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John Hanning Speke - The Discovery of the Source of the Nile
could part with, for his own boys were mere balls of fat, and too small to leave home.
Chapter XIX. The March to Madi
Sail down the Kafu - The Navigable Nile - Fishing and Sporting Population - The Scenery on the River -
An Inhospitable Governor - Karuma Falls - Native Superstitions - Thieveries - Hospitable Reception at
Koki by Chongi.
After giving Kamrasi a sketching-stool, we dropped down the Kafu two miles in a canoe, in order that
the common people might not see us; for the exclusive king would not allow any eyes but his won to be
indulged with the extraordinary sight of white men in Unyoro! The palace side of the river, however, as
we paddled away, was thronged with anxious spectators amongst whom the most conspicuous was the
king's favourite nurse. Dr K'yengo's men were very anxious to accompany us, even telling the king, if he
would allow the road to be opened to their countrymen, all would hongo, or pay customs-duty to him; but
the close, narrow-minded king could not be persuaded. Bombay here told us Kamrasi at the last moment
wished to give me some women and ivory; and when told we never accepted anything of that sort,
wished to give them to my head servants; but this being contrary to standing orders also, he said he
would smuggle them down to the boats for Bombay in such a manner that I should not find out.
We were not expected to march again, but being anxious myself to see more of the river, before starting,
I obtained leave to go by boat as far as the river was navigable, sending our cattle by land. To this
concession was accompanied a request for a few more gun-caps, and liberty was given us to seize any
pombe which might be found coming on the river in boats, for the supplies to the palace all come in this
manner. We then took boat again, an immense canoe, and, after going a short distance, emerged from the
Kafu, and found ourselves on what at first appeared a long lake, averaging from two hundred at first to
one thousand yards broad before the day's work was out; but this was the Nile again, navigable in this
way from Urondogani.
Both sides were fringed with the huge papyrus rush. The left one was low and swampy, whilst the right
one - in which the Kidi people and Wanyoro occasionally hunt - rose from the water in a gently sloping
bank, covered with trees and beautiful convolvuli, which hung in festoons. Floating islands, composed of
rush, grass, and ferns, were continually in motion, working their way slowly down the stream, and
proving to us that the Nile was in full flood. On one occasion we saw hippopotami, which our men said
came to the surface because we had domestic fowls on board, supposing them to have an antipathy to
that bird. Boats there were, which the sailors gave chase to; but, as they had no liquor, they were allowed
to go their way, and the sailors, instead, set to lifting baskets and taking fish from the snares which
fisherman, who live in small huts amongst the rushes, had laid for themselves.
After arrival, as we found the boatmen wished to make off, instead of carrying out their king's orders to
take us to the waterfall, we seized all the paddles, and kept their tongues quiet by giving them a cow to
eat. The overland route, by which Kidgwiga and the cattle went, was not so interesting, by all accounts,
as the river one; for they walked the whole way through marshy ground, and crossed one drain in boats,
where some savages struggled to plunder our men of their goats.
With a great deal of difficulty, and after hours of delay, we managed to get under way with two boats
besides the original one; and, after an hour and a half's paddling in the laziest manner possible, the men
seized two pots of pombe and pulled in to Koki, guided by a king's messenger, who said this was one of
the places appointed by order to pick up recruits for the force which was to take us to Gani. We found,
however, nothing but loss and disappointment - one calf stolen, and five goats nearly so. Fortunately, the
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