Chap. IV. TRIP TO GOUMBI. 63 



be hoped, in the interests of science, that tlie result 

 of their voyage will soon be made public. 



The Leviathan afterwards . foundered in a squall 

 at the Gaboon, and I was extremely sorry to hear 

 that the loss was not made good to my friend Dr. 

 Touchard by the French Government, but I hope 

 that it has been by this time. 



On July 12tli we started in the steamer for an 

 excursion to Goumbi, about seventy miles up the 

 river, setting at defiance the law of the Commi that 

 no white man (except myself) should ascend the 

 stream. For the first twenty miles we had a stiff 

 breeze ; we had then reached a small village on the 

 left bank where a Portuguese trader, agent for an 

 English house of business, was settled ; there we 

 passed the night. On the 13th w^e started early and 

 reached Goumbi at half-past five p.m. 



The apparition of a steam vessel in these solitary 

 waters put the whole country into a state of excite- 

 ment. The natives came forth in troops from the 

 villages and crowded the banks. Some were stupified ; 

 others, recognising me on the deck as we passed, put 

 out in their canoes and paddled might and main in 

 their attempts to catch us. At the point where the 

 river, in descending from the interior, bends from 

 its westerly course, the banks are high and wooded; 

 here the steamer puffed its way right up to the villages 

 before it was seen, and the frightened natives peeped 

 from the top of the banks and ran away again. 



Old Quengueza was proud of this visit of the white 

 men in their fire-vessel, and turned towards his 

 attendant Bakalai and Ashira with looks of supreme 



