On the morning of the 27th, five days later, Stanley had reached Gambachika, in North Usmau. This place is nineteen miles from the village of Kagehyi, his point of destination on Lake Victoria. In speaking of his last day’s march, Stanley says: “The people were as keenly alive to the importance of this day’s march, and as fully sensitive to what this final journey to Kagehyi promised their weary frames, as we Europeans. They, as well as ourselves, looked forward to many weeks of rest from our labors and to an abundance of good food. “When the bugle sounded the signal to ‘take the road,’ the Wanyamezi and Wangwana responded to it with cheers, and loud cries of ‘Ay indeed! ay indeed! please God!’ and their good will was contagious. The natives, who had mustered strongly to witness our departure, were effected by it, and stimulated our people by declaring that the lake was not very far off--‘but two or three hours’ walk.’ “We dipped into the basins and troughs of the land, surmounted ridge after ridge, crossed watercourses and ravines, passed by cultivated fields, and through villages smelling strongly of cattle, by good-natured groups of natives, until, ascending a long, gradual slope, we heard, on a sudden, hurrahing in front, and then we too, with the lagging rear, knew that those in the van were in view of the great lake! “Presently we also reached the brow of the hill, where we found the expedition halted, and the first quick view revealed to us a long, broad arm of water, which a dazzling sun transformed into silver, some 600 feet below us, at a distance of three miles.” In a short time the expedition had entered the village of Kagehyi, and Prince Kaduma, chief of Kagehyi, induced by one Sungoro, an Arab resident, proffered its hospitalities to the strangers. In summing up, during the evening of his arrival at this rude village on the Nyanza, the number of statute miles travelled by him, as measured by two rated pedometers and pocket watch, Stanley ascertained it to be 720. The time occupied--from November 17, 1874, to February 27, 1875, inclusive--was 103 days, divided into seventy marching and thirty-three halting days--an average of a little over ten miles a day. [Illustration] CHAPTER XX. EXPLORATION OF VICTORIA NYANZA. Preparing the _Lady Alice_ for Sea -- Selects his Crew -- The Start for the Circumnavigation of Lake Victoria -- Afloat on the Lake -- A Night at Uvuma -- Barmecide Fare -- Message from Mtesa -- Camp on Soweh Island -- An Extraordinary Monarch -- Mtesa, Emperor of Uganda -- Arrival at the Imperial Capital -- Glowing Description of the Country -- A Grand Mission Field -- The Treachery of Bumbireh -- Saved! -- Refuge Island -- Return to Camp at Kagehyi.