The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-22

| ana the Dtner Is the SIR Clement ftlll,
which has 500 tons and which was
/ launched last year. The Sybil and
| Winnifred are sister ships. They make
regular trips around the lake. in con
necton with the Uganda railway. the
| voyage from port to port requiring
about ten days. 1t is upon the Sybil
| that | am writing this letter.
a Mid-Afrlcnn Steamer.
wish could show you this little
African steamer. If it could be taken
up and transported to one of our
American rivers, or dropped down upon
Lake Huron or Erie 1t would not seem
| much out of place; for the ship IS
| Just about the same as some used on
our lakes. The differences lie in the
people and the management. The
| Sybl moves by screw 1t has a
smoke stack in the centre and two
nasts before and behind. with a lie
boat on deck. 1t has about dozen
| cabins, with dark little dining saloon
! in the rear. The cabins are lighted
\ by electricity and each has an cleo
trio fan. Back of the dining saloon
Is ledge up under the port holes
where the second-class passengers
sleep. The top deck has double
awning of canvas to protect us from
the tropical sun. and at midday we
are ar. advised to keep our hats on while
strong in this latitude, and one must
protect his head even when indoors IL
| the roof is not thick.
as to first-class passengers we have
only about a half dozen on the Sybil,
and they and the English officers are
the only Europeans. The sailors are
half-naked natives. who get wages OF
about 10 cents day, and the steward
ana COOKS are Hindoos, who are paid a
little more.
The passengers are two British Off
clais on their way to serve in Interior
Uganda. German surgeon who is
pound for Mwanza. in the Kaser's ter
ritories. on the south of the lake: n
oohgo trader who has about a CARLOAD
or beads and brass wire with him to
BUY ivory and rubber and missions
airy VINO is going to kanpala and who
VIII get off at Entehbe. In addition to
i Inese are are myself and son: who will
we nave also on board a half dozen
natlHe soldiers and one of these is al
ways guarding the mail. The bags
We're carried. under guard on TO the
boat at Port Florence. and a soldier
With gun in his hand stands beside
them day and night throughout the
voyage.
A Coming Tourist Centre.
The prospect is that Lake Victoria
VIII some day be as we'll known to the
Slooe-tfotter as the Great Lakes Of
america, The expense of coming here
Is TOO high for the ordinary traveller
I'VE on these boats almost as comfort
ably as at home. 7 mean as far as
eating ana drinking are concerned. and
as respects the climate. There Is much
20 ne desired in the matter of freedom
rom, cockroaches. rats and other In
sectS. nave never seen so many ana
Such wild animals of the roach kind
before. My cabin has some as large rs
mice. and 1t seems to me that they
come out IN the daytime and look at
u lny StN hal
order To- trouble him the better at
night. The reaches run through the
ulhlng rooms, and when | put my foot
on OF, one rs ] do whenever it is posi-
oie u leaves grease spot as large
as my hand on the floor.
Another Internal insect is the Tiger.
don't know where | got mine. whe tn
er on shore or on ship, but my native
boy has EXTRACTED the eggs of three
or these pests from under my toes
little insect which hores a hole In
ones flesh, choosing the foot and usu-
ally places under the toenails. 1T Laws
Is eggs there in the form of a littls
sack about as big as a pearl shirt but
lol, ana this sack must be cut out at
once, lfnot and the eggs hatch they turn
into worms which eat about through
the flesh and often cause the loss of
the toe. The insect Is supposed to have
originally come from South America
put It has ALREADY travelled over this
half Of Africa and 1t Is especially, bad
about Lake Victoria.
Wntcrsponts of Flies.
As to mosquitoes we have none here
on the lake and practically no flies ey !.
cept the common house fly. Tho shores
arc infested with the tsetso fly, whose
bite causes the sleeping sickness; hut
THIS lives only In the swamps and can
not stand the light or the sun. There
are plenty of mosquitoes of all kinds
on land. and there are swarms OF
midges in many parts of the lal1e:g I
saw such n swarm this morning. 1t
looked like a waterspout rising from
the surface, | thought It was one. and
was surprised when the captain told
ME that II was composed of myrinds
of these midscs, which are horn In the
water and lily up at one time into the
air. They sweep over the lake in
great numbers, raining down upon the
boats as though they We're 'sogsmuch
black pepper. They come In such
quantities that the men sweep them
In with nroonls and throw them over
board, They even ger into the cabins
and cover the dining tables, This is SO