108 
THROUGH THE DARK CONTINENT. 
liad discovered some important river. As we entered, the creek widened and 
disclosed picturesque features of outlined hill and wooded slope. We pulled 
steadily to its farther extremity, but the stream which entered here was 
small, and oozed through a reedy marsh. We endeavoured for an hour to 
induce a canoe with three fishermen in it to approach, but all we could mak« 
out from Saramba, who, I fear, did not understand them, was that the name 
of the country was Ugoweh, which sounded so like You go ’way that I 
declined accepting it, until the natives shouted out still more clearly and 
emphatically, “ U-go-weh.” It was evident, however, that these natives 
spoke a language that our guide from the south did not quite comprehend. 
We continued our keen inspection of the numerous indentations from 
Ugoweh (?) to Nakidimo Greek, into which an important stream debouches. 
The hippopotami were numerous, and as bold as those of Speke Gulf. 
Emerging once more into the lake, we anchored about a mile from the 
shore m 6 fathoms, and found that there was a current of about half a 
not setUng westward. At 2 p.m. we hoisted sail, and with a fair wind were 
a e o ug the mainland and make good progress, within view of a very 
populous and extensively cultivated shore. This was the land of Maheta, 
\ve were ^Jd, and the same which we had sighted from the summit of Bridge 
Island. We flew away with a bellying sail along the coast of Maheta, where 
we saw a denser population and more clusters of large villages than we had 
l^held elsewhere. We thought we would make one more effort to learn of 
the natives the names of some of these villages, and for that purpose steered 
for a cove on the western shore. We anchored within 50 yards, and so paid 
out our cable that only a few feet of deep water separated us from the 
beach, borne half-dozen men, wearing small land-shells above their elbows 
and a circle of them round their heads, came to the brink. With these we 
opened a friendly conversation, during which they disclosed the name of 
the country " Mahata" or " Maheta " in Ugeyeya ; but more they would 
not communicate unless we would land. We prepared to do so, but the 
numbers on the shore increased so fast that we were compelled to pull off again 
until they should moderate their excitement and make room. They seemed to 
think we were about to pull off altogether, for there suddenly appeared out of 
the bush on each side of the spot where we had intended to land such a host 
of spears that we hoisted sail, and left them to try their treachery on some 
other boat or canoe more imprudent than ours. The discomfited people 
were seen to consult together on a small ridge behind the bush lininZ the 
lake, and no doubt they thought we were about to pass close to a small 
jxnnt at the north end of the cove, for they shouted gleefully at the prostiect 
of a prize; but, lowering sail, we pulled to windward, far out of the reach 
of bow or sling, and at dusk made for a small island to which we moored our 
boat, and there camped in security. 
From our little island off Maheta, we sailed at the dawn of day towards