738 J/r. A. Henry Savage Landor [May 31, 



of Rafay and Bongasso. These big sultanates in the very heart of 

 Africa were exploited by a French company, at the head of which, 

 was locally Mr. Charles Pierre, an intelligent and business-like man 

 to whom the Society owes to-day its enormous development and 

 flourishing condition. 



The river Mbomu and the river Welle join at a place called 

 Yacoma, and form the river (Jbanghi. The Mbomu and the Ubanghi 

 define the boundary between the French Congo and the Congo Free 

 State. There are innumerable tribes of cannibals on both sides of 

 the river, much too numerous to be even mentioned in this paper. 



I will not enter into the controversy regarding the administration 

 of the Congo Free State. Of the portion of the Belgian Congo 

 which I visited all I can say is that the country is kept in excellent 

 order ; that the natives seem quite happy and well cared for ; and 

 the country, far from being damaged, is greatly improved by the 

 construction of roads, by enormous plantations of rubber, as well as 

 immense plantations of rice, millet, Indian corn, etc., which the 

 natives prefer to receive in payment for the rubber instead of money 

 which is useless to them. Many of the statements popular in this 

 country are grossly exaggerated, if not altogether unfounded. 



The Italian officers employed by the Congo Free State, have 

 done remarkable work in that country. I ever found them loved 

 for their kindly treatment towards the natives. I admired the 

 sensible and moderate way in which they administered justice and 

 ameliorated the agricultural resources of the districts undei* their 

 jurisdiction. 



I had occasion in several places to cross or to go along the route 

 followed by Colonel Marchand on his expedition to Fashoda. Much 

 abuse has been showered on that officer, both in this country and in 

 France ; but it must not be forgotten that, besides the adventurous 

 side of the expedition — a feat of remarkable pluck and endurance 

 — Colonel Marchand and his magnificent officers have left a work of 

 great scientific value in the shape of a large map of marvellous preci- 

 sion of the entire country traversed by them. I had occasion to check 

 some of the observations taken by them at different points of the 

 journey, and I have always found them accurate. 



With about forty carriers I left the Ubanghi on the fifth parallel of 

 latitude north, and marched towards lake Tchad. It was an interesting 

 journey, done at a time of the year during the heavy rains, when 

 marching was not always a pleasure and crossing the swollen streams 

 not easy. We had dealings with many different tribes. Their 

 manners and customs were peculiar. 



In the basin of the Shari river I came across many interesting 

 tribes. Several of the tribes, like the Mandjia and the Sanga, have 

 adopted peculiar ways of decorating, or rather ornamenting, their lips. 

 The women insert a crystal, wooden or bone cone into the lower lip, 

 or else they elongate the lips to an extraordinary extent by inserting 



