Chap. I. DIFFICULTY IN OBTAINING A PASSAGE. 3 



intimate friends. I was resolved, however, that if 

 the achievement of this splendid feat should be denied 

 me, I would spare no eftbrt in advancing as far to- 

 wards the east as was practicable, and in obtaining 

 accurate information regarding those portions of the 

 country which I might be able to explore. 



There is no direct trade between England — or, 

 indeed, between any part of Europe or America — and 

 the Fernand Yaz, and this gave rise to the chief 

 difficulty I had to encounter at the outset. How was 

 I to get there ? My outfit was too large to think of 

 transhipping it from one port to another. I must 

 here remind my readers that the mouth of the Fer- 

 nand Yaz lies about 110 miles to the south of the 

 Gaboon, which is the principal centre of trade in 

 Western Equatorial Africa. What little trade there 

 is is carried on by native boats, which pass from the 

 Gaboon to the negro villages on the banks of the 

 Fernand Yaz, by way of the narrow channels of the 

 delta of the Ogobai River, thus avoiding the detour 

 round Cape Lopez. The negro tribes of the Fernand 

 Yaz have never had much communication with the 

 white man ; there is no permanent trading settlement 

 there, although sometimes the captain of a ship may 

 come with his vessel and put up a factory for a short 

 time ; indeed, I must add that I was the first to ascend 

 the river and make known its geography, its in- 

 habitants, and its productions. I chose this river as 

 the starting-point of my new exploration because I 

 was already well known to the inhabitants of its 

 banks, through my long previous residence amongst 

 them ; they loved me, and my life was safe in their 



B 2 



