Mike+A

William Bixby, 2010 March 14th - (Tuesday) - Jinja Uganda

Up the lake [ Victoria] which is about the size of Lesotho in Africa, 400 miles long on a headland about four miles away, i noticed a round building about two stories high a and asked what it was and was told an a Native chief started to build himself a big house there and the english object ed after the two stories had been completed and made him stop for two reasons - one was he was getting to important and too much set-up and the other that the tsetse fly was prevalent in the brush, etc., on the hillside and they are trying to destroy the fly and keep people out of infected districts. All the islands in the lake, and there are hundreds of them, were infested with this fly causing sleeping sickness and all the brush and low shrubs have been cut off and the fly cannot live except in the shade and especially in thick undergrowth and near water. They are gradually clearing the brush and destroying the pest.

6 P.M. We have been to Ripon falls and it is a great sight. While the water in the lake is low, there is a big rush of water and a drop of say fifty to sixty feet. The water is white for a long ways below the falls and a rush and boiling water over the rocks. There are crocodiles below the falls. Here then is the start of the Nile and it is a good start for it starts out at a good sized river. We tried fishing with nice rods and shiny lures but could not get bites so Northrup [Bixby's host] fixed up live fish on our hooks and casted the line. Before we knew we had six giant Nile Perch that looked the size of a baby cow only a baby cow weighs about 200 lbs. We also caught a big catfish, about 4 feet long and 125 pounds. There are times when the Nile Perch can be caught at 5 feet 500 pounds. , or more. We could see them jump all over the surface frequently leaving the water entirely in the white water while the rush is greatest. Donald [Bixby's son] had a bite that took his and broke his line, probably a crocodile. Across the lake last night we could hear the lions roaring and some big hippopotamus near us on this side. We missed seeing them for they were too close to us while we were fishing. They ruin our huts and are getting too close to our people. To get them away we shoot near them to scare them away. They come out on the bank near our hotel every night to feed on grass and some of the vegetable we are growing. The Bogando who live in this section have a habit of kneeling on one knee at our approach and they are very good workmen. We saw embroidery done by a young boy and bought six of their mats for table. Would have bought some baskets for they were very pretty and would have made great souveniers but we had no room to carry them. We bought a big bunch of bananas - 150 or more - for one rupee. They were excellent and we used them all the way to Nairobi and some left when we got there. The pottery work of these Bodandos is amazing. I wish I had room because I had never seen things like that before. They made it out of black clay and it is very shiny. they also make candle sticks, bowls and other things. I thought they were really cool to see tribe made bowls and other tribal clay creations. We also saw Kavirando chairs. I thought those were cool because all the chairs in the U.S are all made with perfect wood and stained. Though the ones we saw were made totally out of natural resources they have there like wood and Antelope hide. Even though they are made out of bent wood and Antelope hide they are still very strong and very comfortable.

[On March 16th Bixby adds: " I omitted to say that the Kavirando chairs sold for seven for five ruppes, or about 65c each. I would have gladly given $10 dollars each for those fine craftmenship chairs at Lake George." ]

At 5 this morning we could see a queer combination - sun just rising and moon and stars still visible. The elephant grass is like bamboo or canebreak. Northrup [Bixby's host] ... marched three days through this high grass: heard many animals, but could only see the warthogs as the others were all hidden. It made dangerous driving.

March 15th - Uganda - Jinji:

This was nearly the end of the Kavirando country. They are great people and have, I think, the greatest future of all tribes. Everyone hires Kavirandos in preference to the others. I hear there are over a million of the Kikuyus and while that is the largest tribe there must be a large number of Kavirandos.

March 16th - Eldorette:

The draught [drought] was awful. I am here reminded that the natives never use the English names, but give each settler a name of their own - Northrup, for example, has a name known to all natives - it means the man with a big house. Owen has a name meaning the man who uses both hands, and one as well as the other. I found out on the Safari that I was known by a name that meant the old man. It is useless to ask a native the way to John Smith's house, but you know that hs african name is Margy, you can ask the way to margy's house and you will get a quick answer.

March 17th - Lake Naivasha: There was a native riot ar Nairobi, a Kikuyu by the name of Harry Thuku, raised and educated at a mission, was employed by the goverment in the Treasury Department. He was arested for forgery [signing a name other than his own] and was in jail for several months. On being released he commenced a propaganda among the Kikuyus, about like Ghandi's among the Indians, it is claimed the East Indians here were behind the movement. The principal chiefs of the Kikuyu denounced him and his propaganda some weeks ago but he has kept on with it until yesterday he was arrested and placed in police quarters not far from Chiromo. The natives sent out a lot of people forcing boys employed and others to come into their demonstration and they marched three thousand strong tot he police quarters.

The disturbance seems to be over but might have been serious.

March 18th - (Saturday) - Chiromo:

There have been some serious riots in South Africa and a battle with six hundred wounded at Johannesburg, but the worst seems to be over now.

We left after lunch for a trip to Donyo Sabuk, passing the immense Papymus swamps, thousands of acres of coffee and sisal, though to this section more attention seems to be paid to sisal while in other directions around Nairobi there is much more acreage in coffee.