Lake & River Travel

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Travel on Lake Victoria on other East African lakes and rivers was often on sternwheelers. These ships were owned by East African Railways and Harbours. The paddlewheelers pushed several lighters or barges ahead of them. Third class passengers would crowd aboard the lighters, which were also used for moving freight. Photographs on this page date from the 1920s and 1930s, and are from the collection of Captain Barton and were supplied by his granddaughter, Caroline Glithero. Any additional information would be welcome. Please click thumbnails to enlarge the images.

SS USOGA

SS USOGA

The officers and crew of the SS USOGA - date unknown. Capt William Barton 2nd from right in 2nd row

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Margaret Barton, on SS Stanley, 1929

Margaret (daughter of Capt. Wm. Barton)
in 1929, on the SS STANLEY

 Palango, the medicine man, 1930

Palango, the medicine man,
on board a ship at Namasagali in 1930.

 African passengers on a lighter (or barge).

Third class passengers travelled on lighters pushed ahead of the sternwheelers.

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SS WATUSSI - 1930–1931

SS Watussi, 1930/31

Passengers on SS Watussi,1930/31

Passengers on board SS WATUSSI, 1930/31

 Children on SS Watussi, 1930/31

Children (passengers) on SS WATUSSI, 1930/31

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SS MANELA 1926

SS Manela, 1926

Capt William Barton standing on right with pipe

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SS NYANZA

Officers and crew of SS NYANZA, date unknown

Officers and crew of SS NYANZA, date unknown.

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Captain Barton & colleagues on unidentified steamer/place

Ship's officers
Unidentified steamer and place Crocodile shot when the large paddle wheeler was being freed from floating papyrus

Crocodile shot when the large paddle wheeler was being freed from floating papyrus

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"My mother has often told me how deeply lonely and at times very difficult life was for my grandfather (Capt. Wm Barton), and also my grandmother, especially at times when she was all on her own in places like Pakwach. Exciting, fascinating lives, but also faceted in some stations with loneliness and extremely difficult living conditions & debilitating health facets.

"There were also appalling tragedies. For example, paddles [of the sternwheelers sometimes] got blocked with water reeds and / or papyrus. Men had to get overboard to clear the paddles, and sometimes men were lost to crocodiles which attacked them. Sometimes, the sternwheelers were blocked by enormous floating 'islands' of reeds, that moved about during bad storms on the lakes. Apparently, the men tried to shoot the crocodiles, to protect the men, but apparently sometimes there were so many [crocodiles} that there were tragedies.

"When I was about 13 or 14 my grandfather, Captain Barton, dragged out an entire tin trunk ... brimming with his old photos... and I was given the rather stern instruction to sort through and take all the ones I wanted. There were so many, and my Mother was not particularly charmed at the idea of coping with a whole pile of photos back on train all the way home to Jinja, Uganda ..."

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The back and front of an old EAR&H dinner menu from February 16, 1942

Inside page from menu          Outside cover of menu
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