caused me to change my plans
again. While still at Buta Mgr. Derikx arrived. He was on a tour of his
diocese and expected to be travelling for a year. I was very pleased to
see him and was bound to confess that all he had told me of the Congo on
the voyage out was strictly accurate. Having recovered from the fever
and on the recommendation of Baron de Bennette, commenced a course of
arseniate of soda, I left Buta on November 28th in the _Milz_. The small
steamer rapidly descended the river for the water was now falling
rapidly. Many crocodiles had ascended this small river to lay their eggs
and were lying on sandbanks but we travelled so quickly that it was
impossible to shoot them. Near Buta is one of the villages constructed
for and by old soldiers and, like the rest of these institutions, this
one is very well arranged and kept forming a striking contrast to the
ordinary native village. It is indeed extraordinary how the savage can
be changed into a civilised being by a few years of military discipline.

I reach Dzamba again on the 29th and continue the journey in canoe on
the next day. The current is running swiftly down the Itimbiri and after
an hour we arrive at a rapid and march through the forest while the
canoe descends without passengers. The river winds here very much so
that although the current is very strong it is more than an hour before
the canoe arrives at the village, which we reached walking, in about
twenty-minutes. The journey up is very slow and tedious for the baggage
has to be carried by hand along this short cut through the forest. It
is therefore proposed to build a light railway to relieve the native of
this task.

I reach Ibembo on the 30th and am met by Lieutenant Francois, the Chef
du Poste. It is a large station with a big mess for many travellers are
continually passing through. On this date three hundred and fifty
soldiers with their officers were marching through with the object of
occupying Enguetra and its district until the Sultan becomes a little
more reasonable. It is very difficult for the troops to avoid ambuscades
in the forest. They march in a hollow square formation with the women,
who carry much of the baggage, in the centre. Each soldier carries a
knife and literally cuts his way through the undergrowth. If the head,
flanks or rear of the square is attacked the men close up and meet the
enemy with a steady fire for they always march with the rifle loaded.
Progress is natur