Whilst I was engaged in these parts, and thinking there would be no further chance of my being able to return to Africa, I had made up my mind, at the expiration of the war, to try my hand in collecting the fauna of the very interesting regions of the Caucasian Mountains, and had even gone so far as to purchase guns and equip myself for it. Captain Smyth, of the Bengal Army, an old and notorious Himalayan sportsman, had agreed to accompany me, and we wrote home to the Royal Geographical Society to exert their influence in obtaining passports, by which we could cross over the range into the Russian frontier; but this scheme was put a stop to by Dr Shaw, the Secretary of that Society, writing out to say there would be very little hope of our being able to obtain the passports we required, and that he thought the time ill-advised for working in those regions, adding, at the same time, that an expedition to explore Africa was again being organised under the command of Captain Burton, and advising me to join it. By the same mail I received a communication from Captain Burton himself, inviting me to join him once more in exploring Africa, saying there would be no expense attached to it, as the Home and Indian Governments had each promised to contribute £1000. This settled the matter. Without a second thought I disposed of my Caucasian equipments, and, taking a passage to England by the first mail, travelled night and day until I again reached home, deeming, as I did on the first expedition, that I might just as well nurse my furlough for a future occasion,--the fact being that I was more of a sportsman and traveller than a soldier, and I only liked my profession when I had the sport of fighting. [Illustration: NOTE *********************** Gondokoro, German Mission Station: Cataracts which stopped the Expedition* discover the Sources of the Nile by * Kirira River & Bari Kingdom heard of* the draba south of the Equator.] JOURNAL OF A CRUISE ON THE TANGANYIKA LAKE. Chapter I. The Royal Geographical Society--The Strange Lake on the Map--Set Off--Arrive at Zanzibar--A Preliminary Excursion--A Sail along the Coast--The Pangani River--A Jemadar's Trick--Journey up Country--Adventures--Return to Zanzibar--Scenes there--Objects of the Expedition--Recruiting for Followers--The Cafila Bashi--The Start--Fevers--Discussions about the Mountains of the Moon and the Victoria N'yanza--The Tanganyika.