would have no difficulty
in reaching Gani.

It was arranged that Grant should go on to Kamrasi direct, with the
property, cattle, etcetera, while Speke should go by the river to
examine its exit from the lake, and come down again, navigating as far
as practicable.

They now commenced their march down the northern slopes of Africa,
escorted by a band of Waganda troops, under the command of Kasora, a
young chief. They had proceeded onwards some days, when Kari, one of
Speke's men, had been induced to accompany some of the Waganda escort to
a certain village of potters, to obtain pots for making plantain wine.
On nearing the place, the inhabitants rushed out. The Waganda men
escaped, but Kari, whose gun was unloaded, stood still, pointing his
weapon, when the people, believing it to be a magic horn, speared him to
death, and then fled.

On the 21st, after passing through a country covered with jungle, Speke
reached the banks of the Nile. The shores on either side had the
appearance of a highly-kept park. Before him was a magnificent stream,
six or seven hundred yards wide, dotted with islets and rocks--the
former occupied by fishermen's huts, the latter by sterns and
crocodiles, basking in the sun--flowing between fine, high, grassy
banks, covered with trees and plantations. In the background herds of
_nsunnu_ and harte-beestes could be seen grazing, while the hippopotami
were snorting in the water, Florican and Guinea fowl rising at their
feet. Here Speke had some fine sport, killing _nsunnu_ and other deer.

The chief of the district received them courteously, and accompanied
Speke to the Isamba Rapids.

"The water ran deep between its banks, which were covered with fine
grass, soft cloudy acacias, and festoons of lilac convolvuli; while here
and there, where the land had slipped above the rapids, bare places of
red earth could be seen like that of Devonshire. There, too, the
waters, impeded by a natural dam, looked like a huge mill-pond, sullen
and dark, in which two crocodiles, floating about, were looking out for
prey." From the high banks Speke looked down upon a line of sloping
wooded islets lying across the stream, which, by dividing its waters,
became at once both dam and rapids. "The whole scene was fairy-like,
wild, and romantic in the extreme," says Captain Speke.

Proceeding southward they reached the Rippon Falls on the 28th, by far
the most interesting sight he had seen in Africa.

"Though