Chap. IV. PASSAGE OF THE HILLS TO OLENDA. 85 



to shift my hut to a higher position, and the point 

 of land on which I was encamped, with its beach 

 of white sand, became an isLind. By a series of 

 observations I found the river-level at Obindji to be 

 fifty-four feet above the sea-level. I made many 

 additions to my collections during my stay here. 

 Insects were not numerous, but some of the lepidop- 

 tera, attracted to the moist sand at the edge of the 

 water, and floating about the flowering bushes on 

 the skirts of the forest, were very beautiful. Some 

 of the butterflies (Bomaleosoma) were magnificent, 

 with their green and black wings ornamented be- 

 neath with patches of crimson and yellow. These 

 flew very swiftly, and were difticult to capture. 

 Birds were scarce. I hunted in vain for the Musci- 

 lieta DucJiaillui, of which I had only shot one speci- 

 men in my fonner journey. 



The porters at length returned, and the remaining 

 loads having been cleared off, Quengueza and I 

 departed from Obindji on the 17th November. 

 Paddling up the Ofoubou, we saw a very young cro- 

 codile sunning itself on a log. One of our boys im- 

 mediately swam off" to seize it, but, just as he was 

 about to grasp it by the neck, the reptile slid off and 

 disappeared. It took us three hours and a half to 

 reach the landing-place, Djali Coudie. Here we 

 slept, and commenced our march the next morning 

 (18th) at day-break. At a quarter-past eight we 

 reached a steep hill, Nomba Rigoubou (oG9 feet), at 

 the summit of which we stopped for breakfast. Then, 

 resuming our march, we arrived at four p.m. at the 

 base of a hill, called Ecourou, where we stopped for 



