138 Land Magnetic Observations, 1914-20 



disposal by M. Beau, agent of the trading company. The distance by river from Nola to 

 Ouesso, where we arrived November 1, is about 200 miles. On this stretch of the river 

 the tsetse are numerous enough to be unpleasant. Both Carnot and Bania have many 

 cases of sleeping sickness, but strange to say they have very few flies, while from Nola 

 to Ouesso and thence to the Congo, the tsetse flies are found in great numbers, while 

 cases of sleeping sickness are comparatively few. The river from Carnot southward 

 is heavily wooded along its banks and at Bania enters the great equatorial forest. It 

 flows through hilly country as far as Bayanga, after which the forest is generally flat. 

 Villages are quite numerous, and are usually found on high banks overlooking the river. 

 At Ouesso, the end of the southern journey, every possible courtesy was extended by 

 M. Bruere, the Administrator. Two trading stores enable the traveler to provision 

 himself well for the bush. The trip from Ouesso to Bonga at the confluence of the Congo 

 and Sanga, about 250 miles to the south, was abandoned as the monthly steamer to 

 Brazzaville had left 2 days prior to my arrival, and a return journey by canoe would 

 have consumed too much time. 



The westward journey across the south Cameroun was commenced on November 

 26, a small trading steamer taking the party to Ngoila on the Ngoko River about 100 

 miles west of Ouesso. There the overland journey to Abong-Mbang was commenced, 

 the route leading by way of Sembe, Souanke, and Lonie\ This is the most direct route. 

 The other main route from Moloundou (70 miles west of Ouesso) first runs north for 

 9 days to Youkaduma and thence turns westward to Doumie and Abong-Mbang. 



Leaving Ngoila on November 30, Semb6 was reached the next day, after a march 

 through a thick forest. An escort was supplied in this district as a protection against 

 the remarkably large and ferocious gorillas which kill a number of nat : ves on the main 

 forest paths every month. There is a government post and a trading factory at both 

 Ngoila and at Sembe\ A further march of 2 l A days on a good road leading through the 

 same thick forest, with frequent villages, was sufficient to reach the post of Souanke. 

 Leaving Souanke the road turns north to the old German post of Eta, on the original 

 Cameroun-Middle Congo frontier, a native track leading over thickly forested hills and 

 unbridged torrents. The hills are very steep, and the overhanging vegetation is too low 

 to permit the use of a chair. From Eta onward the road is much better, though the fa- 

 vorite form of bridge in this region is a tree or a few sticks, usually half rotted through. 

 At almost every village the chiefs and headmen speak pidgin-English, so that an inter- 

 preter is not necessary. In all the coastal area the natives speak English, and at every 

 village as far north as Tibati I was able to use English also all the way to Garoua, but 

 beyond an interpreter was necessary. In the new Cameroun, French is spoken by many 

 natives, hence an escort of native tirailleurs taken from post to post is very useful in 

 dealing with the natives. 



From Souanke to Lomie is a journey of 5^ days; villages are not numerous on 

 this route, and there are frequent stages of 6 or 7 hours of forest without anything to 

 break the monotony. The Dja River is crossed at Nkul by ferry on the fourth day. 

 One marches in deep shadow even at noon, and thus travel is not fatiguing and long 

 stages are feasible. The dry season had now set in, cloudy days giving way to cool, 

 starry nights, with thick mists lasting until 8 or 9 a. m. 



At Lomi6 the government post, Fort Niger, is pleasantly situated on a hilltop 

 overlooking rolling forest country. There are several trading factories, but as they cater 

 to the natives, the European has small chance of obtaining supplies. 



A march of 4 days, further north, over pleasant forest country with numerous 

 villages, brings one to Abong-Mbang. The road is in very good repair and crosses the 

 many clear streams by small wooden bridges. Nearing Abong-Mbang it leaves the hills 

 and runs down on to a swampy plain. The old German post, at present deserted, is a 



