said to me that he 
 felt the loss of Pilkington most keenly. " My brother," 
 he said, " was a soldier, and he died as a soldier expects 
 to die, but this could not be said of Pilkington," 
 
 Just before sundown a little band wended its way out 
 of the fort, along the ridge of the hill, every head un- 
 covered and every heart bowed low. Fifteen Indian 
 Sikhs in double line marched slowly and with measured 
 steps in front, then I followed, reading aloud the solemn 
 words of the Burial Service; next came the body of 
 Lieutenant Macdonald carried by six of his fellow officers, 
 and behind him was the broken-hearted Major, Then 
 came the second bier, that of dear Pilkington, carried by 
 eight devoted Waganda chiefs ; and lastly followed the 
 other Europeans and a number of Waganda and Swahilis. 
 The solemn procession at last reached a spot on the 
 crest of the hill, overlooking the beautiful Victoria Lake, 
 into which the glorious sun was just sinking ; and here 
 upon this hallowed spot, being that whereon Bishop 
 Hannington was murdered, we laid our brethren down 
 to rest with a sure and certain hope of a glorious 
 resurrection on the great Easter morning. 
 
 On Sunday, December 12th, one of our party, Mr. 
 Allan Wilson, who had joined the forces of Major 
 Macdonald at the same time as myself, was taken 
 seriously ill with dysentry and fever, and it was 
 arranged that I should take him in to Mengo. It was 
 a most difficult and responsible task, but I decided to 
 do my best, I left Luba's on the following morning, 
 and got a number of men to carry my patient in a 
 hammock, and when we reached the lake shore I
 
 216 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 procured a canoe, and making it as comfortable as 
 possible with an awning to keep off the sun, we started 
 to cross to the mainland of Uganda. Arriving at the 
 other side in safety, we met two Government officials, 
 who had been instructed to protect the landing-place 
 with a small force of Waganda. At 8 a.m. the third 
 day we got to Ngogwe, where Mr. Baskerville, of the 
 C.M.S., was at his post, in spite of the troubles all 
 around, and here at this station I left my charge, going 
 on alone into Mengo to deliver letters entrusted to me 
 by Major Macdonald. I reached Mengo at midday, 
 having tramped about fifty-six miles in two days. 
 
 On the 16th of December I was on my way back again 
 to the front, in charge of a steel boat which was wanted 
 by the Major to rig up as a miniature gunboat ; and on 
 the 19th arrived once more at Luba's. The Major 
 greeted me very heartily, and expressed his pleasure at 
 my return. 
 
 Mr. Fletcher and myself were now the last of the 
 missionaries at the front, and the duties of the day fell 
 very heavily upon us. We attended to the wounded, 
 took our turn with the others as night and day watchers, 
 and in addition to this we were constantly called up, 
 sometimes at midnight, to act as interpreters.
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 SOUDANESE REBELLION {continued) 
 
 The major leaves for Budu— Christmas Day in camp— The mutineers raid 
 the gardens — Vigorous attack upon the Waganda camp— Mwanga's 
 escape from Germans — Evacuation of rebel fort— I am sent to Eipon 
 Falls— Attempts to blow up the dhow— Fort building— Rebels 
 attempt to cross into Uganda — Indian troops arrive — All into 
 Mengo — "With Major Macdonald to Kabagambi — A responsible charge 
 — A night scare — A brush with Mohammedans— Off again to the front 
 — Rifle-stealing— A kind offer— More fighting — Severe struggle at 
 Kabagambi — Death of Captain Maloney. 
 
 NEWS of further troubles in Uganda having reached 
 us, Major Macdonald, with five other Europeans and 
 about two hundred soldiers, left on the 20th for Budu to 
 endeavour to smash up the rebel king's army, which had 
 again collected, and which was doing considerable damage 
 in the country. We now received the good news that the 
 Indian troops that had been sent by Sir Arthur Hardinge 
 from the coast were to arrive in another month. 
 
 On the 23rd a skirmish took place at Luba's. I was the 
 officer on guard when, about eleven o'clock, I saw a lot of 
 the rebels leaving the fort and coming in our direction ; 
 this I immediately reported to the officer commanding, and 
 a hundred of our men were sent off to meet them under 
 Captain Austin. The Waganda, seeing that our force 
 was rather a small one, and thinking that our men would 
 be driven back, dashed down the hill about three hundred 
 
 217
 
 218 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 strong and charged the mutineers, reserving their fire 
 until at close quarters. The Soudanese turned and fled, 
 and the Waganda, not knowing when to stop, rushed 
 after them, and it came about that when they were tired 
 of chasing them the rebels suddenly turned round upon 
 them. The Waganda were tired, and, what was worse, 
 their ammunition was nearly done. The mutineers soon 
 found this out and in their turn charged down upon them 
 and drove them back with considerable loss ; ten Waganda 
 being killed and fifteen wounded, while in Captain 
 Austin's force only two were wounded. At first 
 the Waganda leaders were much discouraged and in- 
 clined to blame the Europeans, as they said that we left 
 them to it, that they had come to our assistance, and 
 when we saw them come we stopped advancing. But 
 after all they were in the wrong, as it would have been 
 impossible for us to have followed them, going, as they 
 did, at full speed close at the heels of their foes. 
 
 Christmas Day, with all its holy memories, was spent 
 in quietness, at least so far as the rebels were concerned. 
 They kept themselves shut up in their fort, and we did 
 in ours. The flies were our greatest enemies on that 
 peaceful day ; the heat was terrific, and this, combined 
 with the horrible state of our camp, attracted millions of 
 these awful little pests. They would settle on one's nose 
 and mouth and eyes, and were so anxious to procure the 
 httle moisture which was secreted from one's brow on a 
 hot day like this, that they could actually be picked off 
 with the greatest ease, and they did not seem to think 
 of flying away. In the evening of the day we tried hard 
 to get up a little amusement. One commenced to sing 
 " In the dear homeland," and immediately another fellow 
 
 jumped up and said "Look here, H , you just shut 
 
 up; I can't stand that. Would to God I were in the 
 homeland and somewhere near my dear wife ! " Another
 
 IN DWARF LAND 219 
 
 commenced soon after to hum " The Star of Bethlehem," 
 and this was taken up by one or two more, but it was 
 very evident that everybody felt rather dowji. At last, 
 when a few lines of " The old folks at home " were 
 sung, several got up and went to bed, and this crushed 
 everything, and so the day closed. 
 
 The mutineers were now getting very short of food. 
 As described in the previous chapter, the banana gardens 
 from which they had procured their support were 
 destroyed, and they had to either starve or constantly 
 go further afield for the necessaries of life. In the day- 
 time they could not leave the fort, as our men were ever 
 watchful, and at once sent out forces to stop them if 
 they attempted to do so; but at night it was more 
 difficult to put a check upon them, and night after night 
 they would go out into the darkness and raid the villages, 
 killing the inhabitants and stealing cattle and food. 
 Once they went out in canoes they had, to a place on 
 the mainland where there was plenty of food, and there 
 in the night they murdered the inhabitants, set fire to 
 their houses, and took everything in the shape of food . 
 that they could lay their hands upon. 
 
 One morning as I went on watch I saw a most 
 exciting finish to what had been an exciting chase. 
 A number of the rebels had crossed by canoe to a head- 
 land just opposite their fort, apparently for the purpose 
 of obtaining food, when they were discovered by the 
 Waganda, who had a force on the western bank of the 
 Nile, and who immediately manned several canoes and 
 chased them. I was just in time to see the finish. Two 
 of the rebels' canoes arrived back at their fort in safety, 
 but the other two foundered, and the occupants were 
 thrown into the water ; some were drowned, and others, 
 while clinging to the overturned boats, were captured by 
 the Waganda and taken ashore. Several other of the
 
 220 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 Soudanese were caught on the land and immediately 
 taken prisoners and subsequently executed. 
 
 On New Year's morning we had a little bit of excite- 
 ment. Our big gun (2 lb. Hotchkiss) was fired to usher 
 in the New Year, just at twelve o'clock. The shell was 
 directed to fall into the rebel camp, and I believe did so. 
 At 3 a.m. the mutineers, thinking they would return 
 the compliments of the season, came up, 150 strong, 
 and made a very desperate attack upon the Waganda 
 camp. The firing lasted about an hour, and at times we 
 thought from where we were that the rebels were in 
 possession. At daybreak, however, we found that the 
 Waganda had most successfully repulsed the attack, 
 one only of their number being killed and three wounded, 
 while it was estimated that the Soudanese lost at least 
 four killed and six wounded. There is no doubt that the 
 Waganda defended their camp most bravely, reserving 
 their fire till the last moment. It was thought that the 
 Soudanese expected that we should come out of our fort 
 in great numbers to help the Waganda, and it was found 
 that a large number of the mutineers had been hiding 
 just a few hundred yards from our fort, ready no doubt 
 to attack it, and, if possible, take possession as soon as 
 we should leave it. They had counted without their 
 host, and we felt sure the Waganda could defend them- 
 selves in camp without our aid. 
 
 Then came the most startling news, that Mwanga, the 
 rebel King of Uganda, had escaped from the Germans, 
 returned to his country, and was collecting an army in 
 Budu to join forces with the Soudanese. Major Mac- 
 donald, who was in Mengo, at once started off with a 
 large force to meet him. Everything was looking very 
 black at this time. It was half expected that the 
 Soudanese garrisons of Unyoro, Toro, and Budu would 
 join the rebels, and that Mwanga, being still recognised
 
 IN DWARF LAND 221 
 
 as king by the common people, would have a very large 
 following. If this were the case nothing but a trained 
 regiment could ever win back the country. 
 
 A very fortunate capture was made at Fort Alice, when 
 two of Mwanga's boys, bearing one hundred letters, 
 written by Mwanga to different chiefs asking them to 
 help, were discovered by the aid of friendly Waganda, 
 and thus did not reach their destination. This was 
 most fortunate, as these letters, if distributed through 
 the country, would no doubt have led to a general rising 
 amongst the disaffected Mohammedans and heathen. 
 
 The siege of the mutineers' fort had lasted nearly three 
 months when the rebels, reduced to but a fraction of 
 their original number, evacuated their fort during the 
 night of January 9th. Their intention undoubtedly was 
 to join hands with the other Soudanese who up to that 
 time had remained loyal. 
 
 The Indians had not yet arrived, and our force was 
 not large enough to split up. The rebels had a large 
 Arab dhow and several native canoes, the former being 
 at the fort when they first occupied it. The Waganda, 
 under the command of one of the Europeans, made 
 several attempts to stop the crossing of the dhow, but 
 the Wasese boatmen were not to be relied upon, and 
 whenever the enemy opened fire upon the canoes they 
 paddled away as hard as possible for the shore. On 
 January 7th I left the fort on Luba's Hill, in the com- 
 pany of Mr. Fowler (late K.N.), with orders to follow up 
 the rebels and prevent them, if possible, from crossing the 
 Nile. A large escort brought us down to the lake shore, 
 where we embarked in two large canoes. I was in one 
 and Fowler in the other ; both of us had a Maxim gun 
 fixed to the bows of the canoe. Fowler set off by lake to 
 try and capture the rebels' dhow, which had been sighted 
 in the act of taking provisions, &c., to the enemy's camp,
 
 222 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 while I proceeded with greatest possible speed to the 
 Waganda camp at Lugumba's, to help the two Europeans 
 who were in charge there. 
 
 Fowler seemed to have had a pretty hot time of it, as the 
 rebels, when they saw him coming towards them, opened 
 upon him a very heavy fire, and he was obliged to retire 
 on account of the unwillingness of the boatmen to advance. 
 As soon as I arrived on the mainland I went up to see the 
 fort that was being built on the hill, overlooking the lake, 
 to protect the crossing ; here I was put in charge for the 
 night. But about midnight Fowler turned up with 
 letters, stating that the rebels were making for the cross- 
 ing above the Ripon Falls, which was entirely unpro- 
 tected. We were both ordered to set off, taking our 
 Maxims and a couple of canoes, to stop them if possible. 
 All night long we wandered about in an open boat waiting 
 and expecting every minute to come up with a canoe full 
 of Soudanese. Just at early dawn a terrible storm came 
 on and made it necessary for us to take shelter. For- 
 tunately when we put in to shore we found ourselves near 
 a small village, and into a house, small and filthy dirty, 
 we crammed ourselves; it was a case of "any port in 
 a storm." We were both hungry, having had little or 
 no food all the previous day ; fortunately I had with me 
 a small tin of potted meat which we ate with some hard 
 ship's biscuits. We then stretched our legs on two native 
 beds in the hut, and I blush to confess that we turned out 
 two poor innocent darkies on that cold night to get into 
 their beds, while they sat by the fire and shivered. 
 The live stock was far too busy to allow us to sleep, and 
 in half an hour we had had quite enough, and as the storm 
 had abated, and the sun was up, we got into our canoes, 
 and in about half an hour reached the crossing above 
 Ripon Falls, with the satisfaction of knowing that we 
 were there before the rebels had crossed. About three
 
 IN DWARF LAND 223 
 
 hundred Waganda had come on by land in the night and 
 were there waiting for us. 
 
 The next two days we spent building a fort to 
 command the crossing; and then received instructions 
 from the officer in charge at Luba's to try and 
 blow up the dhow under the cover of night. At 1 p.m. 
 we once more mounted the Maxim on to a large 
 canoe. Our plan was as follows : Fowler was to go off 
 in a small canoe with four picked men and was to proceed 
 along the shore towards the rebel fort, and in the darkness 
 to creep near enough, and throw a charge of dynamite into 
 the dhow that was supposed to be moored off the land 
 close to the camp. I was to follow behind him in the big 
 canoe with the Maxim and a few of our best and most 
 reliable men, and as soon as he had thrown in the bomb, 
 to open Maxim fire upon the rebels to cover Fowler's 
 escape. Our plans seemed beautifully laid out and we 
 looked forward to our task with a great deal of eagerness. 
 Alas ! we wandered about up and down the shore all 
 night and no dhow could we find. Instead, however, of 
 returning direct to our fort at the Kipon Falls we first 
 visited the big fort which the rebels had evacuated, and 
 around the walls of which all our fighting had been carried 
 on. There was not a soul to be seen ; the earthworks 
 erected by the rebels were most interesting ; the whole 
 place was honeycombed like a rabbit warren, and holes 
 that the mutineers had dug to use as rifle pits were 
 everywhere, and we at once saw what a terrible disaster it 
 would have been had we, with our weak force, attempted 
 to rush the fort ; for even if we had succeeded in getting 
 inside we should most likely never have got out again 
 alive ; every man would in all probability have been shot 
 down by unseen marksmen. 
 
 Again we spent the day searching about the lake for 
 any sign of the enemy, and at midnight orders came to
 
 224 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 us from the commanding officer to return to the fort at 
 Ripon Falls. Fowler was then recalled to Luba's Hill 
 and I was left in charge of the fort until further notice, 
 with about five hundred guns and a Maxim. I imme- 
 diately set about strengthening our position, so as to 
 make it possible for us to withstand an attack from a 
 superior force of the enemy. The walls of the fort were 
 made thicker, and were loopholed for rifles all along. At 
 three corners we built Maxim bastions, and all round the 
 fort wall at a distance of five yards we put a thick bush 
 of thorns two yards wide, which would be an additional 
 protection in case of attack. 
 
 One day a party of rebels were seen on the opposite 
 bank, and we prepared to give them a hearty reception 
 if they attempted to cross, but when they saw our fort 
 and the Maxim guarding the crossing, they thought 
 better of it and went off in another direction. This news 
 I sent off to the chief officer, and he at once despatched 
 reinforcements to join me — Captains Harrison and 
 Austin, and Lieutenant Malcolm and Corporal Brodie. 
 Captain Harrison then took charge. I had already 
 sent out scouts all over the country to get information, 
 and soon after the Captain arrived one of them came 
 back bringing word that the rebels had gone into North 
 Busoga, and had abandoned the idea of crossing at the 
 Ripon Falls. In the meanwhile the first company of 
 the Indian troops, under Lieutenant Scott, had arrived at 
 Luba's and were immediately despatched by Captain 
 Woodward into Mengo to help garrison the capital ; he 
 himself accompanied them, as he feared the Soudanese 
 in Unyoro would now join the rebels and advance against 
 Mengo. "When he arrived there with the Indians, he 
 found all peaceful, and heard that the garrisons in 
 Unyoro were still loyal, and his former information was 
 false. He then set off along the west bank of the
 
 IN DWARF LAND 225 
 
 Lwajali river, to try and prevent the enemy from crossing 
 into Bukoba, and thus to get a free passage into Mengo. 
 
 While this was going on Major Macdonald, who was 
 in Budu, had a most successful fight against Mwanga's 
 army, gaining a most complete victory, with only the 
 loss of five killed and twenty-one wounded, while the 
 enemy left twenty-five dead upon the battlefield and 
 thirty-five dead were found in the pursuit which took 
 place afterwards, and forty wounded. This victory did 
 much to re-establish confidence amongst the natives in 
 Budu. 
 
 Strange to say, the garrisons in Unyoro, &c., did not 
 show any further signs of rebelling, and were apparently 
 waiting to see what would be the next move of the 
 mutineers. A very small force was now left at Luba's 
 and at the Ripon Falls, and the rest marched into 
 Mengo, and then on in a northerly direction, down the 
 left bank of the Nile, to try and stop the crossings ; but 
 as we journeyed we heard that it was too late ; the 
 enemy had already crossed, and were in the country that 
 lies between the Lwajali river and the Victoria Nile. It 
 was evident that the mutineers wanted to get to Mruli, 
 where there was a large force of their companions in 
 arms, who were up to that time loyal, but who, they 
 seemed to believe, would join them upon their arrival at 
 their fort ; but to accomplish this they first had to cross 
 the Lwajali, and this was a difficulty, the river being 
 choked up with thick papyrus growth, and only very 
 narrow channels being cut. 
 
 After his victory over Mwanga's army Major Mac- 
 donald again turned his attention to the Soudanese 
 rebels, and with a large force of Swahili and Waganda 
 he followed after Captain Woodward, who, as is stated 
 above, was on the west bank of the Lwajali. 
 
 I was with Major Macdonald, and by this time was 
 
 15
 
 226 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 getting quite used to the military life, and much as I 
 disliked the whole business, it was clearly my duty to 
 stick to it to the bitter end, or until it was possible to 
 completely smash up the rebel force and put Uganda in 
 safety. 
 
 Although it was distasteful, one felt sure that one was 
 of some little value as an interpreter, if in no other way, 
 and I willingly agreed to continue with the army. Up 
 to that time I had taken part in practically all the 
 engagements at Luba's ; had often been three nights a 
 week on watch duty, had helped to attend every day to 
 about fifty wounded men, and in addition to all this had 
 acted as interpreter at all hours of the day and night. 
 Mr. Fletcher, the other remaining missionary, who had 
 similar duties to my own, was at this time with Captain 
 Woodward. 
 
 By forced marches, Major Macdonald very speedily 
 caught up Captain Woodward, who was moving very 
 cautiously and slowly along the banks of the river. 
 After joining forces with him, the Major selected 
 Lieutenant Scott, Lieutenant Malcolm, Mr. Fowler, and 
 Mr. Fletcher to proceed at once by forced marches to 
 Mruli, and if possible to disarm the garrison there, which 
 consisted of Soudanese troops ; then to proceed to 
 Masindi and Hoima and do the same. Upon the success 
 of this mission everything depended. In four days this 
 flying expedition reached Mruli, and Lieutenant Scott 
 was able with great tact to rescue the Soudanese 
 garrison ; he then marched to Masindi, the headquarters 
 of the Unyoro command. 
 
 On February 4th the Major went on an exploring tour 
 as far as Kabagambi, reaching there about 12 midday, 
 and then procured a canoe to go out on to the Lake 
 Kioja. It took us at least an hour to push our way 
 through the papyrus which thickly fringed the bank of
 
 IN DWARF LAND 227 
 
 the lake ; then we saw that it was next to impossible for 
 a large force to cross the lake at this point, and if 
 attempted a few determined men armed with breech- 
 loaders would well be able to stop them. 
 
 The Major then directed that all the other canoe 
 crossings should be blocked, and finally left a party of 
 Waganda to guard the spot. Captain Woodward, on 
 account of ill-health, was ordered into Mengo, and I was 
 sent to look after him, and also to take charge of fifty 
 boxes of ammunition which were not needed at the 
 front. He being unable to walk, I had a hammock 
 constructed for him, and we marched only in the early 
 morning and also in the evening, when the sun had less 
 power. But it was a most difficult journey. To protect 
 the fifty boxes of ammunition we had only twenty armed 
 Swahilis and the porters to carry it, and some seven 
 days' journey before us. This in itself would have been 
 responsibility enough for one so inexperienced as a 
 soldier, but added to this was the care and constant 
 attention necessary for a sick man. 
 
 For five days all went well, and we arrived at a place 
 called Kitibwa, a few days' journey from Mengo, and 
 then our troubles commenced. Late in the evening the 
 chief came to tell me privately that the Mohammedans 
 had rebelled, and had joined the mutineers ; that his own 
 followers, a great number of whom were Mohammedans, 
 had suddenly disappeared, whither he knew not, but 
 suggested that, having seen the great quantity of ammu- 
 nition that I had, and the small force to protect it, they 
 had arranged to attack us and possess themselves of it. 
 
 To add to this, I received a letter from Mengo, even 
 while the chief was talking to me, giving me information 
 to the effect that there was a general rising of the 
 Mohammedans in Mengo and elsewhere, and telling me 
 to protect myself accordingly. I did not wish to trouble
 
 228 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 Captain Woodward in his weak state with these matters, 
 but unfortunately he overheard the conversation, and I 
 told him all ; he was much upset. I suggested that we 
 should at once raise some works to protect ourselves, in 
 case of an attack, and send off into Mengo for reinforce- 
 ments. It was midnight when we came to this decision, 
 and right on into the morning we worked away our 
 hardest, making rifle pits for the men to surround the 
 ammunition. The Captain was greatly excited and 
 caused me much anxiety, for although he was an expe- 
 rienced officer I had been put in charge of the caravan, 
 and in his weak state of health any excitement would be 
 dangerous. At daybreak our work was done, and after 
 sending out scouts in all directions we tried to get a little 
 sleep. Again letters came in to say that five hundred 
 Mohammedans had collected at a place not a day's 
 journey from where we were camped, and in a direct line 
 between ourselves and the capital. There was nothing 
 for it but to remain where we were, using every pre- 
 caution, and I was not without hope that we should be 
 able to resist an attack. 
 
 At midday a report reached us that a European from 
 Mengo was coming towards us, and would arrive before 
 nightfall. Very patiently we waited, and sincerely hoped 
 he had a good number of men with him to reinforce our 
 small escort. About 4 p.m. a fusilade of musketry was 
 distinctly heard not far from us, and we at once sent off 
 scouts in that direction to find out the cause. In an 
 hour they came back, saying that a large party of 
 Mohammedans had attacked a loyal chief with his 
 following, and had beaten him off, killing several of his 
 men ; but the scouts also said that the enemy had gone 
 on to the north. Strangely enough, these men had 
 actually passed within an hour's march of our little 
 camp, probably having heard of the approach of the
 
 IN DWARF LAND 229 
 
 European from Mengo, and being afraid to attack us 
 on that account. 
 
 Just before dark the European arrived, but to our 
 astonishment had only a dozen recently raised native 
 troops. However, we had to make the best of it ; all 
 night long we maintained a very careful watch, and kept 
 sending in all directions small skirmishing parties, so as 
 to give us immediate warning of any approach of the 
 enemy. 
 
 The night passed by in safety, and before daybreak 
 we started for Mengo. At 10 a.m. the sun was so hot 
 that I felt it would not be right to keep Captain Wood- 
 ward exposed to it longer ; we camped by the roadside 
 on a hill, but unfortunately all around us was the high 
 tiger grass, capable of hiding a whole army, and com- 
 pletely obscuring our view of the surrounding country, 
 there being no better position anywhere near. We 
 cleared as much ground as possible, and stacking all the 
 ammunition in the centre of the camp pitched our tents 
 close by and arranged the small forces at our disposal in 
 a complete circle round the camp. When night came on 
 all seemed quiet, and the scouts which were constantly 
 coming and going reported no appearance of the enemy. 
 The others retired to rest, but I remained on watch 
 through the night. 
 
 I had entered my tent about 2 a.m. to sit down 
 for a moment, having just inspected the guard, when 
 a great cry arose close to our camp, and a shot was fired. 
 I ran out immediately and inquired of the sentry what 
 was wrong, and he reported having seen a large party 
 of the natives on the northern side of our camp and one 
 had fired at him. The men, by this time, were all at 
 their post ready for action, but no enemy appeared, and 
 I began to think that the sentry had been dreaming, and 
 had discharged his own rifle. As a last precaution I sent
 
 230 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 off in the direction he indicated a small skirmishing 
 party of picked men. They had just disappeared into 
 the darkness when a fusilade commenced from that 
 quarter and they returned. 
 
 My man Mika, who had accompanied them, told me 
 that they had met with a party of Mohammedans lying 
 in the grass only one hundred yards from camp, and they 
 had fired upon them and then chased them as they fled. 
 He, Mika, had caught one of them, and was in the act of 
 bringing him into camp when the fellow had suddenly 
 produced a knife which was concealed in his cloth, and 
 slashed out at Mika and unfortunately, in the struggle 
 that ensued, had made his escape. However, he brought 
 into camp the fellow's cloth which he had been wearing 
 and had slipped out of when he escaped, also a small 
 bundle, containing, amongst other things, letters of an 
 incriminating character written by some chief to incite 
 the Mohammedans to rebel. There was no sleep that 
 night, all had to keep ready for immediate action ; but 
 as is so often the case when all is ready for giving the 
 enemy a warm reception, he keeps away ; and he did so 
 that night. 
 
 We got safely into Mengo the next morning about 
 eleven o'clock, and I confess it was a great relief to me to 
 see that ammunition stacked up in the fort at Kampala, 
 and to know that there my responsibility ended. Captain 
 Woodward was little the worse for his journey from the 
 front, but was invalided home a week after his arrival in 
 Mengo. 
 
 I had one day in Mengo to rest, then was again 
 despatched to the front to catch up the Major, who was 
 somewhere in Bugerere. A very large caravan, consisting 
 of about three hundred loads of provisions, &c., was put 
 under my care. I was the only European, and I had an 
 escort of forty Swahilis armed with Martini rifles. As
 
 IN DWARF LAND 231 
 
 we could not leave till 2 p.m. we were obliged to camp 
 within five miles of Mengo, but even here enemies were 
 met with. I had arranged sentries at different points to 
 guard the camp, but Swahili sentries are not at all par- 
 ticular about keeping awake, and one of these gentlemen 
 went to sleep, to find in the morning that his rifle had 
 been stolen. Another fellow, against orders, had left the 
 camp late in the evening with the pretence of buying 
 food, when he was set upon by two Mohammedans ; he 
 fired at them, but missed, and was then overpowered and 
 his rifle taken, together with his belt of ammunition, 
 and he himself left senseless by the roadside. 
 
 The following day, while performing a very long 
 march, I was seized with fever, and in a short time was 
 quite incapacitated for walking. The men made a rough 
 stretcher, upon which I was carried to Nakanyonyi. 
 When I arrived there I was more dead than alive. 
 At last the reaction had come ; up to that time, through 
 all the horrible scenes of war and bloodshed I had come 
 in perfect health, never getting even a scratch, although 
 I had taken part in no less than eleven engagements ; at 
 last to be laid low, by the most subtle of all foes — 
 malaria. 
 
 It was very fortunate for me that at Nakanyonyi there 
 resided a C.M.S. Missionary, Eev. G. R. Blackledge, one 
 of the three who had accompanied me up-country from 
 Zanzibar to Uganda. Most tenderly he nursed me, 
 putting me into his own bed, and himself taking charge 
 of the great caravan that I had brought. All that night 
 I lay in a critical condition, and the next morning I was 
 not much better. It was imperative that the caravan 
 should proceed at once, as much depended upon main- 
 taining a constant supply of food at the front. 
 
 Mr. Blackledge most nobly offered to take my place, 
 and go forward with the caravan. I was deeply grateful
 
 232 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 to him ; for it would have been the death of me to move 
 again for a day or two. 
 
 He reached Major Macdonald on the 18th of February, 
 just in time to join in a most successful skirmish with the 
 enemy. While in the act of pitching camp a strong force 
 of the enemy advanced against them with flags, but our 
 men met them with a terrific fire ; then fixing bayonets 
 they charged, and the enemy fled, leaving their dead and 
 wounded behind them. Several were taken prisoners, 
 and a number of rifles captured. Our total loss was 
 fifteen killed and wounded and the enemy's at least 
 twenty-five. 
 
 In the meantime Lieutenant Scott with his contingent 
 of Indians had been completely successful, and now all 
 fear as to whether the Unyoro garrisons would join the 
 rebels had vanished and strong hopes were entertained 
 that the whole affair would speedily be brought to a close. 
 As a matter of fact another fight took place at Kabagambi, 
 where the enemy had built a strong fort, but were com- 
 pletely smashed up by Captain Harrison's force, after 
 one and a half hour's fighting of the severest character. 
 When the fort was captured one of the enemy's officers 
 and two sergeants were taken, and no less than 514 
 women and children who had followed the rebels, and the 
 majority of whom belonged to companies in Mengo who 
 had not mutinied. The enemy left one officer and thirty- 
 two men dead about the fort, and their total loss was 
 probably not far short of a hundred men. The British 
 loss, however, was heavy : ten killed and seventeen 
 wounded ; amongst whom were Captain C. A. Malony, 
 K.A,, who subsequently died of his wounds, and Lieu- 
 tenant P. B. Osborn, Oxfordshire Light Infantry. 
 
 But here my connection with the rebellion came to an 
 end. I know it was but an insignificant part that I 
 played, but most gladly I did what I could, and although
 
 IN DWARF LAND 233 
 
 the honours and distinctions that were showered upon 
 the military section did not reach the missionaries, still 
 our ample reward came with the knowledge of the fact 
 that we had done our duty as Englishmen. 
 
 Some have severely criticised us missionaries for taking 
 any part whatever in the suppression of the rebellion, and 
 others have even looked coldly upon us and condemned 
 us ; but we can only hope that our example will have no 
 harmful effect upon the tender consciences of such, and 
 will stimulate others to act upon the principle contained 
 in the words — 
 
 " Where duty calls, or danger, 
 Be never wanting there." 
 
 N.B. — Subsequent events have shown that the fight 
 mentioned above was practically the finish of what has 
 proved the most serious affair in the history of the Central 
 African Protectorate of Uganda. The rebels were then 
 driven into the Bukedi country, and their leader was 
 killed. Mwanga, the rebel king of Uganda, and Kabarega, 
 of Bunyuro, were captured in April of this year, 1899, 
 and have been transported to the coast. Peace was then 
 finally established in the country.
 
 PART III 
 
 UGANDA TO THE WEST COAST 
 CHAPTEK XIV 
 
 UGANDA TO CONGO FBEE STATE 
 
 Westward Ho — Uganda escort — An alarm — Blackened ruins — Elephants 
 —My reasons for journey through Pygmy land — The Bishop's con- 
 eent— Preparation for the start — Farewells — Escorts — The start — 
 Violent earthquakes— Elephants again— A glorious sight— A faithless 
 donkey— Sally submerged— An elephant hunt — Another snake story — 
 Wakonjo village— Kikorongo— Chased by a hippo— Katwe — Hospitality 
 of No. 10 Company — Their loyalty. 
 
 THE illness which I mentioned in the previous chapter 
 continued with great severity for a month, and when 
 convalescent I had a fortnight's cruise on the Victoria 
 Lake, visiting Kagei, at the south of the lake, which is 
 two hours from Nasa, and also calling at the two German 
 stations of Bukoba and Mwanza. I was very soon active 
 and strong one more, and the cruise on the lake was 
 most invigorating, and blew away all the traces of fever. 
 When I got back to Mengo I went straight to Her 
 Majesty's Commissioner in Uganda and asked his per- 
 mission to proceed at once to Toro. To my great joy he 
 consented, providing that I had with me a sufficient 
 escort, as it was supposed that Mwanga was still about 
 
 234
 
 IN DWARF LAND 235 
 
 the neighbourhood of Ankole. Of course to this I readily 
 agreed ; the officer in charge at Kampala kindly gave to 
 me three Snider rifles with which to arm my boys. I 
 next visited the Katikiro of Uganda and asked him to levy 
 for me fifty Waganda guns to accompany me to Toro. 
 
 About a week from that time all was ready ; thirty 
 Waganda guns instead of fifty, but quite sufficient I 
 judged for anything we should want. 
 
 The first day out from Mengo I had a review of all the 
 men, examined their arms, and to my amusement found 
 that not more than fifteen of the men had more than one 
 charge of powder and two caps, and only twelve men had 
 bullets of any kind, but they seemed perfectly satisfied, 
 and told me that if the enemy heard that there was a 
 party of Waganda with a European at their head, there 
 would be no possible chance of their being so foolish 
 as to attack us. There being a certain amount of truth 
 in what they said, I allowed the matter to pass, and my 
 warriors and I proceeded. 
 
 The second day, however, we had a little alarm ; a 
 man met us with a letter which had been written 
 by one of the European officers in Bulimezi, a few 
 days' journey away, and it was addressed to the officer 
 in charge at Kampala. In troublous times like these 
 I did not hesitate to open it, and was somewhat startled 
 at its contents. It stated that from a very reliable 
 informant the writer had been told that a large force 
 (about five hundred) of Waganda guns, under the 
 leadership of Gabriel the rebel, were coming from 
 Ankole, on their way to Buzinde, to attack the outpost 
 there. I knew at once that I was on the very road that 
 they would in all probability be traversing for some little 
 distance. I called together a few of the most reliable 
 men and asked their advice in the matter ; they all agreed 
 that it was best to go forward, the report might not be
 
 236 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 true. We therefore pressed on till 5 p.m. and then 
 camped in a tiny village. I told the men to form a guard 
 for the night, but I fear my instructions in this matter 
 were not carried out. However, nothing happened that 
 night, and we left the village early in the morning. We 
 had not gone a quarter of a mile when we met some 
 people who were in a great state of excitement, and who 
 informed us that a very large army of the rebels had 
 passed by in the night, had burnt their village and 
 murdered some of the people. All this had been done 
 within a mile of where we were camped. Had they got 
 to know that we were so near there is little doubt but 
 that they would have attacked us, and with their very 
 superior force would have soon made an end of us. A 
 watchful Providence protected us. In a very short time 
 we crossed the track made by the army, and saw the 
 devastation that it had wrought. Our safety now lay in 
 pressing forward with all possible speed to Toro. 
 
 The sixth day from Mengo we had a very long march 
 of twenty-six miles, hoping to reach Nakabimba where 
 there was a large garden with plenty of food. This latter 
 we much needed, our men having been unable to procure 
 any on the journey on account of the deserted state of 
 the villages. As we approached Nakabimba we were 
 surprised to find no one about, and when we finally got 
 up to the chief's enclosure we saw that all that was left 
 of a beautiful village was blackened ruins on every hand ; 
 not only so, but the gardens also had been destroyed. 
 Part of Mwanga's army had been there only a few days 
 before, and there was not a sign of food anywhere, except- 
 ing a few wild tomatoes. To add to our discomfort rain 
 commenced to fall as soon as we reached camp. Some of 
 the men wanted to push forward, but I was far too tired 
 and so also were the porters. I hunted about in the rain 
 to try and find something I could shoot for the poor
 
 IN DWARF LAND 237 
 
 fellows, and good fortune led me down to the banks of a 
 small stream, and there I found a flock of guinea fowl, 
 and was able to bring down quite a large number of these 
 birds and distribute them amongst the men. Still, fifty 
 hungry fellows take a lot of satisfying, and they had to 
 be content with a light repast. 
 
 It was only just early dawn when the boys awoke, one 
 declaring that "hunger was hurting them," and that we 
 must push on. So on we went, through the wild, un- 
 inhabited district between Nakabimba and Mwenge 
 About half way there we passed through the very midst of 
 a large herd of elephants. I never saw so many together, 
 there were quite two hundred of them, and some were 
 carrying enormous tusks. I did not attempt to hunt 
 them, time was precious, and they did not seem at all 
 disturbed by our presence. 
 
 The last day into Toro was without adventure, but 
 full of interest to us. We were met by hundreds 
 of the people, who had come out to greet us and 
 to welcome us back to their country. Reports had 
 spread that I had been killed, and our party broken up, 
 and other reports said that I had returned to Europe ; 
 so when my friends the Watoro actually saw me, their 
 rejoicing was very real. 
 
 My stay, however, amongst them was to be a short 
 one. In August Bishop Tucker and Dr. Cook visited 
 Toro to inspect the work, and after consulting the 
 latter concerning my state of health, he decided that 
 it would be well for me to leave for Europe 
 without delay. The privations and exposures I had 
 experienced during the time of war had left rather more 
 than a passing impression upon my physical well-being. I 
 was not ill, but I cannot say I was well. The slightest 
 worry upset me and caused headache. Sometimes for 
 days I was incapable of doing anything on account of a
 
 238 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 singularly depressed feeling, and many such signs dis- 
 tinctly told me that I needed rest. It so happened that 
 a Belgian officer visited Toro in September, 1898. He 
 had come in the wake of the Batatela mutineers with a 
 large force of native troops to establish a fort on the 
 Belgian frontier. 
 
 Now it occurred to me that a journey home via the 
 Congo would be of great interest to me, and of profit to 
 the Mission to which I belonged. For some time we had 
 been wanting to start work amongst the wonderful 
 people, the Pygmies, if such a tribe actually existed. We 
 had heard much about them from the natives, and vague 
 reports concerning them had come to us from European 
 sources, but we were still a little sceptical as to whether 
 they actually existed; and I judged that if by passing 
 through the forest I could settle once and for all this 
 uncertainty, and if they really did exist, communicate with 
 them in some way or other, I should have done a certain 
 amoimt of good and have made it possible to proceed to 
 evangelise them. Add to this desire of extending the 
 missionary work, a very natural one for adventure, which 
 is inbred in the breast of most true Britons, and one has 
 in a nutshell my reasons for undertaking the journey that 
 I am about to describe. 
 
 I called upon the Belgian officer at an early date 
 after his arrival in Toro, and asked him for full 
 particulars of the route. He described the way he 
 had come some months before, and declared that I 
 should experience no difficulty whatever in getting 
 through. First he thought a thirty days' tramp through 
 the forest on to the Aruwimi, then by canoe for fifteen 
 days or so ; reaching the Congo, I should find a service of 
 steamers running between Stanley Falls and Leopoldville ; 
 and have no difficulty in obtaining a passage to Boma; 
 where I should catch a Belgian mail boat. The only
 
 IN DWARF LAND 239 
 
 difficult part was apparently the first thirty days through 
 the forest. I might discover the tracks made by his 
 caravan overgrown, and it might be necessary to cut a 
 fresh one. There was another route which was being 
 constantly traversed, and which would be more likely to 
 be in good condition and easy to follow, but it did not 
 pass through the centre of the forest inhabited by the 
 Pygmies, and this is what I was most anxious to do. I 
 therefore decided that, even if I had to cut every mile 
 of the way, I would make the attempt. 
 
 Bishop Tucker being in Toro, I consulted him and 
 asked him to sanction my proposed journey. At first he 
 did not seem at all inclined to do so, thinking the risk too 
 great, not only that which would come from contact with 
 wild men, but more especially that from malaria ; for the 
 Congo has a very bad name for being anything but a health 
 resort, and certainly the name could not be too bad, for 
 it undoubtedly merits it. 
 
 However, I heard from my Belgian friend that it was 
 highly probable that he himself would be journeying 
 homeward to the West Coast about the time that I 
 intended going, and then, when Bishop Tucker was told 
 of this he with some reluctance gave his consent, telling 
 me I must go entirely at my own risk, if I went at all. 
 I was of course perfectly willing to do this — in fact I 
 never expected anything less. It was therefore finally 
 decided that 1 should start as soon as I was able to get 
 together what was necessary for the journey. 
 
 I had first of all to settle upon what should be taken 
 with me, and what best could be left behind; not an 
 easy question to answer. I knew nothing of the country 
 or of the facilities for procuring food — in the forest at any 
 rate. I believed there were none, but on the river I did 
 not know what to expect. Then the quantity of supplies. 
 Could the number of days given me as likely by my
 
 240 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 Belgian friend be relied upon ? I at length decided that 
 it would be best to take a good supply, sufficient to last 
 at least three months. 
 
 Then, as to porters ! I again visited my friend, and 
 he soon set me right on this topic. Watoro porters, he 
 said, were necessary as far as Mbeni, the Belgian frontier 
 fort, and from thence the people of Mbeni would carry 
 my things through the forest. This was perfectly 
 straightforward. 
 
 But about a guide through the forest ! Oh yes ! even 
 he could be found for me at Mbeni ; a man who had once 
 passed through the forest could be secured to guide me 
 through. In fact, everything seemed easy. Conse- 
 quently I packed up my things into as few loads as 
 possible, making each as light as I could, so that none 
 exceeded 50 lbs. in weight. 
 
 But another difficulty presented itself, what about 
 personal attendants? Again I applied to my friend, 
 and this time the difficulty seemed a real one. He could 
 suggest no other way than to take boys from Toro as far 
 as the Congo. But where were the boys to come from ? 
 Were there any who would be willing to follow me into 
 so wild a place ? I called together my ten boys and asked 
 them ; the first to offer, almost as soon as I had asked the 
 question, was Mika, but I told him no ; he had married a 
 wife, and therefore he must not go, his wife required him. 
 Then two other of my Waganda boys offered, Elisa and 
 Alberto ; both were lads of a fair age, Elisa being about 
 seventeen and Alberto fifteen, and were most capable 
 servants, and I was much attached to them. Very 
 readily I accepted their offer. Another boy, a native 
 of Toro, Mufumu, also offered, and I gladly agreed. 
 "And now," I said to them, "let us arrange about 
 wages." " What ! " said Elisa, " are we slaves that you 
 should pay us for helping you '? We will have no wage ;
 
 Insert between ])agen 240 (Uid 241.
 
 TORO & ARUWIMI 
 
 DISTRICTS 
 SHOWING ROUTE of A B.LLOYD 
 
 ///...■.( I„twr,-f, i,„r/rs HO ,n„l '.'11.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 241 
 
 you are our father, we love you and trust you ; we need 
 nothing but our clothes to wear ; we will accompany you 
 as friends." I was very much touched by these loving 
 words. They meant something to me ; a missionary, just 
 leaving the country where he has striven to live for the 
 people, and to do them good, is, of necessity, some- 
 what sad at parting with those whom he has learned 
 to love ; and if he finds that some of them, although they 
 may be but few in number, at least some have learned to 
 love him too, what a pleasure it is to him ; none but 
 those who have passed through it can realise what it 
 means. One could not help looking back over the past 
 years and think of so many things one might have done 
 that were still undone, and of the very many imperfections 
 even in one's best efforts and of the selfish motives that, 
 alas ! so often had prompted those efforts. All this made 
 it hard to go away, perhaps never to have these oppor- 
 tunities again. 
 
 I arranged to start from the capital of Toro on 
 September 19th ; the latter rains of Toro had commenced, 
 and the rivers were fast filling up, and in a little while 
 some of the small mountain streams would be huge 
 torrents which it would be impossible to ford. 
 
 When I told the King of Toro my intention of going 
 Westward Ho, he laughed at me, and then said, " You 
 must not think of going." " Why? " I asked. " Simply 
 because the Pygmies will kill you ; or if you escape them 
 the cannibals will eat you." But when I told him that I 
 had made up my mind most thoroughly to go, in spite of 
 all, he simply saia, " Ofude " (" You are dead "). 
 
 The day before I arranged to start news came in from 
 Mengo to the effect that Gabriel had been to Bulimezi, 
 and was returning to Ankole, and the captain at the fort 
 immediately gave orders to the King to collect an army to 
 go out and intercept his escape into Ankole. The 19th 
 
 16
 
 242 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 of September therefore was a day of greatest excitement 
 amongst the Watoro. On the one hand all was rush 
 and bustle to get ready for the anticipated fight with 
 Gabriel, and on the other the bidding goodbye to their 
 teacher. 
 
 Many most embarrassing farewells were taken of me, 
 and some were most pathetic. One incident in this con- 
 nection impressed me much. A little princess, about 
 twelve years old who had been rescued from slavery by 
 my colleague, Mr. Fisher, when in Unyoro, and had been 
 brought to Toro, where we had taught her to read and 
 write, came to me crying most bitterly to bid me goodbye. 
 She stood before me a moment, and then drew off a little 
 native-made bracelet from her wrist, and sobbingly 
 handed it to me and said, " Take this bracelet, and when 
 you look at it you will think of me, and when you think 
 of me you will think of all my people, and you will long 
 to come back to us again." I think this little bracelet 
 will always have an influence upon me, and if for no 
 other reason than that I fancy I should be obliged to 
 return. 
 
 At last the goodbyes were over, and my porters were 
 impatient to start ; the escort that had come with me from 
 Uganda had of course returned, and on this journey I 
 was to have no escort at all. I did not think it would be 
 necessary, chiefly because the escort itself would in all 
 probability cause trouble. Untrained natives with guns 
 are most dangerous beings, and one is much safer without 
 them. "When a black man has a gun in his hand — 
 especially if it be for the first time — he becomes at once 
 the vainest creature on God's earth, and he has such an 
 inordinate opinion of himself that if he wants food, he 
 expects the heathen — as he will promptly call his fellows — 
 to supply him. I also believed that by wise and judicious 
 treatment of the natives of the forest, and of the river
 
 IN DWARF LAND 243 
 
 districts, I should be able to gain their confidence and 
 escape the difficulties arising from the fact of having with 
 me a large party of men, all dependent upon me for food. 
 
 As I have said, the porters that I took to the frontier 
 fort of the Belgians would return from thence, and then 
 the rest of the journey I should be practically without a 
 following, excepting for my two faithful Waganda boys 
 and the one Watoro lad. I should rely upon procuring 
 porters from village to village, changing them at every 
 place. This I know was rather a doubtful policy, as 
 upon the event of any chief refusing to give me porters 
 I should be stranded, and this might occur in the forest, 
 where to wait would mean slow death by starvation. 
 However, there was no help for it, as it would be impos- 
 sible to get the Watoro porters to proceed the whole 
 distance with me, and even if they were willing their 
 return journey would be a serious difficulty. 
 
 And now, with bicycle and donkey, both well groomed 
 and ready, and nineteen stalwart Watoro porters, each 
 man with his 50 lb. load, and with a party of my faithful 
 boys to accompany me as far as the frontier, and my little 
 dog Sally at my heels, we left the fair capital of Toro, 
 with all its memories of sacred scenes and of adventurous 
 life, and faced about to the south-west. Our first task 
 was to get round the Mountains of the Moon. There were 
 three distinct tracks — the one crossing the mountains to 
 the north, the second passing right through the range, 
 and the third to the south of the mountains, between 
 them and the Albert Edward Lake. I chose the latter, 
 as being the easiest, from the porters' point of view, as 
 both of the other routes were difficult, on account of the 
 steepness of the mountain paths, while the road to the 
 south merely skirted the base of the mountain range, 
 and there was a good cultivated road as far as Fort 
 George on the lake shore.
 
 244 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 For a long distance the first day our path, as usual, led 
 through the huge tiger grass, which literally formed a 
 barrier 15 feet high on either side of us, and entirely shut 
 out any view, excepting when we reached the top of 
 some lofty hill. The path ran along the eastern ridge 
 of the mountains, and was, therefore, through country 
 of an undulating nature, and the porters soon got tired of 
 going up and down the sides of the valleys, and of cross- 
 ing swamps and rivers at the bottom of each. We 
 pitched our camp about three hours after the start in a 
 very pretty spot overlooking a beautiful valley. As I sat 
 in my tent, I could see the elephants sporting about in 
 the swampy ground at the bottom of the valley, and could 
 hear quite distinctly their childish trumpetings as they 
 enjoyed themselves in the water. 
 
 In the evening I was sitting in my tent writing my 
 diary and weaving plans for the future, and for the 
 journey that lay before me, when suddenly, without the 
 slightest warning, a violent earthquake took place. 
 Everything in my tent began to jump about, and it 
 was most difficult to keep oneself perpendicular. The 
 porters were alarmed, and declared the earth would crack 
 and swallow us up ; some of them even went so far as to 
 roll up all their earthly possessions into their sleeping- 
 mats and make off, to try, I suppose, to reach a spot 
 where the earth was steady. Although it only lasted a 
 few moments, it was, for all that, most alarming, and we 
 were glad when it had passed. 
 
 Some very curious ideas existed amongst the natives, 
 I found, as to the cause of the motion. Some, indeed the 
 majority, declare it to be an evil spirit trying to break 
 loose from a cavity in the earth ; others said it was the 
 angry spirit of the great mountain, and that it brooded 
 evil for the country, and many other strange ideas one 
 heard of. A return of the shock came later on in the
 
 KARTHOIAKK CAMl* 
 
 
 ■•"•V^-v 
 
 5J^^ 
 
 ■^c. 
 
 
 KWIMI Kl\hK. 
 
 To fiiiC f'nfii' 244.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 245 
 
 night when all were asleep, and it was quite as violent as 
 the first, but most of the men were too soundly sleeping 
 to be aware of it, and only a few of the more wakeful ones 
 felt it. I had experienced many earthquake shocks since 
 going to Toro, but none had ever been of such violence 
 as this one. 
 
 The following day I came in closer contact with the 
 elephant herd that I had seen. There were about twenty 
 in all, and it was a very fine sight ; some had huge tusks 
 and were but little concerned by our approach, and one 
 might judge from their behaviour that they were not 
 quite sure what we were, and whether we were harmless 
 or otherwise. I walked quite close up to them to get 
 a better view, but had no intention of firing on them. 
 At first they did not seem to mind a bit, until one big 
 fellow became a little uneasy about my presence and 
 proceeded towards me ; I then thought it was time to 
 show him that although harmless while he left us alone, 
 we might be just the opposite if he did not, and I am 
 sure he thought so when he got a Martini bullet into his 
 ribs. He fell over and kicked about a little, and then 
 suddenly remembered an engagement he had elsewhere 
 and went off with the rest at a trot. Elephants are 
 usually very harmless excepting when interfered with. 
 
 Our next camp was on the banks of the beautiful 
 Rwimi river, a little stream that comes down from 
 the snows and broadens out into a very powerful river. 
 As I stood on its banks gazing up at the immense sides 
 of old Ruwenzori, with the clouds that seem for ever 
 to be hovering about the crest, the sparkling snowy peaks 
 towering away into the blue sky were gloriously visible ; 
 it was a magnificent sight. I have never seen a better. 
 
 My dear old donkey " Lady " came into my tent in the 
 evening, poking her nose all over the table, and gave me 
 most loving caresses. I could not understand this spon-
 
 246 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 taneous demonstration of affection at the time, but I did 
 so the next morning when I got up and found that she 
 had made off back to Toro. Two of the boys went after 
 her, but did not catch her up until they were almost 
 within sight of the capital. In the meantime we had 
 come to a river the current of which was very strong and 
 the water deep. One after another of the boys made 
 attempts to cross and failed, and then my little dog Sally 
 thought she would try, and this attempt nearly cost her 
 her life, for the current simply tossed the poor little 
 creature about like a cork, dashing her against the great 
 boulders and rushing off with her faster than we could 
 run. However, to my great delight, in about twenty 
 minutes she came pushing her way back through the 
 long grass and making the best of a bad job by coming 
 to her much-distressed master. Several of the porters, 
 who, being Watoro, were more accustomed to rivers, 
 next made attempts to cross, and one after the other 
 succeeded, and then helped over the boys, and I finally 
 got across after the donkey had been captured again, 
 riding upon her back. In another hour we came to an 
 equally strong river, and poor old Sally, thinking that this 
 time she would have better luck, simply took a " header" 
 before any one could stop her, and of course with the 
 same result as before. We waited and waited, but no 
 Sally came, and I then went sadly along the bank search- 
 ing for the least sign of my poor little companion. 
 After walking for some distance I got into the water 
 and waded about, expecting to find her dead body, and I 
 began to feel very much like a little boy whose mother 
 has taken his marbles away ; when suddenly I heard 
 some one calling me from the bank, and turning round 
 to see who it was, there stood one of my boys with 
 the best of all doggies by his side. She was looking at 
 me in such a cheeky way, as much as to say, " Well,
 
 IN DWARF LAND 247 
 
 you must think I'm a poor case if you have the notion 
 that such a paltry thing as that river can make an end 
 of me after all I've passed through." She had cHmbed 
 up the bank some fifty yards farther up the river, and 
 had come with my boys to look for me. It is a strange 
 fact that a dog can be so companionable, but that little 
 creature had become to me a friend that seemed indis- 
 pensable, and my joy at thus seeing her alive when I 
 thought her dead can better be imagined than described ; 
 and I promptly gave her half my lunch.* 
 
 Another three hours brought us to camp, a most 
 charming place, the country all around covered with 
 game, and the grass, instead of being long, was short 
 and soft. The plain was studded with low trees and 
 bushes, making excellent cover for shooting. Just as 
 we had reached camp I noticed at a short distance from 
 us another large herd of elephants. I counted twenty- 
 six in all. After a cup of tea I went off after them and 
 had a most exciting time. We first came up with two, 
 one a veritable monster, I never saw his equal, but he 
 had evidently seen mine, and before I had a chance to 
 fire he turned tail and bolted as hard as he could. We 
 went on a little further into a valley where the grass was 
 much longer, and quite suddenly came up with about a 
 dozen, all standing together with trunks in the air; one 
 very large one which was nearest to me, only fifteen 
 yards off, was evidently thinking of other things, and 
 little expected the sudden end that awaited him, for after 
 a careful aim I fired, hitting him between eye and ear, 
 and down he fell like the side of a house. I had used my 
 Martini, and the bullet passed right into the brain, 
 
 * It may be added here that, in spite of many narrow escapes, Sally 
 finally accomplished the journey with me, reaching the west coast in per- 
 fect condition ; but, alas ! only to meet with an ignominious death in the 
 jaws of a. Congo crocodile at Boma.
 
 248 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 But while we stood there a strange thing happened. 
 From out of the long grass just to my left a female 
 elephant dashed, and came straight for me, and I being 
 occupied with the other did not see it at all, and but for 
 my boy it would have been upon me before I knew of 
 its existence. He seeing it coming, and having an old 
 Snider rifle, fired at it, and although he did not hit it 
 the report frightened it ; but it did not turn till it was 
 within five yards of us. As I have said, I was fully 
 occupied with the other. When the one I shot fell, a big 
 female elephant walked leisurely up to it, looked at it, 
 and then put its trunk round it and lifted it up, and at 
 the same moment another of the herd came the opposite 
 side, and between the two they dragged it off a few 
 hundred yards, and then apparently finding out that it 
 was dead, simply left it, and with terrific trumpeting 
 made off after the rest of the herd. Had I not seen this 
 with my own eyes I should most certainly have doubted 
 the possibility of such sagacity, but the whole scene was 
 enacted before me, not twenty yards away. We were 
 very tired and left the elephant where it lay and returned 
 to camp, arranging with a native chief who was close at 
 hand to take care of the ivory for us and send it into 
 Toro. Those who wanted elephant steak helped them- 
 selves, for there was plenty for all, and none need have 
 been without a substantial supper. 
 
 Another snake story may be interesting. After the 
 encounter with the elephants we were walking along by 
 the side of a river when, without a moment's notice, a 
 huge snake seemed to leap out of the grass, knocking 
 over my boy Alberto into the river, and the snake itself 
 disappeared into the water. The whole thing was so 
 sudden, I hardly realised what had happened. Fortu- 
 nately the boy was not bitten, although badly drenched, 
 but it was a narrow escape both for him and myself.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 249 
 
 as he was only two yards behind me, and it leapt out 
 immediately I passed. 
 
 That night the hyaenas had a great holiday over the 
 carcase of the elephant, and their angry yelps as they 
 fought each other over their feast were most distinctly 
 audible in our camp. 
 
 On the following day we camped in a village called 
 Mwoikya, amongst an entirely different race of people, 
 called the Wakonjo, the mountain tribe. They are a 
 very harmless kind of folk who live at peace with all 
 men. These people have few ambitions — a hut in which 
 to sleep and plenty of food to eat, and they are quite 
 satisfied. They despise clothing, and prefer to remain 
 in Nature's own garb. Some of their villages reach an 
 altitude of about 10,000 feet above sea-level, and only a 
 few thousand feet from the eternal snows. The cold at 
 that height is intense, but these hardy mountain people 
 seem not to notice it, as for hours after sunset they sit 
 outside their huts before large fires smoking their rank 
 tobacco and drinking their " maruwa." The chief of the 
 village was not a very nice man, and seemed to have an 
 immense opinion of himself and of his elevated position 
 as chief over about one hundred people. However, he 
 brought us food enough, and we had all we needed. At 
 this place I found two soldiers waiting for me ; they had 
 been sent by my friend the Belgian officer. They had a 
 letter for me in which he told me that he did not now 
 expect to journey with me on account of fresh orders 
 he had received from his Government. I was thus de- 
 prived of the European's company that I had counted 
 upon during my difficult journey. Still I determined 
 that this would not in any way deter me. 
 
 The next camping-place was Kikorongo by the side of 
 a small lake. Early in the day I shot two fine antelope 
 and rejoiced the hearts of men and boys, who immedi-
 
 250 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 ately upon their arrival in camp lit a fire, and, sitting 
 round it, each one with a lump of meat stuck on to 
 a stick roasted it before the fire, chattering away the 
 whole time like a troop of monkeys, as happy as possible. 
 In the little lake was a quantity of hippopotami, large 
 and small. In the afternoon I sat by the shore and 
 watched these curious creatures sport about in the 
 shallow water. They did not seem at all afraid of me, 
 and some came right out of the deeper water to look at 
 so extraordinary a creature as I must have appeared to 
 them. In the evening one of my boys went to the lake 
 for a bathe, and while he was in the middle of his wash 
 a huge hippo came floundering after him. To see the 
 little fellow run was a sight indeed ; he yelled and yelled, 
 and did not stop running until he got safely amongst his 
 companions in camp. Of course the hippo had long 
 since given up the chase and returned to the water, 
 apparently well satisfied that it had done its duty in 
 driving off the intruder. 
 
 On September 24th we reached Katwe. This is the 
 last British station of the Uganda Protectorate to the 
 west. We arrived rather late in the day, as it had been 
 very hot, and a long march with no water all the way 
 after leaving the lake. I was most kmdly welcomed by 
 the Soudanese who were posted there, about fifteen all 
 told ; they soon procured me plenty of food, and I was 
 allowed to sleep in the officer's house in the fort, which 
 was a pleasant change after tent life. Fort George is 
 situated at the top of a cliff overlooking the Albert Lake 
 to the south ; to the north is the famous Salt Lake, 
 which looked to me like a large crater of an extinct 
 volcano. The fort walls were built of mud and stones, 
 and were of a very substantial thickness, and one could 
 see at once how it was possible for the small force of 
 Soudanese in command to make so singular a resistance
 
 IN DWARF LAND 251 
 
 to the five hundred rebels of the Batalela in March, 1897. 
 These Soudanese belonged to No. 10 Company, which 
 had remained perfectly loyal during the whole rebellion, 
 under Captain (now Major) Sitwell of Toro. When 
 there was disaffection and rebellion among the others, 
 this company only remained loyal to the British. This 
 was due to three causes : First and foremost, to the 
 most excellent treatment they received at the hands of 
 their European officer, whom they loved and respected 
 and in whom they had implicit confidence ; secondly, to 
 the faithfulness of their native officer, Kahan Effendi ; 
 and thirdly, to their ignorance of the movements of the 
 rebels occasioned by the great distance between them 
 and the seat of the rebellion. Whether these be the 
 real reasons or no, suffice it to say that, instead of dis- 
 playing any signs of mutiny, they actually caught three 
 Mohammedans who had brought letters from their 
 Soudanese friends in Uganda, urging them to rebel, and 
 handed them over to their commanding officer. He 
 sentenced them to death, and a section of the Soudanese 
 themselves performed the execution. In addition to this 
 they built a large bridge over one of the Toro rivers, just 
 to prove their willingness to obey their commander ; and 
 also had several most successful engagements with 
 Mwanga's army in Budu and elsewhere. It is to be 
 hoped that this company was suitably rewarded for its 
 loyalty when there was so much inducement for them to 
 rebel.
 
 CHAPTEE XV 
 
 KATWE TO KILONGA-LONGA. THE GREAT PYGMY FOREST 
 
 The boundary river — Lions — Meeting with the Belgian officer — We have 
 a Uttle hunt — Sporting yarns — Frontier settlement — Women slaves — 
 Abundance of game — Traces of Mr. H. M. Stanley — Crossing the 
 Semliki — Fort Mbeni — Preparing for the plunge — The forest — Its extent 
 — Pygmy area —Vegetation — Clearings — Animal life — Rivers — Birds — 
 Insects — Darkness — An Arab settlement — Cutting our way — Sakarumbi 
 — Our camp in the forest — Elephants — Wading through rivers — Red 
 ants — Adventure with a snake— " A man-monkey! "- Visit from the 
 Pygmies — Friendly intercourse — Mode of life — A Pygmy hunt — An 
 attempt at photography — An Arab chief — Tippu-Tib — Kilonga-Longa. 
 
 ON the 25th of September I crossed the boundary river 
 Nyamagasani, into the Congo Free State, and pitched 
 our camp on its banks. We had scarcely done so when 
 some people came to us and said that there were a number 
 of lions in the neighbourhood, would we go and hunt 
 them ? I declined with thanks ; my experiences at lion 
 hunts had not been of the most charming character, and 
 never once have I really got a clear shot at one of these 
 animals ; I have hunted them times without number, but, 
 usually speaking, they keep out of the way. Perhaps the 
 nature of the country in which I had hunted made it more 
 difficult to come up with them, the grass being long and 
 rank, and capable of hiding an elephant a few yards away, 
 much more so a lion; so I did not accept the invitation 
 to hunt. The boys built little huts around my tent, so as 
 
 252
 
 IN DWARF LAND 253 
 
 to be close at hand should any of these creatures attempt 
 to harm us, and large fires were lit at dusk. As we sat 
 around them just before turning in, suddenly rolling out 
 like thunder through the silence came the deep roar of a 
 lion, apparently not more than two hundred yards away. 
 We all sat with mouths open, listening and expecting every 
 moment to see one or another of the party carried off. I 
 kept my gun loaded and close at hand, and ordered the 
 fires to be kept up all round the camp and a watch to be 
 set. How many of these precautions were observed I 
 cannot say, for I was too sleepy to keep awake. But 
 fortunately all was well when morning dawned. 
 
 The following day we met a Belgian officer with about 
 forty soldiers. When they saw me coming the soldiers 
 lined up on either side of the path, and when I was 
 about fifty yards away the bugles sounded, and the 
 troops all saluted. Not being by any means a French 
 scholar myself, and the Belgian being quite ignorant 
 of English, we had to resort to the black man's lan- 
 guage and engage in conversation in Kiswahili, of which 
 we both knew a little. I first told him my business, 
 where I was going, &c., and he explained that he had 
 come to take the place of the officer whom I had met 
 in Toro and was then in Mbeni, the frontier fort of the 
 Congo Free State. We had lunch together, and then 
 as we were nearing the great forest, where there was a 
 doubt about getting any food, I decided to spend a little 
 time shooting on the plains, to collect a good quantity of 
 antelope flesh which we could dry into " biltong," and 
 which would last us many days. My friend the Belgian 
 officer also said that he would accompany me, and help 
 me to secure a good supply. 
 
 We started off together on to the grassy plains which 
 lie to the west of the Albert Edward Lake, and which 
 abound with reed-buck, water-buck, and cobus cob. On
 
 254 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 the way my friend was spinning some great sporting 
 yarns, saying how he often went out in the afternoon and 
 came back with a bag of twenty antelope to his account 
 and occasionally an elephant or two. Presently he saw a 
 small antelope, and immediately blazed away, one, two, 
 three shots, and still the little creature went happily on 
 its way. He remarked that he had not got his hand in yet, 
 and I certainly thought so too. Another antelope appeared, 
 this time a full-grown reed-buck, and he asked me to take 
 the shot and I did so, and brought the buck to earth at 150 
 yards. My friend began to look a little uneasy, but still 
 went on with his sporting tales. A little further on 
 another was seen — bang, bang, bang, went my little 
 friend's gun, and this time the antelope did not think it 
 worth its while to move away, but stood and stared at 
 the mighty Nimrod. Again the bullets began to fly about, 
 and still with no result. I then thought it time to leave 
 my friend to it, thinking that perhaps my presence made 
 him nervous. So I went off after a large cobus cob that 
 I saw in the distance, and was again successful. In the 
 meantime my friend had been " getting his hand in," but, 
 as I found out afterwards, all his efforts had been in vain, 
 and my two shots were the only effective ones that after- 
 noon. Poor man, he seemed quite crestfallen, and abso- 
 lutely refused to tell me any more of his little tales. 
 
 The next day we parted company, and I pressed on to 
 Karimi, a small Belgian settlement which had been 
 deserted after the Batatela rebellion, but was then in 
 charge of a native officer. The house, once occupied by 
 the Europeans, was in good condition, and in this I spent 
 the night. Several presents were brought to me of sheep, 
 potatoes, honey, salt, &c., and I was kindly received. 
 
 In the afternoon I was walking through the potato fields 
 when I came upon sixty or a hundred women, all with hoes, 
 cultivating the ground, and close at hand was a native
 
 IN DWARF LAND 255 
 
 soldier, with a rifle across his shoulder, acting as guard. 
 I inquired where all these poor creatures had come from, 
 and I was told a sad, sad story — alas ! not an uncommon 
 one in the Belgian Free State. A AVakonjo chief had 
 been told to do some work for the Belgians, and when 
 he refused soldiers were sent, and upon the least resis- 
 tance the men were shot down, and the women captured 
 as slaves and made to work. It was a sad sight to behold 
 these poor creatures, driven like dogs here and there, 
 and kept hard at their toil from morning till night. One 
 of the Belgian soldiers told me that there had been many- 
 killed, including the chief, and when I said what a 
 terrible thing it was, he merely laughed and said, 
 " Washenzi Bivana" ("They are only heathen''). This 
 is the usual way ; because the poor wretches are low and 
 degraded, it does not matter how they are treated ! My 
 faithful old Mika, who was still with me, when he saw 
 these poor slaves came and said, " Wliy don't you tell 
 these men to liberate the slaves, and let these poor women 
 go back to their little ones ? " I pointed out to him how 
 helpless I was ; that if the European in charge of this 
 district commanded this, how could I interfere ? But it 
 made me sick at heart. 
 
 Leaving this settlement in the morning, we again 
 crossed a large plain, upon which I shot some antelope 
 for food. Upon the very spot where we camped that day 
 were the remains of a very big camp, and the natives told 
 us that a long time ago a number of Europeans, with 
 a lot of soldiers, camped at this place. In all probability 
 it would be one of Mr. H. M. Stanley's old camps when 
 on his way across the Dark Continent. 
 
 At daybreak the next morning we crossed the Sem- 
 liki river; at this point it is about a quarter of a mile 
 wide, and a swift-flowing current. A small dug-out 
 canoe was found near this spot, and into this we got, a
 
 256 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 few at a time, and made our way across. The boxes 
 were placed in the bottom of the boat to help keep it 
 steady, but in the rushing stream it was dijfficult to keep 
 it afloat. All safely landed, and we next sent for the 
 donkey. A strap was fastened to her neck and she was 
 thus led into the water, and following the canoe swam 
 across in fine style. 
 
 I arrived at Mbeni on the 29th of September, and was 
 particularly pleased with the excellence of the fort, and 
 of the buildings in connection with it. My friend, whose 
 acquaintance I had made in Toro, greeted me most 
 heartily, and at once extended to me the best hospitality 
 of the place. He expressed very great sorrow at being 
 unable to journey with me to the coast, and asked me if I 
 would wait for him, as in a month's time he would be able 
 to go. But as I had made up my mind to go on in spite 
 of being the only European in the party, I told him of my 
 intention, and he assured me there was no danger of any 
 kind, but if I liked he might be able to send with me 
 an escort of soldiers, who would protect me in the forest 
 and save me from the hands of any who might try to 
 harm me. This kind offer I preferred to refuse, and 
 explained to him that I was a civilian, and quite 
 accustomed to going about without an escort ; and would 
 rather do so on this particular occasion. He seemed 
 surprised, but no doubt felt himself that an escort was 
 not absolutely necessary. 
 
 I now began to make my final preparations for the 
 plunge into the forest. There on the horizon was the 
 thick, black line which I was told was the commence- 
 ment of the Pygmy forest, and after half an hour's 
 walk we should enter its dark shades. My first occupa- 
 tion was to arrange all my loads in such a way as to 
 make it possible for them to be carried with the greatest 
 ease. All the large, bulky boxes I abandoned and chose
 
 THE PERKY. 
 
 INTKRIOK Ul- VNT HIl.l,. 
 To face faHc 256.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 257 
 
 small, narrow ones, that would be less difficult to manipu- 
 late in the forest, and I also reduced the weight of some 
 of them to about 40 lbs., and a great many I did away 
 with entirely. Each porter had to carry three days' 
 rations of food in addition to his load, so it was neces- 
 sary to have it as small as possible. I next procured 
 from my good friends the Belgian officers three loads of 
 rice, six sheep, twenty fowls, flour, cloth, and a few 
 things for trade purposes. Nothing could exceed the real 
 disinterested kindness shown to me by the officers. Any- 
 thing that I wanted they most willingly gave me, includ- 
 ing European provisions, such as biscuits, tinned meats, 
 and vegetables, things that, as a rule, a European in 
 Africa can ill afford to give away. 
 
 At this place I parted with my boys, excepting those I 
 have already mentioned who were to accompany me to 
 the Congo. These boys had been with me as my constant 
 companions through my wanderings in Uganda and Toro. 
 I had become much attached to them, and I naturally did 
 not like bidding them farewell. They also had a long 
 journey before them, for they were to return at once to 
 Uganda along the same route that we had come. Before 
 leaving Uganda in July, I had made an arrangement with 
 one of the big chiefs to give me one of his numerous 
 gardens, upon which my boys might live when I had left 
 the country ; and this he had most willingly done, so that 
 the boys might have a home to go to as soon as they left 
 me. Mika, being a married man, was to be in charge 
 of the garden and was expected to look after the others. 
 I had left with him a number of sheep and goats and a 
 cow, with which they were to do as they liked, and no 
 doubt they would make a big feast when they reached 
 their new home, and kill the cow for that purpose. 
 
 After two days' rest and preparation, I again set out upon 
 my journey, which now was to be of the deepest interest 
 
 17
 
 258 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 to me, and half an hour after we left Mbeni we had 
 entered the dark gloom of the primeval forest. 
 
 The great forest of Central Africa has an area of no 
 less than 300,000 square miles, and is penetrated to a 
 very considerable distance by the two majestic rivers, the 
 Congo and the Aruwimi. That part in which is found 
 that extraordinary race of people known to the world 
 as the Pygmies, is not more than one-thirtieth of the 
 whole area, and it is with this particular part that I 
 shall deal. Passing through as I did, not as a great ex- 
 plorer who has time, money, and patience at his disposal, 
 whose hobby it is to pry into the secrets of Nature ; but 
 merely as a lonely traveller, bent upon reaching home 
 in as short a time as possible, all my observations in 
 the forest were necessarily very hurriedly made. But 
 there were certain things in the forest that could not 
 possibly escape my notice. So varied, and yet so uniform 
 are its features, that it would require many chapters, nay 
 volumes, to be written to give an adequate idea of its 
 true character. The botanist would find new specimens 
 of ferns and flowers almost every step of the journey ; the 
 geologist would have open before him a field for unlimited 
 research, and the zoologist would find a storehouse of 
 never-failing interest. As to the adventurer or sportsman, 
 both would meet with all they could desire, and more 
 than even their wildest dreams could depict. All is 
 so beautiful, and yet so weird and uncanny: the 
 majestic trees towering up to the sky 180 to 200 feet 
 high, interlacing their foliage, and thus preventing even 
 the tropical rays of the sun from penetrating, and shutting 
 out the glorious sky from view ; festooned in wild confusion, 
 with giant cables from two inches to a foot in diameter, and 
 these intertwined with the slender cords and creepers, 
 until the whole is one dense tangle of vegetation. The 
 ground is strewn with the empty pods of the giant tree
 
 IN DWARF LAND 259 
 
 beans, and dead leaves. Here and there a forest monarch 
 has been uprooted, either by the force of tempest or 
 through the decay of old age, and crashing to the earth it 
 has drawn down with it a solid mass of twisted and 
 contorted bushes, but it has let a little sunlight in, and 
 dispersed the dark shades of eternal twilight. The space 
 will soon be filled up again by the multitudes of smaller 
 trees, which, in their turn will be numbered among the 
 monarchs of the forest. Very occasionally a clearing 
 is found, where at some remote period lived a few 
 fragments of a tribe, long since moved to other quarters 
 or become extinct. Here is found the coarse, rank grass 
 which has flourished in the sun, and it is even more 
 difficult to force a passage through. Cuts and scratches 
 from the knife-like blades of grass, or the poisonous 
 thorns, are the natural results. 
 
 One or two villages still exist in the midst of the 
 Pygmy forest even to-day wherein live a few Arabs. 
 These now are surrounded by a number of slaves 
 drawn from the tribes that live on the river banks 
 to the south, and there is little doubt but that they, 
 the Arabs, are there for the purpose of procuring 
 slaves. Eight away, hidden in the dark shades of the 
 forest, who would think of looking there for the wild 
 Islamite ? 
 
 Apparently a good feeling exists between these Arabs 
 and their fellows denizens of the thicket, the former 
 selling various kinds of good sweet potatoes, maize, &c., 
 for fresh meat and honey from the bush brought in by the 
 Pygmies. As to the animal life of the forest, what shall 
 we say of that ? it is a subject of all-absorbing interest. 
 Elephants and buffalo are met with constantly, sometimes 
 in herds, sometimes singly ; wild pigs and forest antelope, 
 many species of gazelles, chimpanzee, gorilla, and vast 
 quantities of monkeys of every kind are seen ; leopards.
 
 260 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 panthers, wild cats, civets, hysenas, and reptiles. Deadly 
 snakes will be found hanging from the branches of the 
 trees, or curled up amongst the decaying vegetation 
 beneath ; huge black adders, pythons, bright green 
 snakes with wicked red eyes, whip-cord snakes which 
 look for all the world like green twigs. The forest is 
 threaded with a network of rivers and streams, and all 
 seemed full of fish. There are also crocodiles and hippos, 
 water-snakes and lizards, leeches and slow-worms. 
 
 Birds of every description and varied hue abound, 
 parrots undoubtedly predominating, paraquets, swifts, 
 owls, guinea-fowl, kingfishers, fish eagles, divers, kites, 
 hornbills in great variety ; pigeons, doves, honey-birds, 
 and all kinds of night birds. In the daytime it is 
 delightful to sit and listen to the singing of the birds, 
 their songs are so different from the bird songs of Europe ; 
 some with deep musical sounds like the tolling of a bell. 
 The black and white wagtail is so tame that he will sit 
 within a few yards and pour forth his beautiful notes. 
 The tiny honey-bird darts here, there, and everywhere, like 
 streaks of light, issuing forth its twit, twit, as it alights 
 upon some honey-bedewed blossom. Overhead the 
 ungainly hornbill ploughs its way above the tree-tops 
 calling to its mate, and the screaming of the parrots as in 
 great flocks they make their flight along the river banks, 
 or through the tangled mass of vegetation overhead, is 
 almost deafening. 
 
 By the little streams are countless numbers of wonderful 
 butterflies, some as large as swifts, and all most gorgeously 
 coloured. 
 
 The insect life baffles description. Everywhere there 
 is life ; insects dropping from above, crawling about on 
 the earth, and flying in the space between, into eyes and 
 mouth, recklessly committing suicide. No stick can be 
 grasped without getting something in one's hand ; no
 
 IN DWARF LAND 261 
 
 tree climbed without being immediately covered with 
 ants or beetles. Cockroaches, centipedes, and crickets 
 were everywhere. At night the stillness was broken by 
 the incessant croak of the frogs, combined with the shrill, 
 perpetual noise of the cicada ; the weird moaning among 
 the trees, or the sudden crashing to earth of some forest 
 giant, which perhaps had stood for centuries; or the 
 ghastly yelps of the leopard as it silently creeps from its 
 hiding-place in search of food. In fact, no place on 
 earth's surface could be more in keeping with the strange 
 little people inhabiting this dark forest. 
 
 For the first few miles after we had entered, a very good 
 road had been cleared which made walking easy, but I 
 must confess there was a very wild, almost unearthly look 
 about the forest that gave one a very creepy sensation. 
 Gradually the path seemed to come to an end, and only a 
 tiny track, like that of a wild beast, was left to indicate to 
 us the direction ; then it was we experienced our first 
 feelings of dread. We had reached a very dark patch of 
 forest, through which no light at all seemed to penetrate ; 
 we could have imagined it to be night time ; although it 
 was only 1 p.m. Suddenly we heard a great noise not 
 far from our track as of a crowd of people talking 
 wildly together. Everybody looked scared, and I asked 
 the guide, who was to accompany us half way through the 
 forest, what the noise was about, and he said it was 
 " Nkima Nkuhioa " (" large monkeys "). I had been told 
 by the Belgians that in all probability we should meet with 
 gorilla in the forest, and so I supposed these must have 
 been some ; the chatter was certainly most human, and 
 sounded like a lot of people quarrelling. It added much 
 to the strangeness of the place. 
 
 Late in the evening we arrived at one of the Arab 
 settlements above mentioned. The old gentleman in 
 charge was extremely kind and attentive, and told me that
 
 262 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 he had been placed there by the Belgians to keep the road 
 through the forest cleared, but when I chaffed him about 
 this and said, " Where is the road ? " he repHed — "You 
 do not expect to find roads like there are in Zanzibar, do 
 you ? " 
 
 The following day we had a hard tussle with the 
 forest ; the path was very soon lost, and it became a 
 hand-to-hand fight. I had with me an old sword-bayonet, 
 and with this I chopped my way, making room also for 
 the porters who followed me with the loads. It was 
 desperate work, and I kept turning to the guide who was 
 behind me asking him the direction, and I soon found 
 that he was hopelessly lost, and I had to produce my 
 compass and follow that, taking a north-westerly course. 
 My desire was to get as soon as possible to the Ituri 
 river, and then follow along its banks until it became 
 navigable, which was, I believed, a little above Avakubi. 
 
 Every now and then we found a small track, which 
 seemed to lead in the right direction, and along this we 
 wended our way, until it turned off to the right or left, 
 and we then went straight ahead. Sometimes we came 
 to deep gullies at the bottom of which were little streams, 
 and the porters had great difficulty in making their way 
 up and down the steep banks. Reaching a very high 
 eminence there was a clearing where at some remote 
 period a village had existed. I looked back over the 
 country through which we had passed, and away there in 
 the dim distance we could see the glorious peaks of 
 Buwenzori, quite free from clouds on their crest, and the 
 glittering snows looked radiant in the sunlight. It was 
 the very last glimpse we had of the mountains, which 
 were then about fifty miles distant. 
 
 We at last struck a path that we found led to a 
 village called Sakarumbi, where a small number of 
 people lived.
 
 FIRST CAMP IN FOKKSf. 
 
 ■^*MtrK n,^- 
 
 .^1^1 
 
 MY CAK.W.W i.K'i)SM\(, KI\I-.K' l\ I'M.xn' |()KI':ST. 
 To face page 262.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 263 
 
 The next few days were spent in cutting our way along 
 through the undergrowth. "What a terrible business it 
 was ! The forest seemed to get thicker and thicker, and 
 even in the middle of the day it was like advanced 
 twilight. At night we always cleared, as best we could, 
 a little plot of ground where we might pitch the tent, and 
 around it the porters built a strong fence or zareba, by 
 driving stakes into the soft mud, and fastening on cross- 
 pieces with tough bark. The tent ropes were fixed to 
 the trees, and the porters and boys built themselves little 
 shelters with the small sapHngs and then thatched them 
 with the leaves of the trees. Herds of elephants roamed 
 about everywhere, and at night we often heard them quite 
 close to our camp, breaking off the branches of the trees, 
 trumpeting and squealing, and we sometimes feared they 
 would come walking into our camp, treading us underfoot 
 as we slept. I arose one morning and went outside of the 
 tent, before the men were awake, and there I saw, look- 
 ing over the zareba round the tent, a huge old tusker, 
 evidently in deep thought, and wondering what on earth 
 this could mean. When he caught sight of me he looked 
 a little startled but did not seem in a particular hurry to 
 run away, and it was only by making a great noise of 
 clapping and shouting that he condescended to move off 
 while I performed my toilet. 
 
 The rivers were a constant source of trouble to us, and 
 we had to cross sometimes as many as thirty in a day ; 
 some were but small streams, but others great rivers, 
 that were most difficult to ford. Occasionally we found 
 a rough bridge made by a tree having fallen across the 
 stream, and very gingerly we had to made our way across 
 this ; but it was not easy to keep the perpendicular, 
 especially if the tree were but a small one and slippery, 
 as they always were, and many a ducking I got. Kain 
 seemed to be almost incessant — in fact, we hardly knew
 
 264 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 when it was actually raining and when it was not, as the 
 thick tangled mass overhead was always dropping with 
 moisture, and we were seldom dry. Most of the rivers, 
 however, we had to wade through, and with water up to 
 one's armpits, and a strong current, this was more 
 difficult still. Often the water was very offensive, and 
 none was safe to drink unboiled and without being well 
 filtered. The donkey was constantly getting into trouble 
 in these rivers, and we had to exercise great patience with 
 the poor animal. I soon wished I had never brought her 
 into the forest, as it was of course impossible to ride her, 
 owing to the tangled undergrowth. 
 
 One night I had a rather trying experience. It was 
 midnight and I was quietly sleeping, when suddenly I 
 became aware of a most terrible pricking sensation all 
 over my body. It was as though pins were being thrust 
 into me in every part. Then I heard my dog Sally racing 
 about the tent in a most frantic manner, knocking every- 
 thing over, including my washing basin, which was full of 
 water, and which of course came all over my bed. I 
 thought it was time I got up to see what was amiss. I 
 struck a light, when I had at last found those tiresome 
 matches, and then beheld the tent simply besieged by red 
 ants, the real biting kind. My word ! how they did go 
 for me ! I rushed from the tent to call the boys and 
 porters. They all brought fire and surrounded the tent, 
 and commenced killing the myriads of pests that were 
 inside, whilst I, shivering with cold, stood outside the 
 tent in the rain, picking dozens of these dangerous 
 vermin off my poor aching limbs. It was not till 2 
 p.m. that the place was tolerably cleared, and even in the 
 morning, when dressing, I found many of the ants on my 
 clothing. 
 
 On the 6th of October we had two adventures, which I 
 will proceed to relate.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 265 
 
 In the early morning, while as usual I was busy 
 chopping away at the tangled vegetation before me — we 
 had long since lost all sign of a path — a huge black 
 snake darted out just a yard in front of me, reared its 
 head, and prepared for its deadly strike; for a moment I 
 seemed paralysed and powerless to move, but I fortunately 
 recovered myself, and jumped back a yard or two, only 
 just in time, for almost simultaneously with my movement 
 it darted forward and only just missed my leg ; I made a 
 slash at it, but missed, and then it reared its head again 
 and slowly glided away. What a horrible monster ! as 
 black as ink and 12 feet long at least, and as it went, 
 it kept its little sparkling eyes fixed upon me ; I was 
 most heartily glad when it had passed. But the second 
 adventure was of much greater importance. 
 
 We had now been in the forest for six long days, 
 and had never once seen the slightest sign of Pygmies, 
 and I began to half believe that after all the Pygmy 
 stories were not true ; but on this particular day I 
 was converted to believe most thoroughly in Pygmies. 
 I was still at the head of the caravan, rifle in hand, 
 looking out for a shot at some wild pigs that had been 
 seen a little while before. The forest was not so dense 
 as it had been in the earlier part of the day, and we 
 were making our way along a small antelope track which 
 was in the direction we were going. My boy, who was 
 just behind me, suddenly stopped and pointed out to me 
 what he described as a " man-monkey." I looked up the 
 tree at which he was pointing, and there, near the top of 
 a high cotton-tree, I saw what I thought must be from 
 the boy's description a gorilla. In the thick foliage it 
 was impossible to get a clear view, and I could only see 
 that it was some creature of large dimensions, to be so 
 near the top of a tree like that. I therefore raised my 
 rifle to my shoulder, took steady aim, and prepared to
 
 266 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 fire. I had been unsuccessful in killing the wild pig, 
 and I thought at any rate monkey would be better than 
 nothing, and it would not have been the first time that 
 we had been reduced to that. I had very nearly pulled 
 the trigger, indeed my finger was actually upon it, 
 when my boy, who was still carefully studying the 
 creature up the tree, suddenly pulled my arm and said, 
 " Don't fire — it's a man ! " I almost dropped my gun, 
 so great was my astonishment. Could it possibly be 
 so ? Yes, there he was ; I could now clearly distinguish 
 him. He had discovered us, had heard my boy speak to 
 me, and while with breathless horror we stood there 
 gazing, the little man ran along the branch on which he 
 stood, and jumping from tree to tree soon disappeared. 
 It was a Pygmy, and how nearly had he paid the penalty 
 of climbing trees ! What the result would have been if I 
 had killed him I cannot say, for, as I found out after- 
 wards, he was not alone, and had he been shot the whole 
 tribe would have been down upon us, and with their 
 deadly little weapons would soon have put an end to us. 
 But now my boy was literally shaking with fear. "We 
 have seen a Pygmy, we have seen a Pygmy ; we shall now 
 see sorrow." It was an old idea of the Watoro that 
 the Pygmies were Bachwezi (devils), and they always 
 spoke of them with bated breath, and declared that no 
 one ever saw one and lived to tell the story ; that to see 
 one was to die. I laughed at him and told him it was 
 all right ; God would protect us, and we should get through 
 the forest in safety; had He not preserved us thus far 
 from dangers on every hand? and we must trust Him to 
 keep us all the way. 
 
 Five o'clock came and it was time to pitch camp. We 
 found a nice spot which was tolerably clear from under- 
 growth, although it was quite thick overhead, and here we 
 put the tent, and the porters built their little huts. I then
 
 IN DWARF LAND 267 
 
 sat down at my tent door and tried to read. Presently, 
 upon looking up from my book, I became aware of a 
 number of little faces peering at me through the thicket. 
 Just in front of me was the trunk of a huge tree and 
 around one side of it there peeped a tiny figure. For a 
 moment I was completely taken aback ; it was like being 
 in fairyland and having visits paid to one by the fairies 
 themselves. My boys, who were sitting near at hand 
 cooking some food for our evening meal, also caught sight 
 of these strange little beings and came at once to my side. 
 I told one of them to go and fetch the little people, that 
 I might talk with them, but he was too much afraid, and 
 refused to leave my side. Indeed I did not wonder at his 
 fear, for I too began to have strange apprehensions as to 
 the character of my visitors. I did not know whether 
 they had not come to attack me, and how soon I might 
 find myself pierced with a deadly arrow. At last I called 
 out in the language of the people of Toro just the ordinary 
 salutation of the country, and to my great astonishment 
 and pleasure one little man returned my greeting. I 
 then said to him, " Come here and let us talk together." 
 This I shouted out several times, and then, very slowly 
 and very shyly he came creeping towards me, followed by 
 the others. When he got into the open space before my 
 tent he seemed very anhappy, and stared at me in blank 
 amazement and hid his face behind his hands. Some 
 of his companions dodged behind each other, while the 
 majority remained partly hidden in the jungle. 
 
 I now had a complete view of my visitors, and what 
 struck me first of all was naturally the shortness of their 
 stature. But, although they were so very short (about 4 
 feet, by subsequent measurement) , yet there was a power- 
 fulness about their build that is not often seen in African 
 races. Broad chested, with muscles finely developed, 
 short, thick neck, and small bullet head, the lower limbs
 
 268 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 were massive and strong to a degree. The chest was 
 covered with black, curly hair, and most of the men wore 
 thick black beards. Each carried either bow and quiver 
 of arrows, or short throwing-spears. Bound their arms 
 they wore iron rings, and some of them had these round 
 their necks also. I chatted away to the little man who 
 knew the Toro language, and I was very much amazed at 
 the smart way in which he answered my questions. His 
 knowledge of the language was not perfect by any means, 
 and he often used words that were strange to me, and 
 savoured of Pygmy Land, yet he spoke sufficiently well 
 for me to be able to follow him. 
 
 None of his followers — for he was their chief — seemed 
 to know the Toro language at all, and merely stood 
 looking on, lost in wonder at the white man's appearance. 
 He, the chief, had at some time or other come in contact 
 with the people of Toro, possibly at Mboga, and had there 
 learned their language. I asked him all sorts of questions 
 relating to the forest and to themselves, most of which 
 he answered with marvellous intelligence, speaking in a 
 rapid, sing-song way. I asked him the extent of the 
 forest, as occupied by the Pygmies, and he described 
 the distance by telling me the number of days it would 
 take to pass through ; from east to west seven days, 
 and from north to south about six days, and, roughly 
 speaking, about one hundred and forty by one hundred 
 and twenty miles broad, that is, counting twenty miles 
 as an average day's march, which would be fairly good 
 walking even for a native in the forest. I next asked him 
 the number of his people, and he took a piece of stick 
 and broke it up into little pieces, about forty in all, and 
 said that each piece represented a chief, and he then went 
 on to tell me the number of followers of each ; some had 
 two hundred, others only fifty, and a few as many 
 as five hundred. It was very simple then to calculate
 
 H' V, -
 
 IN DWARF LAND 269 
 
 that the total number would be somewhere about ten 
 thousand. 
 
 Then the Pygmy chief told me that he knew long ago 
 of my coming, and I asked him, " How ? " He said that 
 several days ago he saw me. " Saw me ? " I said, " when 
 did you see me?" "I have seen you in the forest for 
 six days." " But I did not see you," I said ; and then he 
 laughed most heartily and said, " No, I could not see him, 
 but he saw me." Upon further inquiry I found that a 
 large party of these little creatures had been watching our 
 every movement all through the forest, while we were in 
 the most blissful ignorance of the fact. At every camp 
 they had hovered about us, peering at us through the 
 thicket as we passed. Why did they not attack us? is 
 the question that kept coming up into my mind. If they 
 are the thievish, wicked little people that they have 
 been represented, why did they not molest us? We 
 were entirely in their power, and had been for the past 
 six days. Perhaps it was our very helplessness that 
 protected us — they saw that we were not as the other 
 white men who had passed through their forest, armed 
 with guns, and having a big following of soldiers; or 
 perhaps I had been overheard speaking in the language 
 of Toro to my boys, and this had given them confidence. 
 I firmly believe, however, that they are not untrustworthy 
 folk, as is usually supposed, but, like most Africans, when 
 not interfered with they are perfectly harmless. I cannot 
 say which of these answers meets the case ; I leave the 
 reader to judge for himself. At any rate, upon this and 
 subsequent occasions when I had intercourse with them 
 in the great forest, I was most kindly treated. The little 
 chief brought me a forest antelope for food, also a large 
 pot of honey, that I requested him to taste first. Before 
 they retired for the night, I asked them to come again in 
 the morning to see me, and the chief said he would do so,
 
 270 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 and the next day I therefore had further conversation 
 with these strange little folk. 
 
 Their mode of living is extraordinary; they never 
 cultivate the ground, but v^ander from place to place, 
 gathering the fruit, nuts, &c., from the trees, and the 
 wild honey. The animals they shoot with their bows and 
 arrows, and the hunt was most graphically described to 
 me. Often they follow a wounded elephant for days, 
 shooting into it hundreds of their little iron-tipped arrows, 
 until the poor creature dies from sheer exhaustion. They 
 then make their little camp all round the carcase, and 
 live upon the flesh as long as it will last, and then away 
 they go again to seek other food. Their method of 
 catching wild pigs and forest antelope is very interesting. 
 Two or three of the more agile of the men are sent off 
 into the thicket to search for the animal. These little 
 fellows sometimes climb the trees, and move along the 
 branches from tree to tree, peering down into the dense 
 undergrowth. In the meantime a large net made out 
 of creepers is held in readiness, and men, women and 
 children alike, arm themselves ready for the fray, some 
 with sticks, but most of the men with bows and arrows. 
 After a little time a shrill, birdlike whistle is heard 
 from the forest ; it is the signal from the searchers that 
 game has been found. Away the little army goes, all 
 noiselessly picking their way through the jungle and 
 tangled undergrowth, in the direction of the whistle. 
 As they get near to the spot they quietly surround it, 
 each man or woman keeping within sight of the next ; 
 the net is fixed up on to the bushes, in one part of 
 the circle, and then when all is ready the whole party 
 commences a great shouting, beating the thicket, and 
 very slowly driving all before them into the net, where 
 stand the men with bows and arrows. Into the net 
 rushes the pig or antelope, which is immediately shot
 
 IN DWARF LAND 271 
 
 through and through by the expert marksmen, and the 
 hunt is finished. The meat is carried back to the camp, 
 the blood being specially preserved for the chief. 
 
 In the morning I tried to photograph my little friends, 
 but it was quite hopeless. It was too dark in the forest 
 itself, and I could not persuade them to come out into 
 a clearing where I might get light enough. I tried 
 time after time, but always failed. I exposed nearly a 
 dozen plates, but with no good results; snapshots were 
 useless, and I could not get them still enough for a 
 time exposure. 
 
 At our next camp, a small village, I met many more 
 Pygmies, and I was able by interpretation, to hold quite 
 an interesting conversation with them. None of these 
 could speak the Toro language, but in the village was 
 a man who could speak the Pygmy language, and who 
 also knew Kiswahili, and I was thus able to make 
 myself understood. 
 
 The Pygmies seemed to roam about not far from these 
 forest settlements, and keep in constant communication 
 with them ; for the plantains, potatoes, and other food 
 the Pygmies give fresh meat and honey. But at one 
 village that I came upon unexpectedly I had a singular 
 adventure. The place was governed by an Arab, who 
 had a large number of so-called Arab followers, but who 
 in reality were only Wanyema. The Arab chief was 
 most rude and inhospitable when I arrived ; I could not 
 make it out. Upon my entrance into his village he at 
 once came forward with his men and challenged me as to 
 my business, and I explained who I was, and where I 
 was going, but my explanation did not seem to satisfy 
 him, and he said, " You cannot go through here; this 
 country belongs to the Belgians, and you are not a 
 Belgian." I explained that I had permission from the 
 Belgians to pass that way, and who was he that he
 
 272 IN DWARF , LAND 
 
 should hinder me? Upon this he became angry, and 
 said something in Arabic, which I did not understand, 
 to some of his attendants. They ran off into the house, 
 and presently returned with their guns and surrounded 
 me. " Now," said the Arab, " you are not going through 
 here." I told him he had made some great mistake, and 
 that we had better talk the matter over candidly 
 together, upon which I sat down and he did also. My 
 boys who carried my sporting guns, when they saw the 
 Arabs arm themselves, immediately came running to me, 
 and stood one on either side of me with guns in hand, 
 I turned angrily to them, and asked them what they 
 wanted with the guns, and sent them back to the 
 caravan. I then turned to the Arab and asked him 
 if he would allow me to spend the night here in his 
 village, and go on in the morning without any inter- 
 ference ? No, he would not ; and then I did not know 
 what to say. Suddenly I had a strange inspiration, and 
 again addressing the fellow I said, "Do you know 
 Tippu-Tib?" "What?" he said in great excitement, 
 " Tippu-Tib ? " " Yes ; do you know him ? " "I should 
 think I do," said he; "do you know him?" "Yes," I 
 replied; "he is an old friend of mine; I met him at 
 Zanzibar, and made his acquaintance." "Allah!" said 
 the Arab, " you know Tippu-Tib ? Tell me quickly how 
 he is." I then said all I could about this distinguished 
 prisoner at Zanzibar, explaining as fluently as possible in 
 Swahili, his appearance, &c. I never saw such a change 
 in any man, as came over this Arab. Instead of rudeness, 
 he was now the essence of politeness. He extended his 
 hand to me, ordered his men to make his own house 
 ready for me, sent off for food, and, in short, treated me 
 with the utmost kindness and consideration. It turned 
 out after further conversation, that he was a near relative 
 of Tippu-Tib's, and by my slight acquaintance with that
 
 IN DWARF LAND 273 
 
 gentleman at Zanzibar, I was saved from what might 
 have been a most awkward business. His chief reason 
 for not wishing me to pass through his village was un- 
 doubtedly because the place was full of slaves, gathered 
 from various parts. He evidently thought that if I got 
 through, having seen all these, I should tell the Belgians 
 of his existence in the forest, and they would send 
 soldiers to capture him. Thus once more we had to 
 raise the note of praise and thanksgiving ; for the loving, 
 all-watchful eye of our Father had been upon us, and 
 we were again preserved from danger, and were able 
 to continue our journey. Five more days in the forest 
 brought us to Kilonga-Longa, now called Mawambi. 
 
 18
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 KILONGA-LONGA TO AVAKUBI 
 
 Kilonga-Longa or Mawambi— The donkey sold— Gymnastics in the forest 
 — A narrow escape — Falling trees — The Pygmies again— Eenewed 
 friendship — Bows and arrows — A Pygmy settlement — Pygmy women 
 — Pygmy temples— Fever— My black nurse— Elephant scatters the 
 porters — Wild pig— Snake adventure — Fishing — Crossing river on 
 fallen tree — The guide kills an elephant — A hungry panther — Two 
 days through water — Pengi — Canoes awaiting us — Socks versus stock- 
 ings—First experiences on river — Shooting the rapids— Canoe men 
 submerged — Canoe smashed up — A miserable night — Avakubi. 
 
 KILONGA-LONGA is now not quite the place that it 
 used to be. A few years ago it was merely a small 
 settlement where lived the chief Kilonga-Longa, from 
 whom it took its name, an Arab, whose real name was 
 Uledi, and a company of people who had attached them- 
 selves to him ; these consisted chiefly of Manyema. He 
 was of course a slave raider and ivory collector. He had 
 a great number of slaves, whom he used to pass on to 
 others, selling them for ivory, of which he collected an 
 enormous quantity. He had many dealings with the 
 Pygmies, and they had a kind of alliance with him, 
 bringing him ivory, honey, and meat in exchange for food 
 of various kinds, such as rice, maize, potatoes, and yams. 
 Kilonga-Longa had long since died, and another man, a 
 Manyema, once a follower of his, had been made chief. 
 The name of the place has been altered to Mawambi, 
 
 374
 
 IN DWARF LAND 275 
 
 after its present chief, who had been placed there by the 
 Belgian authorities, and he was instructed to do away 
 with all slave raiding and trading of every kind. This 
 man had done his duty and the district was now a peace- 
 able one. 
 
 Much to my astonishment I met here two Europeans, 
 both of whom had been with Baron Dhanis when 
 the great disaster occurred of the rebellion of his troops. 
 They were very much surprised to see me, and won- 
 dered where on earth I had sprung from, and when I 
 told them of our battles with the bush and cutting 
 our way through the forest, they informed me that the 
 troubles were not all over yet, and that I had another 
 eight days at least of the same kind of travelling. 
 The great wonder to them was, how I was able to do it 
 with so small a company of followers, and with no escort 
 at all, and they at once offered to send men with me if I 
 desired. I told them that I did not want an escort, but 
 if they would give me a fresh supply of porters I should 
 be glad, so that the men I had brought with me might 
 return to Mbeni, as they were more or less tired out. 
 This they willingly did, and sending for the chief in- 
 structed him to find me twenty fresh men. 
 
 At this station I parted with my donkey, Lady; the 
 difficulty of getting her through the forest was so great, 
 that when one of the Europeans made me an offer to 
 buy her, I readily accepted it. Several times she had got 
 stuck fast in the bush, and once in thick swamp, when I 
 had made up my mind to shoot her, and was indeed pre- 
 paring to do so, when the poor creature made one last 
 supreme effort and released herself. 
 
 Leaving Mawambi after a very short rest, we crossed 
 the river Ituri, and then made our way along its 
 banks. At first the path was very good, having been 
 completely cleared of undergrowth and of the stumps,
 
 276 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 but we all knew it was too good to last. Narrower and 
 narrower it became, and the bush got thicker and thicker, 
 and then the path disappeared and only a tiny track 
 remained, and once more we were cutting our way along : 
 climbing over fallen trees, struggling amongst the creepers 
 that seemed ever and anon to literally bind themselves 
 around one, tripping over hidden stumps, crawling under 
 reclining trees, wading through water, clambering up and 
 down steep river banks, and all the time realising that a 
 few dozen little people were hidden among the branches 
 of the trees watching our gymnastics, and perhaps laugh- 
 ing at our carelessness. Occasionally one would sit 
 down, half wishing that one had never been born, to 
 pass through this terrible place. On the way up from 
 one of the river banks, we had to crawl under a huge tree 
 that had become uprooted and had fallen across the track, 
 but was kept from reaching the ground by another 
 smaller tree. I had just passed under with two boys 
 when crash it came down across the track, a weight of 
 many tons ; a moment sooner and it would have been on 
 our heads. 
 
 Sometimes at night we would hear these forest giants 
 fall ; it was like thunder, and in the stillness of the night 
 to be suddenly aroused by such a crash made one turn 
 cold all over. I expected every night that one of these 
 trees would fall across my tent. Why not? they were 
 falling all around us. What was to prevent them falling 
 upon us ? Once a tree fell so close to my little tent that 
 the leaves that were dislodged by its fall, were scattered 
 all over the tent. In the middle of one night a huge 
 bough came down from a tree and actually fell across one 
 of the huts in which some of the porters were sleeping, 
 and by a miracle did not injure one of them, although 
 one end of the bough was completely broken. 
 
 The storms, that came on nearly always during the
 
 IN DWARF LAND 277 
 
 night, were accountable for these falling trees, otherwise 
 it would be difficult to discover why they should have the 
 knack of coming down just after dark. Perhaps it might 
 have been that during the day, with all the talking of 
 the men, the noise of the birds, and the chatter of the 
 monkeys, we did not hear them descending ; but however 
 that may be, we certainly heard them at the night 
 season, and often dreaded lest they should demolish us. 
 One day after leaving Mawambi we met another little 
 troop of Pygmies. They were not at all surprised to see 
 us ; they said that they knew of our coming and had 
 been told about us by their own people. I was greatly 
 surprised at this, and asked to see the man that had 
 spoken about us, and he was brought — the very same 
 Uttle chief who had treated me so kindly before. He was 
 so amused when I told him of my astonishment at find- 
 ing him here, and he laughed most heartily and seemed 
 to thoroughly enjoy the joke. I believe it was Dr. 
 Moffat who once said that whenever he found a native 
 in Africa who could laugh, he had hope for that man. A 
 native who can see a joke and enjoy a laugh is usually a 
 man who has not lost heart and become entirely absorbed 
 in the problem of life, as to how to procure for himself a 
 sustenance. And so this little Pygmy greatly enjoyed the 
 simple joke of having passed us in the forest without our 
 having seen him, and of being able to tell us of all our 
 experiences since he left us ; even the places where we 
 camped he knew, and the animals we shot en route for 
 food. Again the little man showed his good feeling 
 towards me by presenting me with two bows and a 
 quiver full of arrows ; to some of which the deadly poison 
 was still adhering. The arrows were of great variety, the 
 simplest being merely sharpened sticks of hard wood, 
 and these I found were the poisoned ones. Others were 
 made with iron heads of different shapes, from the simple
 
 278 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 leaf shape to the six-barbed arrow ; one or two I saw had 
 double heads, and some had instead of sharp, rounded 
 tips ; others had two long barbs, one on either side, 
 both at least half an inch in length. The poisoned 
 arrows are no doubt used when at war, while the others 
 are reserved for the hunt. All had, instead of a feather, 
 a leaf fixed at the end of the shaft. The quivers in 
 which they were kept were made some of antelope hide, 
 and others of monkey skin. 
 
 In addition to the arrows, I procured from the Pygmies 
 a horn of ivory used in the chase, a whistle made of 
 wood for the same purpose, and two throwing-spears. 
 All these articles, made by the Pygmies themselves, show 
 a certain amount of skill and intelligence. The horn, for 
 instance, is nicely carved out of the solid tusk of an 
 elephant, and the spears are slightly ornamented on the 
 blades. 
 
 I asked these little people to take me to one of their en- 
 campments, but they said they could not do so, that they 
 never liked strangers to see where they lived. However, 
 quite by chance, one day while out hunting in the forest 
 with one of my boys, I came upon one of their settle- 
 ments. It was in a very dense part of the jungle, and I 
 could see at once that it could belong to no other tribe of 
 people under the sun than the Pygmies. There were very 
 tiny little huts or shelters, varying from three to four feet 
 in height, thatched with giant leaves from the trees of the 
 forest ; a few broken clay pots, evidently used for cook- 
 ing purposes ; and scattered about the place in all 
 directions, were the husks of a tree bean and the stones 
 from the forest fruits. Apart from these few signs of 
 human habitation, there was nothing to denote that here 
 the Pygmies lived, I moved away from this strange, 
 deserted camp, feeling as if I had reached a corner of 
 fairyland.
 
 BISHOP TUCKKR A\I) PYGMY LADY. 
 
 A K'lVKk I'KKl' IN rilE I OKKST. 
 
 To face t"!i<-' 278.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 279 
 
 I now had the opportunity of seeing some Pygmy 
 women; hitherto I had seen only the men, but now, so 
 very friendly were they, that they brought even their 
 women to see me. They were very comely little creatures 
 and most attractive, with very light skins, lighter even 
 than the men, being a light tan colour ; the usual flat 
 nose and thick lips of the negro, and black curly hair; 
 but their eyes were of singular beauty, so bright and 
 quick and restless they were, that not for a second did 
 they seem to fix their gaze on anything. They were 
 smaller than the men, and would average about 3 feet 
 10 inches in height. One of the women had a little child 
 fastened to her back with a bit of bark cloth — a pretty 
 little boy. I wanted to nurse him, but she very quickly 
 turned away and took the child from out of my reach. 
 She was only a Pygmy, but she had a mother's heart ; 
 she loved her babe, and feared lest I might injure it. 
 
 One of the Pygmy women was found at Mboga by 
 Bishop Tucker when he visited the place in 1898, and she 
 was photographed by his side. Her height was just 
 under 4 feet ; she had well-developed limbs and a bright, 
 intelligent mind. She had lived for some years amongst 
 the people of Mboga as a slave, but seemed to be quite 
 contented with her lot. 
 
 Strange as it may seem, these Pygmies have their 
 religion ; it has been said that they have none, but in 
 passing through the forest I often found signs of Pygmy 
 worship. At the foot of some of the huge trees I picked 
 up several times little bundles of food neatly tied up in 
 rough bark cloth, sometimes a few forest beans, or a little 
 handful of rice. I also saw little pots of honey placed at 
 the foot of these forest giants. It seemed as if the 
 Pygmies venerated the spirit of the great trees amongst 
 which they made their home. I also found some little 
 temples very neatly made that could not have belonged
 
 280 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 to any but the Pygmies. Upon their arms and round 
 their necks some of them, especially the women, wore 
 charms — little pieces of carved wood from some sacred 
 tree, or else a leopard's claw or tooth. The latter I 
 learned were to ward off the leopards which are roaming 
 in the forest, and with which the Pygmies constantly 
 wage war; the former to keep disease away, especially 
 small-pox. 
 
 Arriving in camp one day after a hard day's fight 
 with the bush, I found that fever was upon me. It 
 was 5 p.m. and pouring with rain ; my body ached as 
 though every joint were dislocated. I flung myself upon 
 one of the loads while the boys put up the tent, and then 
 into bed I tumbled, and there I stayed for two days. I 
 had many apprehensions as to whether I should be able 
 to move for a month. My temperature was so high the 
 first night that I fear I lost consciousness for a httle 
 while. How helpless I was, there in the very heart of 
 the most solitary place on God's earth with, humanly 
 speaking, none but a few black natives to look to. Never 
 was I so thankful as then that I had two boys whom I 
 could imphcitly trust. Elisa had nursed me before 
 through fever, and knew exactly what to do, even being 
 able to inject quinine hypodermically. I did not have to 
 tell him my requirements; he knew them beforehand, 
 and never was any man better waited upon in sickness 
 than I was in the forest. Night and day he never left 
 my side, while the other boy, Alberto, made soup from 
 the flesh of a wild pig that was as dehcious and as 
 palatable as Liebig's extract of beef. So well was I 
 attended to that after two days the temperature had been 
 reduced, and I decided, for the sake of my porters, who 
 were getting short of food, to push on. 
 
 The next day's tramp was refreshing to me, and although 
 I was very weak indeed, I managed to get along with the 
 
 N
 
 < 
 
 r. 
 
 5 

 
 IN DWARF LAND 281 
 
 help of a stick. We now came to a district where ele- 
 phants were more numerous than monkeys, and several 
 times large herds passed close to us. Occasionally a huge 
 rogue would dash in amongst the porters and scatter them 
 in all directions. At such times I trembled for my " kit " ; 
 one could not expect a porter to keep his load on his back 
 when getting out of the way of an elephant ; but I did 
 fervently hope that the man who was carrying my 
 photographic apparatus would not throw the box any- 
 where near the elephant's " trotters." Alas ! the mere 
 dropping of it was sufficient to smash some of the plates, 
 and in this way I lost many valuable pictures that could 
 never be reproduced. 
 
 On the 15th of October we reached a beautiful place, 
 where there was a deserted settlement on the river- 
 side. There was a very good house in first-rate order, 
 and although we arrived at the place at 9 a.m. I decided 
 that we would spend the day there, and have some hunting 
 and fishing. I went off into the bush and hunted about 
 till past midday, and although we saw plenty of elephants 
 there seemed to be a scarcity of other kinds of animals. 
 However, a guide who had a gun, and who had accom- 
 panied me from Mawambi, managed to kill a wild pig, 
 and this provided us with plenty of meat for two days. 
 
 On the way back to our camp I had another encounter 
 with a snake. It was lying right across my path and I 
 thought it was the green branch of a tree, and very nearly 
 stepped over it, when I saw its little head turn round, and 
 its sparkling evil eyes fix upon me. I had in my hand a 
 buffalo-hide stick, which I usually carried when my boy 
 carried my gun, and with this I hit it across the head 
 and it seemed to stun it, and then gave it another, which 
 finished it off. It was rather a large one, about five feet, 
 and was a most beautiful bright green colour. 
 
 Reaching camp, we went down to the river to try and
 
 282 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 catch some fish, and I was greatly surprised to find how 
 easy it was with a bent pin for a hook and a cane for a 
 rod and without a float ; I was able to catch what provided 
 me with a good, substantial meal. After having caught 
 my fish, I fell into the river myself. I was trying to cross it, 
 walking along the trunk of a fallen tree; it was only a small 
 one, and was like walking the tight-rope, and beneath me 
 was the rushing river several feet deep. When I got into 
 the middle my foot slipped, and in I went. After floun- 
 dering about a little I reached the shore in safety and then 
 retired for the night, a little crestfallen. 
 
 The next day the guide who shot the pig again showed 
 his prowess. He was some hundred yards ahead of us all, 
 when we heard him fire a shot, then another and another 
 and still another, then all was quiet. We rushed up to 
 see what had happened, and there we found, a few yards 
 from the path, an elephant stone dead and the guide 
 calmly cleaning his gun, which was of course a breech- 
 loader. I was very proud of my guide, he was certainly 
 a very expert marksman. By nationality he was a 
 Wanyema, and had been trained for a soldier by the 
 Belgians, and had taken part in several big battles. I 
 did not wait while some of the men cut up the 
 meat, but pushed on to camp, as I was tired after all 
 my exertion of the day before. 
 
 In the middle of the night, hearing a strange sound 
 close to camp, I got up and went out of my tent to see 
 what caused it ; I found that it was only a porter snoring 
 in a curious sort of way, but as I turned to retrace my 
 steps the light of my lantern fell upon an object crouching 
 down a few yards from the peaceful sleeper. In a moment 
 I realised that it was a panther ; the boy who was with 
 me saw it too, and cried out to the porter, who, when 
 he awoke, yelled, and I seized from the fire a burning 
 faggot and flung it at the beast, and it slunk off into the
 
 IN DWARF LAND 283 
 
 forest again. Fires were then banked up and kept blazing 
 the rest of the night. 
 
 Then came a miserable experience. For two whole 
 days we were tramping through water, sometimes to our 
 waist, often to the armpits. It was great toil and seemed 
 to wear one out. The first day we absolutely could not 
 find a dry place on which to camp, everywhere was water. 
 It was evidently a flood — there had been an abnormal 
 quantity of rain during the previous week. We searched 
 everywhere until we were tired of searching, and finally 
 put up the tent in three or four inches of water. The 
 boys climbed up a tree, and then tried to find a place 
 where they could sleep, but dare not trust themselves, 
 being afraid of falling in the night. The insects also that 
 they met with while trying the experiment helped them 
 to decide against it. It was a most miserable business, 
 and I shall not soon forget it. Fortunately the water was 
 not deep enough to reach my bed, but for all that it must 
 have been a most unhealthy position to be in all night. 
 The poor boys had to pile up a lot of logs and branches 
 in the water until they were able to make a platform 
 sufficiently raised from the water and upon which they 
 could sleep. My loads also were stacked up in a similar 
 fashion, but not before many of them had been completely 
 submerged, and clothes and food were ruined. 
 
 At the close of the second day we got free from the 
 water and arrived at a place called Pengi, where we found 
 a native soldier of the Belgians in charge, named Baruti, a 
 very fine fellow, who was extremely kind to me. He had 
 a letter for me from an officer who was then at Avakubi, 
 which is on the confines of the primeval forest, the area 
 inhabited by the Pygmies. This gentleman had most 
 kindly sent two canoes for me, which were to take me 
 from Pengi to Avakubi by river, and in his letter most 
 warmly greeted me, asking me to make it convenient if
 
 284 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 possible to stay a few days with him at Avakubi. At 
 Pengi I was able to pay off all my porters and to send 
 them back to Mawambi ; now no longer did I need 
 porters ; joy to tell, the whole way to dear old England 
 I should not have to walk another mile. 
 
 Baruti was a man of about 6 feet 3 inches in his 
 socks, and when I say socks I mean it, for so great a 
 swell was he that he possessed both boots and socks. In 
 the course of the evening he came to me, bringing a large 
 native-made knife of most curious shape with two or 
 three different blades. I believe it is used as a throwing 
 knife in the same way as the aborigines of Australia use 
 the "boomerang." For this knife he wanted me to give 
 him a pair of stockings. He pointed out to me that 
 socks were not quite the thing, evidently being intended 
 only for children. " See, all this part of my leg has 
 nothing to cover it," said he. I gave him an old pair, 
 and this delighted him and he immediately donned them, 
 and began strutting about the place as large as life. 
 
 The next day's journey was a most enjoyable one ; we 
 got into our canoes at 6 a.m. and were paddled down- 
 stream by a number of natives who had been brought 
 with the canoes from Avakubi for that purpose. In the 
 canoe in which I sat was a nice awning made to keep off 
 the sun's hot rays, and my hammock chair was put 
 beneath this, and one could recline or sit up at leisure. 
 The change of motion was a little difficult to get used to, 
 and the strong light on the river, after the many days in 
 the forest shades, made the first few days by water rather 
 trying, and I consequently suffered from headache. We had 
 not long been in the boat before we came to some rapids. 
 The men called them small ones, but I certainly thought 
 them very terrible and wondered what they would have 
 been like had they been worse. The boat seemed to spin 
 through the water, and was tossed about by the current
 
 IN DWARF LAND 285 
 
 at will and yet at the same time the men were most 
 skilfully guiding the tiny craft between hidden rocks. In 
 less than ten minutes we were again in smooth water. 
 
 At midday we put into the shore and cooked some food, 
 then on again for another two hours. It was most 
 exhilarating to be passing through the air at such a 
 speed. The boatmen, who stood up to paddle, were 
 dwellers on the bank of the Aruwimi river and were able 
 with but little exertion to make the boat go along at a 
 good seven miles an hour aided as they were by the 
 current. The river Aruwimi had a fall of no less than 
 750 feet from Mawambi to Avakubi ; no wonder, therefore, 
 that we found the current strong. 
 
 We camped again on the bank, at a little settlement 
 where Belgian soldiers were in charge ; a nice little 
 cottage built on the river-side was pointed out to me 
 as the house in which the European might sleep. Here 
 I spent the night. 
 
 We had hoped to reach Avakubi the next day, but a 
 chapter of accidents occurred which made it impossible. 
 We left at 6 a.m., and after shooting some more rapids 
 we came to a station where there was a native soldier 
 in charge. Here I was told there was rather a bad 
 rapid, and that it would be best for me to get out and 
 take out all my things, that the boat might go over 
 alone with the men. I was half inclined to remain in 
 the canoe, as it did not seem necessary to take every- 
 thing out ; however, the boatmen pleaded so hard that I 
 consented, and glad I am that I did so. No sooner had 
 the boat started with three men on board, to guide her 
 through the rapids, than she was caught up by the 
 current and dashed about in a terrible fashion. The 
 boatmen held on for dear life, and did their best to 
 keep her in the proper course, but about half-way through 
 the boat turned broadside on to the stream, and the
 
 286 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 next moment was sent with tremendous force into a 
 rock, and smash it went into two pieces. The three 
 poor fellows were of course whirled about in the stream 
 and soon lost to view, and we gave up hope of 
 seeing them again. I sent the other boat out to look 
 for them below the rapids, and ran along the bank 
 myself to try and find them. One was seen hanging 
 on to the rocks near the shore and was rescued first, 
 the other two were eventually rescued, having been 
 swept down the river some long distance. One, how- 
 ever, was senseless and half drowned, but after trying 
 all sorts of methods to restore him he came round and 
 was soon all right again, and scarcely any the worse 
 for his very severe ducking. 
 
 We procured another canoe, and again started off, 
 but the rain came down in such floods that we were 
 glad enough to put up in a little deserted village, where 
 there was a miserable hut, into which I went for the 
 night. All my things were wet, including blankets, 
 bed, and clothes ; the hut was full of vermin, and all 
 sorts of other unmentionable horrors. Rats were every- 
 where, and had not the common decency to keep off 
 one's bed. There was no firewood, so the porters told 
 me ; everything was wet, no chance even of getting a 
 cup of tea. There seemed to be nobody about, the 
 whole place was desolate. Everybody got angry with 
 everybody else ; nothing seemed to go right. 
 
 In the middle of the night, while trying vainly to 
 sleep, a rat actually got on to my pillow, and squealed 
 close to my ear. I made a dash at him, and missed 
 him of course ; he had got under my mosquito netting 
 and could not get out. I chased him all round the bed, 
 now and then I would just feel him, but I could not 
 catch the little tease. I got desperate, and jumped out 
 of bed, to be immediately seized by millions of the most
 
 IN DWARF LAND 287 
 
 bloodthirsty little mosquitoes I ever encountered. I 
 struck a light ; there was the rat calmly sitting on my 
 blanket, evidently quite content since it had been success- 
 ful in turning me out of bed. I charged down upon 
 that rat in such a way that I am sure if he had had a 
 little more sense it would have had the effect of causing 
 him to escape. Not he ! I never saw such impudence ! 
 But I doubt if he will be so naughty again, for a boot 
 made a deep impression upon him. 
 
 Worried to death with mosquitoes that seemed to get 
 more determined every moment, I again rolled myself 
 up in my blankets ; but not for long — a gale of wind, 
 a crash, and the rain came pattering down upon me ; 
 half the roof had gone, and there I lay, exposed to all the 
 fury of the storm. At first I made up my mind I would 
 not move, but it became too awful, and once more I 
 dragged myself out of bed, and put the bed on the other 
 side of the room, and then, worn out with the troubles of 
 this wicked world, I went to sleep. 
 
 No wonder I was a bit stiff the next day ; we could 
 not get away till 9 a.m., and by that time, owing to 
 the great heat of the sun, most of my things were dry. 
 It was then only about three hours to Avakubi, and right 
 glad we were to get there.
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 AVAKUBI TO BASOKO 
 
 Houses — Gardens — Coffee — Eubber — Ivory — Another start — A struggle for 
 dear life— A great loss — Cannibals of the Upper Aruwimi — An anxious 
 night — Another canoe swamped — Among the cannibals — Their dress 
 — Their habits — The kola nut — Iron work — Panga Falls — Our warrior 
 boatmen — We make rapid progress — "The European is coming" — 
 Bangwa weapons — Choosing a tender spot — Mukopi — Gymnastics in 
 the forest — A cannibal dance — Mupe — Cannibals and the bicycle — 
 Banalya — A headstrong Belgian — I visit the cannibal chief — An eye- 
 opener — What it will lead to — Basoko. 
 
 I WAS very heartily welcomed by the Belgian officer 
 in charge, and throughout my stay was most kindly 
 treated. 
 
 Avakubi is a beautiful place, quite an ideal station. 
 Fine, lofty buildings constructed of good sun-burnt bricks, 
 and the whole place was most compactly arranged. The 
 Europeans' houses, built four square, with an open 
 quadrangle in the centre, and a high brick wall sur- 
 rounding the back part, which contained the servants' 
 quarters and outhouses. The doors and window-frames 
 were made of well-planed wood, so very different 
 from the reed work that we are so accustomed to in 
 Uganda. 
 
 I was shown into a room where I was told I might 
 sleep, and I was asked to stay for as many days as I 
 possibly could. There was indeed a great temptation 
 
 288
 
 IN DWARF LAND 289 
 
 to make a long stay here, where everything seemed so 
 nice and homelike after the roughness of camp life. A 
 very luxurious meal was prepared, and the hungry 
 traveller did ample justice to it. I was then shown 
 round the grounds. The gardens at once took my fancy, 
 for here not only was there every kind of European 
 vegetable, but also the most beautiful flower-beds, 
 arranged with great taste, and which cast a brilliance 
 upon the scene that is lacking in most Mission gardens. 
 This garden was no doubt the hobby most indulged in 
 by the officer in charge, and a very useful one too. 
 When in Central Africa one can get fine English 
 potatoes, pineapples, mangoes, and grapes, besides a host 
 of other things equally tempting, there is not much left 
 for one to desire to make life pleasant. The greatest care 
 had been taken to shield the products of the soil from 
 the heavy rains, without shutting out the morning and 
 evening sun. 
 
 Coffee, also, was growing everywhere, although, as 
 my friend told me, it did not come to much perfection 
 on account of a strange worm which seemed to take 
 up its quarters in every berry. The production of coffee 
 is of great importance to each officer of the Congo Free 
 State. It is to his advantage to have as many coffee- 
 plants as possible, because for every plant over a given 
 height he is paid a certain sum, which, when he has a 
 few thousands, makes a very considerable addition to his 
 income. This applies also to cocoa. The coffee when 
 ripe and ready for picking is packed up in sacks, and 
 sent down the river to Leopoldville, and for every pound 
 weight a percentage is given ; this also applies to rubber 
 and ivory. And it is here, it seems to me, that the evils 
 of native oppression come in. The officer whose salary 
 fluctuates according to the amount of coffee, ivory, and 
 rubber produced, is naturally very keen to get the natives 
 
 19
 
 290 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 to work with might and main on the coffee plantations, 
 and in the forest to procure rubber and ivory. These 
 he must and will have at almost any cost. 
 
 A young sergeant, for instance, goes out from Europe 
 to the Congo, and is immediately put into a responsible 
 post, with a few thousand black men at his beck and 
 call ; he very soon finds that the ordinary African is 
 afraid of the European, and will do almost anything 
 rather than incur his displeasure, and the European 
 discovers that by bringing a little pressure to bear, 
 occasionally, he is able to get a little more out of the 
 "nigger." But there is a "thus far" even with the 
 poor ill-used black man, and if pressed beyond that he 
 turns ; and what wonder that in an unexpected moment 
 he wreaks his vengeance upon his oppressor. Alas ! not 
 before he has himself suffered most bitterly. 
 
 A chief of a district, where some European officer of 
 the Congo Free State is stationed, is called up by the 
 officer and told to send his people out for rubber, so many 
 pounds' weight are required, and must be brought in. 
 The chief perhaps has but a small following, and cannot 
 produce what is asked of him ; he is given another 
 chance to get it, and again fails, and he must be 
 punished. A native officer is instructed to take a number 
 of soldiers and destroy the chief's village. Then follows 
 the most bloodthirsty wickedness that is anywhere re- 
 corded ; men, women, and children ruthlessly murdered, 
 and the whole place destroyed. Such cases as the above 
 are now, thank God, less frequent, and one hopes that 
 they will ere long be entirely unknown. A large number 
 of the Belgian officers whom I had the pleasure of meet- 
 ing at the various stations were thoroughly good fellows, 
 and quite incapable of instigating such bloodshed as 
 mentioned above ; but there are men, and not a few, 
 still holding positions of trust and of great responsi-
 
 IN DWARF LAND 291 
 
 bility whose actions are a standing disgrace to a white 
 man, and that make the white man a veritable demon in 
 the eyes of the natives. 
 
 Ivory is in great abundance on the Aruwimi, and its 
 value is little known to the natives ; they will kill the 
 elephants for the sake of the meat, but the ivory is often 
 left in the forest. The Belgian officer therefore gives 
 instructions that all ivory is to be brought to him, and he 
 will buy it with brass wire. The ivory appears to be quite 
 a different quality from that which is procured in the 
 more open country. Forest ivory can nearly always be 
 distinguished by its dark colour, while the ivory obtained 
 from the elephants that roam about the plains is quite 
 white and of greater commercial value. In the earlier 
 days the Manyema were the great ivory hunters of the 
 Aruwimi, and still are to be found there, but usually 
 working in conjunction with the officers of some Belgian 
 outpost. These men sometimes shoot and sometimes 
 trap the elephants with pits, or heavily weighted spears 
 suspended above the track, and which fall when the 
 elephant knocks a creeper with its foot, to which the 
 spears are attached. 
 
 I saw several tons of ivory lying at the various Belgian 
 stations on the Aruwimi and Congo, waiting to be taken 
 down to the coast. 
 
 At Avakubi were stationed about two companies of 
 soldiers, comprising all kinds of nationalities, chiefly 
 Manyema and Bangala. They were a very fine set of 
 men, who were well equipped, and whose houses were of 
 quite a model character. They were fine mud buildings, 
 in long rows, each house occupied by about five men, 
 excepting the native officers, each of whom has one to 
 himself. The whole place, however, is but a clearing in 
 the forest, and one only has to walk for about ten minutes 
 to get right into the forest again. There exists excellent
 
 292 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 communication between Avakubi and the Lower Aruwimi, 
 as the whole distance can be traversed by canoe, and with 
 good boatmen it should only take twelve days to reach 
 Basoko, which is at the mouth of the Aruwimi, or rather 
 at its confluence with the Congo. The return journey 
 takes much longer on account of the current, usually 
 about twenty-two days, but in low water it can be done 
 in less time. At Avakubi my aneroid registered an 
 altitude of 1,800 feet, and at Basoko, 1,350 feet; the fall 
 therefore was about 450 feet in about 320 miles. 
 
 There are no cows at Avakubi, or rather I should say 
 there is one, a bull, but it seems to be kept more for 
 ornament than use. There was a good flock of sheep 
 and goats attached to the station, and these supply the 
 Europeans with butter and milk, as well as occasionally a 
 little meat. 
 
 I stayed there two days, enjoying the kind hospitality 
 and the benefits of a rest, to straighten up my things 
 and to dry my wet clothes. As there are some strong 
 rapids a little below the station I walked for about 
 half an hour before embarking again in the canoe that 
 had been prepared for me through the kindness of the 
 ofiicer in charge ; but a disagreeable experience awaited 
 me. The boats were moored in a place just below the 
 rapids, where the current was still very strong. I packed 
 all my boxes into the canoe and then got in myself. As 
 is usual, a large awning had been put up for my comfort, 
 and under this was my deck chair. I got in as soon as 
 all was finished, and waited for the boatmen to do the 
 same, but they had still a great deal to do in gathering 
 together food, &c., that they would require for the journey, 
 and in the meantime I went off to sleep in my chair. 
 
 My next sensation was an alarming one ; it was that of 
 being pitched over to one side and then more forcibly still 
 to the other and right into the water, the boat turning
 
 lU'VlXc, IVOKV lKi).\I THI-: LAXXMiAI.S. 
 
 CAX()KIX(; (IX AK'I \\l\ll. 
 
 To face paiic 292.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 293 
 
 upside down. Being underneath the awning I was 
 entrapped like a rat in a cage, and could not get my 
 freedom. I thought my last moments had come, the 
 water rushed into my head, for I was completely sub- 
 merged, and it was not until I had had a very severe 
 ducking, and the boat had been swept along for some 
 considerable distance that at last I got free from it, 
 and with my fast failing strength struck out for the 
 shore. The boy who was in the canoe with me was 
 still hanging on to the upturned boat, and the men, 
 as soon as they saw the boat upsetting, jumped out, 
 and were soon safely on the bank. I had on large 
 Wellington boots, which of course soon filled with water, 
 and in addition to the weight of my other clothing it 
 was as much as ever I could do to get to the bank. 
 When I finally reached shallow water I turned round 
 and saw the boy still clinging on to the boat, while the 
 current was rapidly taking him down-stream. After re- 
 covering my breath a little I ran along the shore to 
 where there was a horseshoe bend in the river, and then 
 jumped in and struck out for the boat and managed 
 to catch hold of a rope that was hanging from it, and 
 by this I pulled it in to shore once more. How I was 
 able to do all this I cannot tell, I only know that when 
 I had finished I was completely knocked up, and sat 
 down upon the bank in an utterly exhausted condi- 
 tion. The boxes that were in the boat were, of course, 
 precipitated into the water, but only one was lost. The 
 others were all filled with water, and many valuable 
 things were utterly ruined, chief amongst these were 
 my photographic plates. At least four dozen unexposed 
 negatives were spoilt, and two dozen exposed ones. The 
 latter were ot even greater loss to me than the former, for 
 there were plates among them that could never be re- 
 placed. I had always been so careful to try and get good
 
 294 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 results, and photos that would be of real interest ; some 
 that I took in the forest were especially valuable to me, 
 and to lose all in one day was almost heartbreaking. It 
 might have been much worse, however, for another 
 moment under water and I should have lost consciousness 
 and been drowned, but thank God He once more merci- 
 fully preserved my life, and indeed the lives of all of us, 
 for we all had a very narrow escape. 
 
 We righted the canoe and cut down the covering so 
 kindly put up for my comfort, and which had so nearly 
 cost me my life, for it was undoubtedly the cause of the 
 upset, and once more packed in the boxes, and tried 
 again ; and this time we were more successful. 
 
 We reached a large village called Bazibangi about 
 three in the afternoon. It was here that we met 
 with the first real cannibals of the Upper Aruwimi. 
 I was not at all charmed with their personal appear- 
 ance ; dirty and degraded they seemed to be, and some 
 of their evil habits which I witnessed were too awful to 
 mention. They were almost nude, both men and women. 
 They seemed to me to be the remnants of various tribes. 
 Manyema were again to the front, and the chief himself 
 claimed to be of that nationality, but had undoubtedly 
 been placed there by the Belgians, and was not the real 
 chief of the country. Numbers of the villages round 
 about were utterly deserted, the inhabitants, I was told, 
 having gone further inland so as to be out of the reach of 
 the Europeans, that they might carry on their cannibalism 
 unchecked. The old chief gave us plenty of food, and was 
 kind enough to turn out of his house to make room for 
 me. It was a nice clean little cottage overlooking the 
 river. The whole of that night I spent trying to dry my 
 photographic plates, spreading them about the floor in all 
 directions, upon old newspapers, and even upon my bed, 
 sitting myself in my chair, waiting and waiting for the
 
 I'ASSIXC; THROUGH CAXXU'.AI, LAND. 
 
 liAMiWA UAIvklciU' i.nil-,l'N. 
 
 To face failc 29^.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 295 
 
 films to dry ; but it was a hopeless task, and the rats 
 were a great nuisance running over the plates as they 
 gambolled with each other. I was glad enough when 
 morning came and I could pack away all that were dry — 
 a very small percentage. 
 
 The following day we had another river mishap ; 
 fortunately I was not in it myself this time. We had 
 arrived at some more rapids and the men told me to 
 get out and take out all the boxes, &c. ; this we did, 
 and then the canoes went down the rapids with two 
 men in each. Two got through all right, but the third 
 was swamped in the middle and over it went, but 
 the men did not seem to mind at all ; both were expert 
 swimmers and quickly reached the shore and then set off 
 after the overturned boat in a small canoe. Soon after 
 this the rain came down in torrents and we had to camp. 
 
 The next few days we passed through the wildest 
 cannibal country to be found anywhere, and every day we 
 saw dozens of villages inhabited by the Bangwa. They 
 are a splendid race of people ; I was very much taken with 
 them. I have seldom seen such physical development 
 and such symmetry of figure ; they are upright as a dart, 
 vtdth heads erect, and bright, intelligent faces. These 
 men came up to me with the greatest confidence — not as 
 the cringing savage who will grovel at your feet before 
 your face, and put a spear into you when your back is 
 turned. The cannibal was straightforward and brave, and 
 his character could be read in his actions and bearing, and 
 one could see at once that here were the materials for 
 the making of a fine race of people. And yet they were 
 the most advanced cannibals, who lived on human flesh. 
 The men all wore a bark cloth about their loins, not 
 wound round the body, but fastened back and front 
 with a hide strap, or a cord of plaited grass. The chiefs 
 all wore a belt of hippopotamus hide, studded at the
 
 296 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 ends with brass nails, and into this were fixed their 
 terrible knives ; upon the ankles they wore solid iron 
 rings, some weighing 2 lbs. each ; these were also worn 
 upon the wrists. In addition to these they all seemed to 
 wear leg ornaments, half-way up the calf, of bright spiral 
 iron wire, shaped to the leg, and the same thing on a 
 smaller scale upon the arms. A ring or two of beads 
 round the neck and a curiously shaped headdress com- 
 pleted the most ornamental attire of the Bangwa warrior. 
 The headdresses were of various kinds, those made of 
 monkey-skin predominating ; the fur being worn on the 
 outside. Others were of prepared hide with the fur 
 removed, and some were made of a kind of straw worked 
 into most fantastic shapes. Others are made with the 
 bright plumage of birds. The warrior, when dressed 
 for evening, is a most obnoxious being, having smothered 
 himself from head to foot, particularly on the head, with 
 palm oil. He smears a kind of red paint over his face and 
 chest and looks a most hideous character. His hair is 
 long, for it is never shaved, and either hangs in a 
 tangled mass or is fixed up in a kind of leather nightcap, 
 tied under his chin with leather thongs. His cannabalism 
 is most pronounced, and, unlike many others, he does not 
 seem to mind being known as a cannibal ; generally 
 speaking, he devours the bodies of his enemies, but a 
 woman is seldom, if ever, eaten by the Bangwa. The 
 women, however, join in the feast, not sitting with the 
 men, but in a separate group by themselves. 
 
 It would be difficult to say whether the cannibalism of 
 the Bangwa is practised merely from pleasure or from 
 some superstitious idea about the strength of the enemy 
 entering into themselves. As far as I could make out 
 this latter is the more general belief. It is for the same 
 reason that some tribes of Eastern Africa will eat the 
 liver of a dead leopard that they may imbibe its strength
 
 IN DWARF LAND 297 
 
 — as the Bangwa warrior devours his enemy. On several 
 occasions I saw them engaging in their feasts, and most 
 ghastly were the sights, too horrible indeed to mention. 
 Sometimes one would see part of a limb roasting over 
 the fire, or else in a cooking pot, boiling, while the 
 warriors sat round watching eagerly until it was cooked. 
 But still, notwithstanding the fact of there being a 
 superstitious idea in connection with this cannibaHsm, 
 there is no doubt a depraved appetite. I have seen the 
 wild, exciting feast, where spirit dances and invocations 
 have been the principal items, and I have seen the 
 warriors in all soberness sit down to a " joint of man " in 
 exactly the same way as they would do to a piece of 
 forest antelope. Once, when told by a European that the 
 practice of eating human flesh was a most degraded habit, 
 the cannibal answered, " Why degraded? you people eat 
 sheep and cows and fowls, which are all animals of a far 
 lower order, and we eat man, who is great and above all ; 
 it is you who are degraded ! " Thus will the cannibal 
 defend the practice. 
 
 Another usual accompaniment to the feast of the 
 Bangwa is the drinking of a concoction of the kola nut. 
 The nut, being dried, is pounded up to powder and mixed 
 with a pot of palm wine and then boiled upon the fire for 
 some hours ; more wine is then added to the other 
 ingredients until a very strong concoction is made. Then 
 when cool the chief and his head-men, or any others who 
 may be asked, will sit round the pot with long hollow 
 reeds in their hands, and with these they suck up the 
 terrible poison. 
 
 I have several times sat by them as they indulged in 
 this dangerous practice, and watched the effects of the 
 drug. First a kind of hilarity comes over them, and this 
 in time gives place to hysterical laughing, and their eyes 
 seem to stand out from their heads, and utter wildness is
 
 298 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 stamped upon their faces ; gradually the effect becomes 
 so great as to cause temporary madness, and they will 
 jump up and down, waving their awful knives above their 
 heads, and then they rush off into the wood thirsting for 
 human blood. I was told that when the Bangwa want 
 to go on some raiding expedition they first have a great 
 revel round the kola-nut pot, and when worked up into a 
 state of frenzy, they rush off to attack their foes in order 
 that they may afterwards drink their blood, should they 
 be victorious. The women are not allowed to drink this 
 poison, it being reserved for the warriors only. 
 
 Another custom that has to do with the kola-nut 
 drinking is as follows : When a man has lost his wife, 
 either by death, or his enemies having stolen her, and when 
 he wishes to obtain another, if he drinks the kola-nut 
 concoction night after night it is supposed to bring him 
 good luck in seeking another wife. It is a fact, I believe, 
 that many of the men succumb to the influence of this drink. 
 
 As iron-workers the Bangwa are among the foremost of 
 all Africans. Their spears, knives, and ornaments surpass 
 any I have ever seen ; their spears are of two kinds, the 
 long lance and the short throwing-spear. 
 
 The lance is, of course, used at close quarters or when 
 repulsing a charge by the enemy ; they will hide them- 
 selves in the grass or undergrowth, with their long lances 
 fixed in a slanting position and upon which their foes 
 rush. The throwing-spears are beautifully made, being 
 in shape quite a work of art. At the end of the shaft, 
 which is ornamented in various ways, with copper and 
 brass bands, is a long iron ferrule, hectagonal in shape, 
 and tapering down to a fine point ; this end is used for 
 spearing the women and children ; they are not considered 
 worthy to be killed with the same blade as the men.* 
 
 * This is a custom which is also observed by the Waganda, and 
 many other African tribes.
 
 y. 
 
 •<>
 
 IN DWARF LAND 299 
 
 Their knives are of great variety ; I collected and brought 
 home with me about thirty of them, and all are different; 
 most of them are double edged, with a dagger-like point 
 at the extremity. Some are longer than others, and one 
 particular kind is much like a sickle : this is the execution 
 knife, with one cut of which they will decapitate an unfor- 
 tunate victim for the feast, tying his neck to the bough 
 of a tree which has been bent down for the purpose, and 
 which, when the head has been severed from the body, 
 springs back into its original position, pitching the head 
 into the air. This is the method adopted for decapitating 
 the prisoners of war, and a more ghastly spectacle could 
 not possibly be seen anywhere. All the knives have 
 various geometrical designs upon them, which show that 
 the Bangwa, although cannibals, are by no means lacking 
 in capabilities for better things. The iron for making 
 these knives, &c., is procured from the iron ore found in 
 the forest ; they smelt it and forge it themselves, and with 
 the most primitive tools turn out most excellent work. 
 
 At Panga, on account of the very heavy fall of about 
 30 feet, we had to change canoes and boatmen, and I 
 was able to get a large company of the Bangwa to 
 accompany me in the capacity of rowers. It was rather 
 a new experience, to be spinning along down-stream 
 with a boat-load of the wildest cannibals, and to be 
 completely at their mercy. I tried to show them that I 
 trusted them implicitly to help me in every way. I 
 chatted to them as best I could by interpretation, using 
 doggerel Kiswahili, and made all sorts of fun to please 
 them and gain their confidence ; and I confess that a 
 jollier set of black men I never in all my life had to do 
 with ; they were brimful of fun, and entered most heartily 
 into all my jokes. 
 
 My English concertina, my dog Sally, camera, and 
 binoculars, to say nothing of my bicycle, all tended to
 
 300 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 create the most hearty feelings of good fellowship possible. 
 With such stalwart fellows as these to run the boat 
 we simply sped along at a tremendous pace, and the 
 banks seemed to whirl past us, and village after village, 
 with crowds of its inhabitants eagerly watching us from 
 the shore, was passed in the few days between Avakubi 
 and Basoko. The houses of the Bangwa are curiously 
 built, being cone-shaped. They are not more than 10 
 feet in diameter at the base, but are at least 15 to 20 feet 
 high ; they are thatched with leaves from the forest and 
 give the general appearance of a lot of huge palm cones 
 set in rows. 
 
 The Bangwa (like most of the Aruwimi and Congo 
 tribes) have a most wonderful means of communicat- 
 ing the one to the other. Telegraphic messages, i.e., 
 wireless telegraphy ! are sent by means of curiously 
 shaped drums which are made from the solid trunk of a 
 tree some 5 feet in diameter, which is hollowed out most 
 cleverly, and from it can be produced two distinct notes, 
 and by varying these two notes they can convey messages 
 to a neighbouring village. The sound travels like magic 
 along the river, and so at almost incredible distances 
 these drums can be heard. It therefore came about that 
 long before I got to a village, the people knew of my 
 approach ; and as I came in view they communicated the 
 news to the next village by means of the drum, and so 
 on right down the river, " The European is coming ! " 
 I was told that from one village to another, a distance of 
 over a hundred miles, a message could be sent in less 
 than two hours, and I quite believe it possible to be done 
 in much less time. The Belgian officers use this method 
 of communicating with the natives, always keeping a 
 drum on the station, and a man that can beat it. Thus, 
 when the supply of rubber is getting small, a telegraphic 
 message is at once despatched to the village chief to
 
 IN DWARF LAND 301 
 
 acquaint him of the fact and to remind him that he must 
 bring in some more. 
 
 Several times upon landing at the various villages 
 I had rather unpleasant experiences, and often such as 
 made me feel a little uncomfortable. For instance, upon 
 our arrival at a large village, I would at once be sur- 
 rounded by some fifty or sixty great fellows, each with his 
 terrible knife in his hand, and they would walk all round 
 looking me up and down in a most careful manner, and 
 often I wondered if they were choosing a tender spot 
 upon which to commence. It would have been fatal, 
 however, if I had shown the least sign of fear or sus- 
 picion, and so I had to look pleasant, although I felt 
 quite the reverse. When I explained to them that I was 
 an Englishman, and belonged to a great and powerful 
 nation, which loves the black men and wishes to try and 
 do them good, I was always able to establish a friendly 
 spirit amongst them ; it was really wonderful that these 
 great fellows, with a defenceless EngHshman completely 
 in their power, should have acted in so friendly a manner. 
 I usually made the chief a present of some kind, and all 
 sorts of little trinkets, such as a tin whistle, looking- 
 glasses, &c., gave great delight. 
 
 As huntsmen the Bangwa are noted for their prowess, 
 and at Mukopi, a large village, I thought I should like 
 to go off into the forest to hunt, taking a Bangwa 
 warrior with me as a guide. But after almost standing 
 on my head, and twisting myself into all kinds of posi- 
 tions and performing many other extraordinary feats, I 
 thought it was time to return to camp ; the forest was 
 truly awful, and as to hunting — well, all I could do was to 
 look after myself and leave the game to do likewise. He 
 who wishes to hunt in this forest must be both an athlete, 
 an acrobat, and a strong man with plenty of control over 
 his temper; if he is not the first he will soon come a
 
 302 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 " cropper" over some fallen tree ; if he is not the second 
 he will get hopelessly tied up by the creepers ; and if he is 
 not the third, and goes into the forest, he will never come 
 out again. Of course I saw nothing to shoot, I was too 
 much taken up with my athletics even to look for any- 
 thing. I am ashamed to say that every now and then I 
 was angry, and a lot of good it was ; a creeper with 
 terrible thorns wrapped itself round my neck in loving 
 embrace, and thinking to gain my freedom, I tried the 
 "strong-man" trick, and found that instead of getting 
 liberated, I not only got more firmly fixed up than ever, 
 but in addition I was nearly strangled, not to mention 
 having my nose frightfully lacerated with the thorns. 
 A stream of water 12 feet wide presented itself and I 
 jumped, coming down splash in the middle into deep 
 water. All these and many other incidents of a similar 
 character befell me that day when I required a little 
 exercise. True I got the exercise, with a few bruises 
 given in. 
 
 At another very large village of the Bangwa I had an 
 opportunity of witnessing a midnight dance performed by 
 the natives. It was a bright moonlight night when the 
 people began to collect in the clearing in front of the 
 chief's house ; in all about two hundred men and women, 
 alike nude, gathered in this spot for the national dance. 
 A huge fire was built in the midst of the open space, 
 and around this they all arranged themselves, men and 
 women on opposite sides, forming a circle, and when the 
 circle was complete the chief gave the word and the 
 dancing commenced. Words fail me to depict the utter 
 strangeness of the scene — the attitudes into which they 
 wriggled themselves, all keeping time Hke a trained troupe 
 of acrobats, the weird sounds made by hands and mouth, 
 and the ghastly grimaces : all this, in the dim, uncertain 
 light of the moon, baffles description. Presently the
 
 CAXXIHAI. FISHKR.MKX. 
 
 C.WMIiAI. I'd'll l:lv"i-. 
 
 To face page, 302.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 303 
 
 noise of murmuring made by the dancers as they wriggled 
 round the fire became louder and louder, and the con- 
 tortions to which they put themselves more violent, 
 quicker and quicker, until they all burst forth into a 
 terrible yell, and seemed veritably to fly round the fire, 
 still keeping time with hands, and feet and voices. I 
 have never seen anything so strange in all my travels, 
 and as I looked at the distorted features of these people, 
 working themselves up into a state of madness, and 
 realised that they were all the fiercest of cannibals, and 
 at any moment might change the scene into one of 
 bloodshed, I admit to a creepy feeling stealing over me, 
 and I wondered if J. should ever get through the country 
 alive. This dance was kept up for nearly two hours, and 
 then suddenly there was a hush. Not a sound disturbed 
 the stillness of the night. This dance was over, and in 
 the twinkling of an eye the crowd dispersed in all 
 directions. Noiselessly every one crept back to his hut, 
 and I was left alone by the fireside, wondering at the 
 weirdness of the scene just enacted. 
 
 The more I saw of the Bangwa the more I liked them, 
 and it seems strange to me that a race of people of such 
 great depth of character and superiority, should be left so 
 utterly neglected, in as gross a state of darkness as it is 
 possible to imagine. Surely the time has come when we 
 in this civilised land of ours, possessing as we do all the 
 privileges of a Christian country, should stretch out our 
 hands to these poor ignorant cannibals, and seek to lift 
 them out of their darkness and gross superstition into the 
 light of the gospel of Christ. Their blood will surely be 
 upon us as a nation if we, knowing their state, seek not 
 to break their age-bound chains of heathenism, and 
 " proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of 
 the prison to them that are bound." 
 
 At Mupe, a large village of some thousands of people,
 
 304 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 I put my bicycle together — which I still had with me, 
 and had brought right through the forest — and suddenly 
 appeared in the village street riding my "bike." I shall 
 never forget the sight of those yelling savages, racing 
 after me in the wildest excitement, knocking each other 
 over in their eagerness to get out of the way. Some ran 
 off into their houses and barred the door, others took 
 flight into the forest, only to return most cautiously one 
 by one when they found that it was a harmless thing. 
 Some with their eyes starting wildly raced across my 
 path, shouting, " The white man on a snake ! " Children 
 screamed, and men and women yelled ; never was such a 
 sight witnessed before. I hardly knew how to ride for 
 laughing. After a while they got more used to it, and 
 then all joined in the fun and scampered round their 
 village in the greatest state of excitement. Presently I 
 dismounted and called the chief to come and look at it. 
 " It is a snake," he said ; I tried to assure him it was not, 
 but it was no use, he pointed to the track, and with a 
 knowing shake of the head said, " And you tell me that's 
 not a snake track? " In the midst of all this excitement 
 my dog Sally, thinking the crowd had congregated quite 
 unnecessarily, turned round and made for them, scattering 
 them right and left, barking most furiously. Altogether, 
 I think that was a red-letter day for the people of Mupe. 
 At Banalya I saw many things that upset me. The 
 officer in charge greatly annoyed me by his ill-treatment 
 of the natives. All day long some poor native was being 
 scolded, and at night, in a state of intoxication, I saw 
 what I could hardly believe. The European was sitting 
 in his house, when some little noise occurred outside, an 
 argument between two natives. The Belgian jumped up, 
 and swinging a knife slashed about at the native in a 
 most abominable fashion, and I was obliged to interfere 
 and afterwards reported the case to the Commandant.
 
 IN DAVARF LAND 305 
 
 Such men ought never to be allowed to hold places of 
 responsibility, and these are the men who have brought 
 the Congo Free State into bad odium with the civilised 
 world, and the great wonder is that proper investigation 
 has not been made, and such men removed at least from 
 positions of power. 
 
 At this same place I visited the Bangwa chief, a very 
 big man in the district, and of great power, and he very 
 soon told me many of his grievances relating to the 
 treatment he and his people received at the hands of 
 the Belgians. 
 
 There is a smouldering fire at the heart of these 
 people, and by and by, if greater care and justice be not 
 exercised amongst them, it will burst forth, and I 
 would not like to be a European in the district if once the 
 Bangwa rise. Of course in the end the fight would be 
 one-sided, as it always is where breech-loaders meet spears 
 and bows and arrows ; but a desperate fight it would 
 be, and many would lose their lives, and a fine race of 
 people, born for better things, would be smashed up, and 
 made more degraded than they are to-day with all their 
 cannibalism. They are cowed for the present, and will 
 sit and listen quietly to the insults and the harsh words 
 of the headstrong Belgian a little longer, but severe 
 trouble will come if there be no improvement. While 
 talking privately to the chief above mentioned, he 
 catechised me most closely as to my nationality, &c. I 
 told him that I was an Englishman, and he asked if the 
 English ruled anywhere over the black people. I told 
 him about the Uganda Protectorate to the east, and he 
 then said, "Is there rubber in Uganda?" When I 
 replied in the negative he said, " Then why do the 
 Enghsh rule the people?" I said, "To do the black 
 man good, and to make peace in his country." He was 
 greatly interested, and asked me several questions about 
 
 20
 
 306 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 the government of Uganda, letting out many " trade 
 secrets " with reference to his masters, and finally said 
 that he wished his country were governed by the British 
 also. 
 
 On November 1st I reached Basoko, the convict 
 station of the Congo, situated at the confluence of the 
 two rivers, the Congo and the Aruwimi. Mr. Hoffman, 
 the officer in charge in Basoko, was most kind to me, 
 and helped me in every way possible. One of my first 
 questions was, " When will the next steamer start for the 
 coast ? " Unfortunately, one had just gone, and I was 
 advised to cross over to Barumbu on the left bank of the 
 Congo, where Captain Burrows, the commandant of the 
 Aruwimi district, resided, and there to await the next 
 steamer.
 
 f^m 
 
 liAkU.MBU. 
 
 \K•|^'I\ Al. (II- IIIK >TI. A.MIK'. 
 
 To face piific yi(>.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 BASOKO TO ENGLAND 
 
 Captain Guy Burrows— Ten days' rest — The palm-gi'ove — Shooting our 
 dinners — The steamer arrives — Mode of progress — Missionary friends 
 at Upoto — The captain drunk — Stanley Pool — Leopoldville — Kind 
 friends — Catching the train — The saloon car — A strange sensation — 
 Matadi — Kind hospitality — Boma — The Governor-General's compli- 
 ment — Cabenda — The mail-boat arrives — The lazy Portuguese — 
 Getting passport signed — On board the Loanda — Lisbon — Sud express 
 to Paris — Home at last — Conclusion. 
 
 CAPTAIN GUY BURROWS, Commissioner of the 
 Aruwimi district, is a man who has had a great deal 
 of experience, both as an officer in the British Army, 
 serving in India and Egypt, and also as an officer of the 
 Congo Free State, in which he has labom-ed since 1894, 
 first in the Welle Mobanghi district, and then in the 
 Upper Welle, and finally in the Rubi-Welle district. He 
 received me very kindly, and I soon found him to be 
 what others have found before me, a good friend, and a 
 Briton to the core. My first difficulty upon my arrival 
 at Barumbu was, how to book for myself a passage 
 on the State steamer. I had no gold with me at all, it 
 being unnecessary in Central Africa, but to my dismay 
 I found that on the Congo, gold, and nothing but gold, 
 would procure me a passage on the steamer and by 
 rail. Previous to my leaving Toro I had armed myself 
 with a letter from the Right Rev. Bishop Tucker, of 
 
 307
 
 308 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 Uganda, but I found that the Belgians merely read it 
 through, and handing it back, said that the Congo Free 
 State does not care for bishops' letters. I took my diffi- 
 culty to the captain, and he, like a true fellow-countryman, 
 ever ready to help a lame dog over a stile, unhesitatingly 
 advanced the money to me, and I procured my passage on 
 the steamer. Hovv^ever, I had to wait at Barumbu ten 
 days before it arrived. 
 
 Barumbu is very prettily situated, about two hundred 
 feet above the level of the river, and about a mile from 
 its banks. The houses are built in the midst of a palm- 
 grove, and give a most enchanting appearance to the 
 station. The greatest difficulty in these places is to 
 procure fresh meat ; occasionally a wild pig is shot by 
 one of the soldiers sent out for that purpose, or a forest 
 antelope, but sometimes even these are not obtainable. 
 Several times we were obliged to go out and shoot our 
 dinners — parrots, pigeons, and suchlike. The native 
 houses are by the river-side, and are quite different from 
 the Bangwa houses. They are low structures built with 
 bamboo cane and thatched with pine-tree leaves. They 
 are not so fine a race of people on the Upper Congo as 
 on the Aruwimi, but seem to have great ability both as 
 workers in pot and in iron ; as fishermen they are quite 
 expert. 
 
 The arrival of the steamer at Barumbu always causes 
 the greatest excitement among the natives. They collect 
 in great crowds along the bank and await its approach, 
 and many are the queer notions they have with respect 
 to it. Captain Burrows procured for me the use of the 
 largest cabin on the boat, which is usually kept, so I was 
 told, for the exclusive use of any State official who might 
 be requiring a passage. I was therefore highly favoured, 
 and although there were ten other Europeans on board, I 
 was able to keep my cabin to myself the whole way, and
 
 IN DWARF LAND 309 
 
 had the further privilege of taking my meals with the 
 captain of the boat in his private cabin. These steamers 
 form a startling contrast to the very wild state of affairs 
 in Central Africa, and it seems almost incredible that they 
 can penetrate no less than 1,300 miles inland from the 
 Atlantic. They are well built, with about eight small 
 cabins for the use of Europeans, besides a spacious com- 
 partment as a saloon, in addition to engineer's and 
 captain's quarters. 
 
 I parted with my two faithful Waganda boys, Elisa and 
 Alberto, and also the one Toro boy who had journeyed 
 with me all the way. They had a long tramp before them, 
 but I am glad to know that they arrived quite safely back 
 into their own land, being helped very considerably by the 
 officers in charge of the various stations. 
 
 Our mode of procedure on the river was not of a 
 particularly exciting kind. In the morning we started 
 off, usually about 6 a.m., calling at each State post on the 
 way, and stopping at some fuel station for the night. On 
 account of the sand-banks and other obstructions in the 
 river it was not safe to travel by night, although at high 
 water it is sometimes done. All day long one would sit 
 on the deck reading, or else spend the time examining the 
 banks as we sped along. It was not at all possible to 
 make many observations of native life, or to find out the 
 customs of the people. I must leave this for others to 
 write about who have spent years on the Congo, and 
 have had opportunities of studying these things. I simply 
 passed through the country on my way home, and there- 
 fore am not able to give many details. There is no coal 
 at present found in the Congo State, and wood is the 
 fuel used on the steamers. There is, of course, an 
 unlimited supply of this article, and many little stations 
 have been built at intervals along the river-bank, where 
 a good quantity is always found ready chopped.
 
 310 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 I met many missionary friends on the Congo, at 
 Upoto, Bolobo, Matadi, and Bomba, but we did not stop 
 at the numerous stations of various missions. I was 
 much surprised to find that really beautiful houses are 
 built by the missionaries, no better than they are abso- 
 lutely needed, but one hardly expected to see such neat, 
 painted bungalows, with European furniture, &c. The 
 natives are set to work and are taught how to do ordinary 
 carpentering work and house-building, and very clever 
 they are, and soon learn to use their hands. 
 
 The captain on our steamer was quite a character, a 
 Norwegian. He spoke fair EngHsh, however, but seemed 
 quite incapable of entering into conversation, except when 
 he had taken a glass or two of absinthe, then there was no 
 stopping him. The traders at various places at which we 
 stayed seemed well acquainted with this peculiarity of 
 the captain's, and generally brought a bottle or two of this 
 stuff on board when they visited him. Alas ! one day the 
 absinthe got into the captain's head, and then he became so 
 very merry that we were much afraid that in his exube- 
 rance he would run the boat into the bank. It was there- 
 fore necessary to stop and anchor for the rest of the day. 
 I was much annoyed, as I was anxious to catch the mail 
 boat at Matadi, and a day's delay meant my missing it. 
 The next morning, therefore, I gave the captain a little 
 bit of my mind; not only had I missed my boat at Matadi, 
 necessitating, as I thought, another month's delay there, 
 but he had endangered the lives of all on board. He was 
 most profuse in his apologies, and promised not to drink 
 absinthe again, and it will be good for him if he does not. 
 
 But my journey was drawing near its close, and one 
 day, about 12 noon, we found ourselves in Stanley Pool, 
 steaming away to its most westerly point, where is the 
 town of Leopoldville. The CHffs of Dover, as they are 
 called, on the north of the Pool, looked very beautiful as
 
 IVI'K 01-- MKN USElJ AS lioATMlA nN STATK STKAM KKS. 
 
 To face pane 310.
 
 IN DWARF LAND 311 
 
 we passed. They are white chalk cliffs, and most strongly 
 resemble those of Dover. 
 
 It was the 24th of November when I once more set 
 foot on dry land, at Leopoldville. From here the river 
 is not navigable on account of the rapids, and the rest 
 of the journey to the coast must either be done by land, 
 the ordinary caravan route with carriers, or else by rail, 
 for the new railway was finally opened in 1896 from 
 Leopoldville to Matadi. 
 
 Upon my arrival I began to look about for friends and 
 I was not long in finding some. I had been strolling 
 about for a few minutes when I saw over the door of 
 one of the houses the three letters C.B.M., and I knew 
 that this stood for " Congo Balolo Mission." I went 
 in and was not mistaken. Two young fellows were in 
 charge, and welcomed me heartily. I found that a train 
 left the following morning for Matadi, so I decided not 
 to wait a day longer than was necessary, but to keep 
 on the move as long as I could, trusting to Providence 
 to catch a boat at the coast, in spite of having missed 
 the Belgian mail boat, which had left Matadi on the 
 23rd. The evening was spent in chatting with my 
 friends at the Mission, who very kindly rendered me 
 much assistance in procuring a ticket for me on the 
 railway, and in the early morning I started off to catch 
 the train ! 
 
 What an anomaly ! Catching a train in Central 
 Africa ! For we were still three hundred miles from 
 the actual coast line. After tramping about Africa for 
 a few years it seemed almost absurd to go off to catch 
 a train. Presently I heard a most unmistakable train 
 whistle, and in a few moments I was in the station and 
 saw the train — two carriages, one for passengers and the 
 other for luggage and black men, and the engine. The 
 saloon carriage, in which I very soon seated myself, was
 
 312 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 most comfortable, being fitted up with cane chairs and 
 small tables ; there was also a lavatory at one end. But 
 the motion was anything but nice. I had only just 
 seated myself when, with another shriek and a terrific 
 jerk, that almost sent me through the window, away we 
 went. I tried to look out of the window, but was soon 
 so covered with a thick deposit of soot, that I sat down 
 and tried to look as if I enjoyed it. We were travelling 
 at the rate of fifteen miles an hour, and I thought every 
 moment would be our last ; in fact, so nervous did I get 
 by the sudden change of motion, and of the awful 
 possibility, as I thought, of being precipitated down one 
 of the yawning gullies over which we raced, that I got 
 up to change my seat for one nearer the door, and was 
 on the point of calling out to the driver to stop, when 
 the train gave a lurch to the left, and over I went on 
 to the floor at the bottom of the car. Here, however, 
 where I had almost made up my mind to stay, the 
 rumbling of the wheels was so great that I again struggled 
 to my feet. Oh ! the rocking and the pitching ! it was 
 far worse than being on a really first-class ocean liner, 
 and the squealing of that terrible little engine very nearly 
 drove me out of my senses for the first hour. And I have 
 it on the very best authority, that one of the passengers 
 had a bad attack of mal de mer, and I am not at all sur- 
 prised. After a while we got used to it, as one does to 
 most things in life, and I settled down more comfortably, 
 and determined to make the best of it. After all, the 
 scenery made up for a lot, it was simply exquisite. We 
 were winding round and round the hillsides, sometimes 
 overlooking a precipice hundreds of feet deep, then madly 
 rushing at a breakneck speed down an mchne, then turn- 
 ing round a sharp corner at the bottom, and over a bridge 
 across some deep gully. It was quite an unique experi- 
 ence, to be rushing through Africa without any exertion
 
 IN DWARF LAND 313 
 
 save that of keeping the perpendicular. All day we kept 
 on our way, each passenger having provided himself with 
 food, and at 6 p.m. we steamed into Tumba, where we 
 stayed for the night. In the early morning we were off 
 again, the latter part of the journey being more beautiful 
 as far as scenery is concerned. The whole distance is 
 230 miles to Matadi, but it takes nearly two days, and 
 we reached there at 4 p.m. 
 
 The Congo railway is undoubtedly a masterpiece of 
 modern engineering skill, and I imagine there are few 
 stretches of country that present so many difficulties to 
 the engineers as were met with in the construction of 
 this railway. Such a work, however, was not carried on 
 without the loss of numbers of lives ; whole gangs of men 
 were struck down by the ravages of malarial diseases. 
 A great many Europeans, too, went out for this work 
 who were quite unfitted to stand the climate, and many 
 went there with the idea that they could indulge in their 
 lowest passions, away from restraint, without harm to 
 themselves. How sadly were they mistaken ! I was told 
 that a party of six men went out, and, arriving at Matadi, 
 they, imagining they could do just as they liked, partici- 
 pated in all kinds of evil habits, with the result that in 
 less than six months not one of them was left. It is 
 just the same anywhere on the Congo ; it is well-nigh 
 impossible to live a gay and reckless life without injuring 
 the health ; good, nourishing food is absolutely necessary, 
 and in addition to this comfortable, well-built houses. 
 On one of the Aruwimi stations I met a young American, 
 who, in the company of nine others, had gone out in the 
 service of the Congo Free State only three years before, 
 and only two were left, and one of these invalided home 
 soon afterwards. It was most pathetic to hear him say, 
 " Well, I guess I shall be the next ! " 
 
 At first sight Matadi seemed to consist of dirty streets,
 
 314 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 bare rocks, and broken gin-bottles, with a blazing sun 
 overhead, but I found out afterwards that there were 
 some pleasant spots even in Matadi. 
 
 Up the hill above the station is the house of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Forfeitt, of the Baptist Missionary Society, and it 
 w&s cheering to get into the well-built house with its kind 
 and genial occupants after wandering about the streets 
 for an hour or so. These good people gave me hospitality 
 during my stay at Matadi, and none could have been 
 more kind. 
 
 But my time was short, for I received information 
 that the Portuguese mail boat was to leave Cabenda 
 on the 2nd of December and the boat from Matadi to 
 Boma on the 28th of November. Another two days were 
 spent at Boma, and Mr. and Mrs. Cramer, of the American 
 Christian Alliance, hospitably entertained me. They have 
 a very nice house situated on the rising ground over- 
 looking the sea. There seemed to be but little mission 
 work going on at Boma, Mr. and Mrs. Cramer and a Miss 
 Villars being the only Protestant missionaries. The 
 Roman Catholics have a fine iron church. 
 
 The European population of Boma is about 300 ; it is 
 the seat of the local Government. The Governor- 
 General's house is a very fine one indeed. The town is 
 divided into two parts, the lower part by the seashore, 
 with hotels, general stores, post-office, and Government 
 offices, and the Boma plateau, with the house of the 
 Governor-General, and the soldiers' barracks, hospital, &c. 
 A steam tram runs between both parts. Before I left I 
 called upon the Acting Governor-General. After waiting 
 a little while I was shown into one of the spacious 
 rooms and he soon after came in. He received me kindly 
 and proceeded to ask me many questions concerning the 
 journey I had accomplished, and when I told him that 
 I had crossed the Continent from east to west he asked
 
 IN DWARF LAND 315 
 
 me how many troops I had with me. I told him I had 
 journeyed without escort, and he was at first disposed to 
 doubt my word, and then asked if I went through the 
 forest and the cannibal districts of the Aruwimi, and 
 when I said, "Yes," he poHtely said, " AVell, if you 
 went without an escort you are a fool." I thanked 
 him for the compliment, adding that whether a fool 
 or not, I had passed through, and had never any 
 occasion to fire a single shot in self-defence, nor 
 had I been stopped by natives anywhere, but had 
 undoubtedly made friends with many of the chiefs. He 
 did not mean any insult, and I did not take it as such, 
 but he certainly seemed very surprised. Personally, I 
 believe that any one who has a little knowledge of native 
 character and customs, and a smattering of Swahili, could 
 accomplish the same journey in as comfortable a manner 
 as I did, providing that he act honourably and with 
 strictest justice towards the natives ; not harshly, with- 
 out considering the ignorant state of the offenders, but 
 making due allowances for them ; and, above all, letting 
 them see that they are recognised as fellow-men, and not 
 as creatures of a lower order. 
 
 But I do not attribute my safety throughout this 
 perilous journey to any wisdom of my own in dealing 
 with the natives, or to any " good luck," for I am bound 
 to believe that a stronger Arm than my own defended me 
 in dangers, and that where good fortune seemed to favour 
 me it was the evidence of a watchful Providence. In 
 short, I believe that as I trusted myself into the hands of 
 God, when I left England in 1894, going out as a Christian 
 missionary to do His will, and day after day, in spite of 
 weariness and sorrow, relied upon His mercy, although 
 so very imperfectly, so He, in His love, has helped me, 
 and through Christ has heard my prayers, and the prayers 
 of many of my friends.
 
 316 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 On the 30th of November I left Boma and arrived at 
 Cabenda about 3.30 p.m. Here I expected to see the 
 Portuguese mail, but as I looked up and down the coast 
 no mail boat could I see ; just as I was about to go 
 ashore, however, a big steamer hove in sight, and this 
 proved to be the mail. How thankful I was now to see 
 the boat that would take me to Europe ! 
 
 When I got on shore I asked what time the boat 
 would leave, as I had to get my passport signed by 
 the Portuguese Governor in the morning, and if it 
 started too early I should not be able to catch the 
 boat. I waited till ten o'clock, and then news came 
 that the mail would leave at twelve noon the following 
 day. I put up at a small hotel belonging to a trading 
 establishment in Cabenda, and in the morning went off 
 to try and get my passport signed. I first went to the 
 chief secretary and found him in bed ; I sent in word that 
 I must see him on business, and he then appeared in his 
 night apparel, looking very much astonished to see a 
 foreigner. I told him my business, and he then seemed 
 very angry and said that he would see me in an hour's 
 time at the office. And so I waited, and the time crept 
 by, and I knew the mail would not wait for me. At the 
 end of an hour I called again at the office ; he was not 
 there ; I sent in my card and said that I must see him 
 immediately, and then at last he came. I produced 
 my passport and he looked at it and said, " This is no 
 good, it only takes you to Cabenda." I told him that 
 I was a subject of Her Most Gracious Majesty, Queen 
 Victoria of Great Britain, and my passport was signed by 
 Her Majesty's consul at Boma, and would take me 
 anywhere. After this speech the gentleman bowed and 
 signed without another word. I was only just in time. 
 To reach the mail boat was a big undertaking, as it 
 was five miles out at sea ; and the only boat available
 
 IN DWARF LAND 317 
 
 was a small surf boat hardly large enough to take 
 myself and my luggage, but by dint of hard rowing 
 and at some risk it was accomplished, and as soon 
 as I was on board up went the steps and away we 
 steamed. 
 
 The Loanda was the name of the mail boat, and I 
 was most agreeably surprised to find her quite an elegant 
 little boat, fitted up in really good style. There was 
 excellent accommodation for passengers, the cabins being 
 large and airy. The food, certainly, was a little trying to 
 one's digestive powers after forest fare. Oil and onions 
 seemed the accompaniments to every dish, especially the 
 former. 
 
 There were about two dozen passengers, mostly 
 Portuguese, and two Frenchmen. I was the only 
 Englishman, and none of the others could speak 
 English. The engineers, however, were all British, 
 and this made things much pleasanter for me. The 
 captain was a curious old fellow, and was always 
 talking, either to himself or some poor unfortunate 
 sailor or passenger. In addition to this weakness, he 
 had an immoderate affection for cod's head, and as this 
 fish and others often appeared on the festive board, he 
 had this curious appetite frequently satisfied. 
 
 We had a most delightful voyage in the Loanda, 
 with charming weather the whole way. Touching at St. 
 Thomas' and Princes' Islands, and then right on to the 
 Cape Verde Islands, stopping at Santiago and St. Vincent, 
 and thence to Madeira, from there to Lisbon. 
 
 I disembarked at Lisbon, and found that a train left the 
 same evening for Paris, the Sud express. What a change 
 after the Congo railway ! This was luxury indeed, sleeping 
 and luncheon cars, saloon and smoke-room, all of the 
 latest improved style. Coming from the wilds of Africa, 
 all seemed very strange, but very nice. We reached
 
 318 IN DWARF LAND 
 
 Paris on Christmas morning, and home in England on 
 Christmas night. 
 
 And so I bring this brief record of my journey to 
 a close, conscious of its many imperfections of style as 
 a literary work, and of the brevity of its scope. As I 
 have before remarked, in a journey such as this it v^as 
 impossible to really study the native races, or even the 
 country, and I have merely related passing impressions 
 and hastily-made observations. I can only hope that 
 these records may create a little deeper sympathy in the 
 minds of the people of England for the sable sons of 
 Africa v\fho have suffered much, and are still suffering. 
 The doors of this dark continent are wide open for the 
 reception of Christianity and of righteous government, 
 which alone shall drive away the darkness, alleviate the 
 sufferings of the people, and bring peace to the land. 
 
 [Note. — The author is much indebted 
 to Rev. Lawson Forfeitt and Mr. R. H. 
 Leakey for some of the photographs 
 herein produced.]
 
 €)^t (Srcsbaut ||rEss, 
 
 UNWIN BROTHERS, LrSIITED 
 WOKING AND t^ONDON.
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
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