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tation to Europeans in Unyoro to earnestly assist any steps taken in their vicinity to forward the investigations on the lines of your circular.

I have, &c.,

Hoima.

GEORGE WILSON.

Mr. A. G. SPEKE, Assistant Collector, to HIS MAJESTY'S DEPUTY COMMISSIONER,

(D.C. No. 20/1905.)

Hoima, November 4, 1905.

SIR,

I HAVE the honour to forward herewith a report on the agricultural prospects and political situation in the districts of Bugungu and Chiopi, which Dr. Adams and myself recently visited. I have omitted all mention of sleeping sickness except for the few days I was separated from the former in Bugungu, as I understand that he will write a special report on that subject.

I have, &c.,

A. G. SPEKE.

REPORT ON THE AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS AND POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE DISTRICTS OF BUGUNGU AND CHIOPI.

Dr. Adams and myself left for a tour through the districts of Bugungu and Chiopi on the 8th of September last. Sleeping at Kajuru, on the Butiaba Road, the first night, we crossed the Wachi on the following day, and camped near it, in order to search for the tsetse fly. On the 10th we reached the headquarters of Mkungu Daudi, on the edge of the Budongo Forest. I had a long talk with the latter, who complained much of the scarcity of food, owing to the drought in the early part of the year. One of the questions on which there is a good deal of feeling in this part is that of the supply of food to Butiaba. He asked me to take two of his sub-chiefs, Berenyuma and Musale, to task for failing to do their duty in this respect, and also in the matter of cutting roads, especially the Butiaba-Masindi Road, of which Mr. Jervoise had lately complained. I am of opinion, however, that Daudi's accusations against these two men were made to screen himself. I certainly consider that he does not take the trouble he ought or make use of the authority he should possess in this district. Both Berenyuma and Musale live further from Butiaba and from the road in question than Daudi himself, and Mr. Mitter reports that practically no food comes from Daudi's country. Again, while the latter could show practically no cotton cultivation of his own, saying that what he planted had died owing to the drought, Berenyuma had the only really well-tended plantation I saw in this part of the country, and his shamba was in every respect excellently cultivated. Musale had some excuse in that he and his men had lately been very busy preparing large canoes on behalf of Jemesi, with a view to the transport of loads to the new steamer expected to be placed on the lake. 1 understand that Jemesi has agreed to pay the hut-tax of a part of this district himself, in exchange for their labour on this, which I think shows great enterprise on his part. I regret to say that I have since heard that Musale was Filled by the fall of a tree while thus engaged. Daudi further told me that the Bakopi refuse to plant much cotton, on the grounds that it is not food, and therefore of no use to them. I took occasion to point out to him that if the peasants were persuaded to work at cultivation they should be allowed to share in the profits, as the seed was not sent merely as a present to the chiefs, but to encourage industry throughout the land, a fact which I think is not generally recognised as yet. The whole district of Butiaba must, I am afraid, be classed as a very poor one as compared with the neighbouring Bugungu. It is thinly populated, and that mostly by old men, the younger ones having migrated to the better country. This was very noticeable at Bugaki, on the River Weisoke (elsewhere known as the Kesekwa), where we stayed two days. On the 15th we met Mwanga Saza, Chief of Bugungu, at the crossing of the Bubwe, a small river, but then in flood, and the following day proceeded to his headquarters at Butumba. Here there had been some attempt at growing cotton; but it had been planted in very bad soil, and had been much damaged

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by insects. At Baramwili, a few miles off, there was a more flourishing plantation, but the attempt at cultivation in these parts seems to have been very spasmodic, and no care has been taken to keep the gardens weeded. I should think from what I saw that the whole acreage under cotton in Butiaba and Bugungu would not approach 50 acres. It is to be said in their favour, however, that neither the climate nor the soil can be called suitable for its growth. The question of tax collec- tion was brought up by Mwanga. It seems evident that the Wa-Bungungu, although a wealthy people, are very unwilling to pay, especially as regards the poll-tax, and are encouraged in their attitude by the people of the Ganya country across the river, who laugh at them, calling them slaves of the Wazungu. Seeing that Mwanga certainly has difficulties in collecting it, I gave him what help I could in passing; at the same time, I impressed upon him that it was essentially his duty, and if he could not perform it the matter of his position as Pokino would have to be seriously considered by the Government. The chief offenders seem to belong to the Iluru village of Kakora, and to a village near the entrance of the river into the lake named Balisa. At the latter place the people openly said that they were quite ready to migrate to the Ganya country if pressed.

2. Along the river one village named Kimole is now quite deserted Twenty- eight were said to have died of sleeping sickness there last year and the rest have migrated across the river. This was visited, I believe, by Dr. Pooley, on his tour during September, 1904, and some patients persuaded to come to Hoima for treatment, but I could find no trace of the sickness now in the neighbouring villages. The country seems to be rich in food, mostly Mahoga and a dwarf bean called by the natives Mpandi, and said to be in great request among the neighbouring peoples. There is also a good trade in fish with the tribes across the river.

3.

At

I reached Fajao on the 22nd, and Dr. Adams on the following day, he having travelled by a different route. Here we stayed six days making enquiries, two days being spent in crossing to one of the Ganya villages. It appears that a very small number of people actually live here, the majority only staying temporarily during the fishing seasons. On the 28th we went on to Okello's village, the first on the Chiopi country. This chief, who last year when I passed for some reason or other took it into his head to run away, now received us in person. He abso- lutely denied that he knew of any sleeping sickness. He took some trouble in clearing a road for us along the river through his part of the country. Passing along the river we found the country thickly populated and good cultivation of food, especially sim sim. No complaints of any kind were brought forward. Buyayi later on the local chief brought up the matter of hut-tax, but on enquiry I found that the real matter at issue was a quarrel between him and another man whom he had been sent by the Kabaka to supersede as chief of the village, so I advised them, if they wanted to settle their differences, to go before' the Lukiko. At Tyaki there had been an attempt at cotton planting, but the first crop had failed owing to the drought. The Mkungu was preparing another garden as we passed. All this country is of a rich soil and well watered. The streams along the road were not bridged at all, although in rainy weather they flood quickly and must interrupt traffic considerably. On the 2nd October we met Rubanga at a place called Gobo. From the latter place, having heard that Okello was not telling the truth about sleeping sickness, I hurried back hoping to catch his people unawares before they had time to remove the sick as they are said to do on the approach of Europeans. However, though I certainly arrived there unexpectedly, I could find no traces of it. A death, said to be from sleeping sickness, was reported in Hoima before we started, at a village called Kikangara; but this proved to have been a case of drowning. As there was another exactly similar case in Bugungu I am inclined to think that the Lukiko must have sent orders to report all deaths indis- criminately, and that there has not been any trouble taken to distinguish between deaths from sleeping sickness and other causes. In fact, all along the route the people were, or pretended to be, really ignorant of the symptoms of the disease. Returning to Gobo we went forward and reached Faweiri in Lejumba's country on the 11th. The people round this place have always shown an utter disregard for Lejumba's authority, and not only refused to come near the camp, but would not even supply food, which he had to bring from some distance. He seemed to be quite in despair of being able to manage them. As I had a sharp attack of fever here, we stayed four days. On the 16th, we left ir canoes, intending to go to Mruli. But at the first camp Dr. Adams was taken ill also. As we had found

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