t but after
half an hour was stopped by an unpleasant palpitation of the heart.
Although the distressing symptom passed away quickly it was obvious it
might occur again and then I realised for the first time that I was very
anaemic and that hard exertion would be impossible for some time. This
was the more annoying for the country around was particularly rich in
game. We leave at sunrise which is, however, concealed by a thick water
mist and speed along until we reach Dzamba or Ekwanga-tana close to the
point where the Likati and Rubi rivers join to form the Itimbiri. Dzamba
is a transit port where cargoes are transhipped from canoes into a small
steamer the _Milz_ which plies between it and Buta the capital of Uele.
As the _Milz_ departed the next day I decided to travel in her and thus
altered my original plan of descending direct to the Congo. The Rubi is
about three times as wide as the Likati and also flows through dense
forest which is only broken here and there by Wood Posts. Although the
water is high and the current strong the _Milz_ which is a twin-screw
steamer, travels well and early on the third day we arrive at Buta. The
Post is being moved and some brick houses have already been built, one
of which is placed at my disposal. After settling in it I call upon
Baron de Rennette, the Commissaire of Uele which is a very important
District for through it runs the path to the Nile and it has frontiers
both to French and English territories. The Lado Enclave, however, is
governed separately by a special official.

One now realises fully the extreme difficulty and expense of transport
across Africa. Take for example a bale of cloth shipped at Brussels and
addressed to Bomokandi. It is very possible that this will be
transhipped at Banana into a lighter which will be towed to Matadi;
secondly it will travel by train to Leopoldville; thirdly by steamer to
Bumba beyond which point the larger vessels do not run; fourthly by
small steamer to Ibembo; fifthly by canoe to Dzamba during which journey
it has to be carried by hand past some rapids; sixthly by the _Milz_ to
Buta and seventhly by hand to Bomokandi. Every basket of rubber and
point of ivory exported and every box of food or bale of cloth imported
is indeed constantly being transhipped and then conveyed by various
methods a few hundred miles on its journey. The example given is by no
means an extreme one, and many others could be traced in almost any
direction. T