leasant. Palms are
abundant and the _parasol_. tree very common. Overhead are pigeons, a few
ducks and, as usual, thousands of parrots. I shot a few either for the
larder or for their skins all of which fell in the dense undergrowth.
Without a retriever these were no doubt difficult to find but it was
curious that the birds with beautiful feathers and indifferent flesh
were always picked up while the ducks and pigeons usually could not be
found. All the porters returned along this path the next day and perhaps
were then more successful and enjoyed the game which would not be harmed
by hanging for a day in a tree. The road is a good one being sometimes
five or six feet wide and most of the marshes and streams are crossed by
rude wooden bridges formed by trunks of trees laid parallel to each
other.

[Illustration: WARRIORS AT DJABIR.]

Most of the way is up a gentle incline for we are now passing over the
ridge which separates the watersheds of the Ubangi and the Congo. At
intervals along the road are small clearings in some of which are
capitas armed with cap-guns to protect the rubber caravans from
thieves. About midday we reach Kaki-kaki, a clearing in the forest in
which is a mud house for the use of white men passing through and here I
call a halt for we have marched about twelve or thirteen miles.

On again next morning at daybreak the path continuing through the
forest, and as it is quite cold at this hour and the exercise is
pleasant we march briskly only stopping to shoot occasionally. After
leaving Kaki-kaki the streams flow south instead of north which shows
that after fighting our way up rivers for four months we have now
reached the highest point of our journey and are at length going down
hill.

It is indeed a great relief to think that instead of struggling up
rapids, when next we take to canoes we shall be whirled rapidly down
stream. There is, however, nothing like a mountain or even a
considerable hill in this part of Uele. After an hour or two the forest
ends and we cross a plain covered with grass only four to six feet high
on which clumps of trees and bushes are dotted about. On every side are
traces of elephant, antelope and wild cattle but the sun is now high on
his brilliant course and only man is foolish enough to work in the day
time in Central Africa. It is indeed very hot marching for there is no
shade and it is necessary to change the gun for the umbrella. In another
hour we reach the str