The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume IX, No. 4 [‎202v] (75/172)

392 TWO YEARS’ TRAVEL IX UGANDA, UNYORO, AND ON THE UPPER NILE.
Sir Harry Johnston : I won’t detain you, at this late time in the evening, with
any remarks more than to say how much interested I have been in this paper,
because, of course, the greater part of Buganda and, I should say, Bunyoro belong
to what may be called Bantu Africa—that is to say, to that portion of Central
Africa inhabited by races speaking tongues allied to the Bantu stock. I am par
ticularly interested in the Baganda, as they are generally called in their own
country, from the fact that so many have followed me in almost all my expeditions
in Eastern and Central Africa. In 1884, when starting for Kilimanjaro, Sir John
Kirk entrusted to the late Mr. Stokes the organization of my caravan, having great
confidence in his judgment of men, and Mr. Stokes picked out some Baganda who
had in some way or other found their way down to Zanzibar, and a few of them
are to-day serving the British Government in the British Central Africa Protec
torate, having remained with me ever since; they are now settled in Nyasaland,
and will probably remain there for all time, still maintaining their Luganda speech
between themselves. There is a great community of feeling all along the great
lakes, as the people are of kindred origin and not much separated from the parent
stock. The language spoken in Bunyoro and Buganda belong to the most archaic
forms, almost being the Sanscrit or Lithuanian of the Bantu family. It is to be
hoped that, in organizing this Protectorate, we shall endeavour to compile vocabu
laries of these languages before they are too absolutely corrupted by Swahili, because
it would be an immense help in throwing light on the structure of the Bantu group.
I almost take for granted that in Buganda and Bunyoro, Swahili, the language of
Zanzibar, is becoming the universal language of the country. It is inevitable, as it
is, of course, impossible for Europeans to attempt to learn every single dialect. We
must have some common language, as in India, where Hindustani is the medium
of expressing our thoughts to the natives in such a simple fashion as to be under
stood, and I should say Swahili is in every way fitted to be that medium, and it is
to be hoped and it is a hope expressed for some years past—that we may before
long possess a chair at either one or other of our universities for the teaching of
Swahili in a scientific manner, so that officials may arrive with some knowledge
of the language, which will enable them to make themselves understood almost
anywhere between the Equator and the Zambezi.
ihe I resident : We have to thank Lieut. Vandeleur for more things. I think,
than the paper read to us this evening. Lieut. Yandeleur has been well known
to us foi some time as a good observer. I remember being astonished at the
accuracy of his route survey, made with very small means, wneu shooting lions in
Somaliland. He has now done much bigger work, and I feel he is of the stufl'of which
our gold medallists are made, a man despising dangers and hardships, an ardent
sportsman, conciliatory to the natives, and a good scientific explorer. In his paper
e as pleased us, fiist of all, by bringing to our minds the memories of our great
explorers of furmer days, and describing some of the scenes which they visited-
o P®' e ‘ind Grant, of Baker and Gordon. I remember, now many years ago, that
Dr. Norton 81iaw came to my house with a young officer, who said he believed he
hau discovered the lake source of the Nile, asking me to go with him to Sir
o erick Murchison, and induce our President to undertake an expedition. Well,
that expedition was undertaken at the joint expense of the Royal Geogiaphical
urecedent^W^ Ma , Je f Sty ’ S Gover ™ent, which I submit is a most excellent
to nhl,n n /q ^ t0 tiaie l ' r0m men went up the Nile hoping
drived and 7 r ^ ^ At ^ th6 ^ explorers themselves
charmi^ lv Zv T With the im P ortance ^ their discoveries and the
of h mZ f y 8 , th T' We thea had e( l ual| y fascinating accounts
of the routes of Sir Samuel and Lady Baker and Gordon. Lieut. Vandeleur