The people are different from those of Latooka, not only in their speech but in their appearance. Instead of dressing their hair in the form of a helmet, they adopt the form of a beaver's tail for a coiffure.
The noses of these people are higher than those of the Latookas. They pay some attention, too, to their clothing, though their covering is very scanty.
They are courteous in their manners, and never ask for presents.
They had for their ruler at the time of Baker's visit a peculiar old man, a sorcerer, and from him Baker gained much information about the country.
Whenever this ruler traveled, it was upon the shoulders of one of his slaves. Always in starting upon a journey he had a retinue of a dozen or more bearers to take turns in carrying him.
From an interpreter Baker learned of a place called Magungo, situated upon a lake so large that no one knew its limits.
Later, Baker gained further information of Magungo from a native woman. She described the lake as a white sheet of water, as far as the eye could reach, and added, "If you put a water jar on the shore, the water would run up, break it, and carry it away." In this simple fashion she intimated to Baker that there were waves of no little force on the lake shores.
Encouraged by the prospect of reaching the lake, Baker, with his expedition, continued on the march, passing a village surrounded by bold granite cliffs, towering above it. The natives of this village perched like ravens upon the summits of these cliffs to await the approach of the white men. They were very friendly and very ceremonious in their dealings with their visitors.
The journey was continued through a region of prairies and swamps, which finally was replaced by a section of magnificent forest. Coming to an elevated spot, Baker saw a cloud of fog. This hung over a distant valley, and indicated to him the presence of the noble stream which he believed must join the two lakes.
He reached the Nile about one hundred and fifty miles from Victoria Nyanza, and about sixty miles from the lake he was seeking. He was not, however, aware of it at the time.