The Roar Of The
Waterfall Was Extremely Loud, And After Sharp Pulling For A Couple Of
Hours, During Which Time The Stream Increased, We Arrived At A Few
Deserted Fishing-Huts, At A Point Where The River Made A Slight Turn.
I
never saw such an extraordinary show of crocodiles as were exposed on
every sandbank on the sides of the river.
They lay like logs of timber
close together, and upon one bank we counted twenty-seven of large size.
Every basking place was crowded in a similar manner. From the time we
had fairly entered the river it had been confined by heights somewhat
precipitous on either side, rising to about 180 feet. At this point the
cliffs were still higher and exceedingly abrupt. From the roar of the
water I was sure that the fall would be in sight if we turned the corner
at the bend of the river; accordingly I ordered the boatmen to row as
far as they could. To this they at first objected, as they wished to
stop at the deserted fishing village, which they explained was to be the
limit of the journey, further progress being impossible.
However, I explained that I merely wished to see the falls, and they
rowed immediately up the stream, which was now strong against us. Upon
rounding the corner a magnificent sight burst suddenly upon us. On
either side the river were beautifully wooded cliffs rising abruptly to
a height of about 300 feet; rocks were jutting out from the intensely
green foliage; and rushing through a gap that cleft the rock exactly
before us, the river, contracted from a grand stream, was pent up in a
narrow gorge of scarcely fifty yards in width. Roaring furiously through
the rock-bound pass, it plunged in one leap of about 120 feet
perpendicular into a dark abyss below.
The fall of water was snow-white, which had a superb effect as it
contrasted with the dark cliffs that walled the river, while the
graceful palms of the tropics and wild plantains perfected the beauty of
the view. This was the greatest waterfall of the Nile, and in honor of
the distinguished President of the Royal Geographical Society I named it
the Murchison Falls, as the most important object throughout the entire
course of the river.
At this point we had ordered our oxen to he sent, as we could go no
farther in the canoes. We found the oxen ready for us; but if we looked
wretched, the animals were a match. They had been bitten by the flies,
thousands of which were at this spot. Their coats were staring, ears
drooping, noses running, and heads hanging down - all the symptoms of
fly-bite, together with extreme looseness of the bowels. I saw that it
was all up with our animals. Weak as I was myself, I was obliged to
walk, as my ox could not carry me up the steep inclination. I toiled
languidly to the summit of the cliff, and we were soon above the falls,
and arrived at a small village a little before evening.
On the following morning we started, the route as before being parallel
to the river, and so close that the roar of the rapids was extremely
loud. The river flowed in a deep ravine upon our left. We continued for
a day's march along the Somerset, crossing many ravines and torrents,
until we turned suddenly down to the left, and arriving at the bank we
were to be transported to an island called Patooan, that was the
residence of a chief. It was about an hour after sunset, and, being
dark, my riding ox, which was being driven as too weak to carry me, fell
into an elephant pitfall. After much hallooing, a canoe was brought from
the island, which was not more than fifty yards from the mainland, and
we were ferried across. We were both very ill with a sudden attack of
fever; and my wife, not being able to stand, was, on arrival at the
island, carried on a litter I knew not whither, escorted by some of my
men, while I lay down on the wet ground quite exhausted with the
annihilating disease. At length the rest of my men crossed over, and
those who had carried my wife to the village returning with firebrands,
I managed to creep after them with the aid of a long stick, upon which I
rested with both hands. After a walk through a forest of high trees for
about a quarter of a mile, I arrived at a village where I was shown a
wretched hut, the stars being visible through the roof. In this my wife
lay dreadfully ill upon her angarep, and I fell down upon some straw.
About an hour later a violent thunderstorm broke over us, and our hut
was perfectly flooded. Being far too ill and helpless to move from our
positions, we remained dripping wet and shivering with fever until the
morning. Our servants and people had, like all native, made themselves
much more comfortable than their employers; nor did they attempt to
interfere with our misery in any way until summoned to appear at
sunrise.
The island of Patooan was about half a mile long by 150 yards wide, and
was one of the numerous masses of rocks that choke the river between
Karuma Falls and the great Murchison cataract. My headman now informed
me that war was raging between Kamrasi and his rivals, Fowooka and
Rionga, and it would be impossible to proceed along the bank of the
river to Karuma. My exploration was finished, however, as it was by no
means necessary to continue the route from Patooan to Karuma.
CHAPTER XXII.
Prisoners on the island - Left to starve - Months of helplessness - We
rejoin the Turks - The real Kamrasi - In the presence of royalty.
We were prisoners on the island of Patooan as we could not procure
porters at any price to remove our effects.
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