digenes_ are supposed to be very savage here. This of course I
refuse, and tell him to go to sleep by the fire and not be foolish.
However, I notice that both my rifle and gun are loaded and carefully
placed by my bedside. The boys then organise a watch over the baggage,
taking it in turn to act as sentry. On the opposite side of the river is
Bangi, the second most important place in the French Congo, prettily
situated on the side of a hill, and next day we cross in a small canoe.
The journey is interesting and exciting. Below the rapids are many small
whirlpools, and the capita of the canoe takes advantage of these to help
him on his course. Sometimes the water at the upper and sometimes at the
lower edge of the whirlpool is flowing in the direction he wishes to
take and with wonderful dexterity, he turns the bow of the canoe towards
a suitable current. We swing about like a cork and ship a good deal of
water but arrive without mishap on the other side. We call on Mr.
Jacques, the Vice Governor General of the French Congo, who kindly
offers us assistance and a few soldiers to act as sentries and
interpreters when we camp on the French side of the river. Most of these
are Senegalese and are smart looking fellows. The natives here affect a
very elaborate head dress consisting of many coloured beads twisted and
plaited into their hair, the amount of time and patience required by the
barbers being enormous.

It appears that the four French traders, who were massacred a few weeks
ago, had two factories, one close to the river and one further inland.
In the latter was a large stock of arms and ammunition. These were
hastily abandoned and the natives then seized them and attacked the
factory on the river. All four white men were killed and it is feared
that two were first tied to trees and tortured. A punitive expedition
has been sent against the tribe who are now armed with these modern
rifles and the moral of the story is obviously that it is very dangerous
to permit traders to import and sell arms at all.

One night I was awakened and saw the boys dancing excitedly about the
fire and in front of my tent. Having asked the matter, Chikaia, whose
zoological knowledge is very limited, replied _il est la petite bete_.
This sounded like mosquitoes so, having tucked in my net more closely, I
turned round to sleep. A few minutes afterwards, Lord Mountmorres
appeared shouting with pain and mounting a chair in front of my tent
rapi