and our colonies, to find, sturdy, rough, independent characters
behaving with extraordinary meekness and docility. Drunken brawls and
promiscuous revolver shooting are unknown in the Congo, for the simple
reason, that it is impossible up country to procure drink. There are no
drink shanties or gambling dens and indeed no amusements of any kind.
Men work from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., have their dinner and go to bed. Very
little news penetrates from the outside world and conversation is
therefore, limited to the immediate affairs of the individuals
concerned. Small matters thus appear to be far more important than they
really are and the story of any little adventure soon becomes magnified
out of all recognition. This, perhaps, accounts also for some of the
absurd stories of atrocities.

On the last day of the year we reach Leopoldville and are comfortably
installed in the Inspector's house. A kind of fete is held in the
evening and a procession passes with lanterns on poles, but there is
very little singing or noise of any kind and the whole affair is rather
ghostly.

On January 2nd we leave Leopoldville by train and remembering the amount
of the fare coming up, I was careful to reduce my baggage to the
minimum. Of course the food cases were all empty, the wine drunk, the
salt paid away to natives and the petroleum burnt; still for myself,
three boys and excess baggage, the fare for the two hundred miles was
over L25. Just before we left Leopoldville, who should enter the
carriage but Mr. Joseph Clarke, of Ikoko, and another Mr. Clark, who is
also a Missionary. I was very pleased to see them and hear the news from
their side of the question. They were travelling to Maladi to attend a
meeting of missionaries, but to-day only proceeded as far as Kinshassa.
Mr. Clarke told me he had sent to the Commission of Enquiry some new
photographs of the boy without a hand whom he had shown to me at Ikoko
and was convinced that the world would be startled when the report
appeared. All the meetings of the Commission are held in public and
therefore the evidence submitted at them is already known. The
interpretation of this apparently depends upon the already formed
opinion of the individual, for while the State officials say that very
little, if anything, has been proved against the Government, the
Missionaries are quite satisfied that the A.B.I.R. Company will be
severely condemned. Of course no report can possibly satisfy any of the
cont