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S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S • 109 Continent. It would be after they reached Lake Victoria that his safari would depart from the route Roosevelt would take two years later. As they readied themselves for the next leg of their journey, Churchill was recovering from a severe intestinal infection (traveler's diarrhea), which he had suffered for many days. Still, it would not dampen his irrepressible enthusiasm for the expedition. In fact, by the time he reached the Kingdom of Uganda, his excitement had increased tenfold. Being greeted like royalty at every stop no doubt served to spur his enthusiasm. Later Churchill described Uganda as "a fairy tale garden kingdom, which you arrived at by train instead of a beanstalk." But he also observed that the kingdom had a growing problem. "So far as a human force is concerned, the British power in these regions is at present beyond challenge," he said. Then, in true Churchillian fashion, he added: "But a new opponent has appeared and will not be denied. Uganda is defended by insects. "It would even seem that the arrival of the white man and the increased movement and activity, which his presence has involved, have awakened these formidable atoms to a realization of their powers of evil!" Churchill noted. He was referring to "sleeping sickness," which a few years earlier was found to be carried by the tsetse fly and had became a significant problem for the British settlers. Churchill had traveled by the new train, which cut through the African wilderness from the east to the center of British East Africa. The British had also opened up the north by laying lines from Alexandria to Cairo, on to Wady Halfa, then from Berber to Khartoum (where he had fought years before), and continuing to Gondoro via Fashoda. In all, more than a thousand miles were being served by the steam locomotive. A t Ripon Falls, Churchill's party would leave the "iron road" and paddle, sail, and march their way back toward Mombasa. This would mean navigating the Nile and a series of big lakes. Going with the current, they could reach their destination in a matter of days Winston realized this would be the most arduous part of their journey. It involved three separate marches through the forest to Kakindu, then three days of canoeing the Nile with its stretches of dangerous rapids, followed by many treks through the African bush toward Lake Albert, formerly known as Lake Mobutu Sese Seko. At each stop along the way, the porters had to carry their 65-pound loads overland from one navigatable stretch of water to another. Churchill was impressed with the beautiful, yet sinister surroundings of the African bush. He was amazed how much wildlife seemed to be lurking beneath the lush, green canopy. At the end of each day, camp was a welcome sight to the weary travelers. Their camp usually comprised two rows of tents, with a large central rest house (banda) made of bamboo and thatched with elephant grass. The British Union Jack flag flew prominently at each camp. Every morning the hunters were awakened by reveille played by buglers of the King's African Rifles. Everyone would rise and dress by candlelight, eat a quick breakfast, then the porters would grab their burdens and set off for another long trek through the bush. At Kakindu they marched along the narrow track to the banks of the Nile. Awaiting them was a series of dugout canoes and a small steam launch, the James Martin, to carry them onward on their journey. After the long task of loading the dugouts, the little steamer set off, towing the flotilla of small boats through a labyrinth of tall papyrus where the river spread out into a complex web of small tributaries. would soon be upwind of the other rhinos. Keeping a constant eye on their prize, the hunters carefully backtracked to the hill and skirted 'round it so as to emerge closer to the rhinos, but still remain hidden. After taking careful aim, Churchill fired, then heard the bullet hit home with a loud thud. Shocked by the impact, the rhino stumbled slightly and turned to look straight at the hunters. Then, with remarkable speed, it bore down on the men like a runaway freight train. Everyone began to fire, but the bullets had no effect; the great beast seemed unstoppable. As the distance between the men and the monster quickly vanished, Churchill reflected that whatever the end result, he and his party were the cause of the conflict and bore the blame. Churchill looked on in horror as the men fired their final shots, yet the monster kept coming. Just as Churchill was about to accept his fate, the rhino suddenly swerved to the right and raced broadside across the line of hunters. Before they could shoot again, the beast crashed to the ground, dead. Reloading his rifle, Churchill decided to pursue the rhino's companion farther across the plain. He then spent the next half-hour stalking and then bringing down the animal, providing himself with another hide and horns for his trophy room in England. A fter their hunt Churchill and his party boarded the train heading toward Uganda to continue their expedition on the Dark at the safari's hippo Camp, Churchill would climb atop his ten-foot observation tower to look for rhinos in the tall grass and brush. the ladder was badly damaged when a rhino charged Churchill's party, forcing the native coulees to drop the makeshift device as they raced to safety.