27G JOURNEY THROUGH ISHOGO-LAND. Chap. XIV. 



of the river show signs of a very considerable popu- 

 lation ; for about a mile on each side the valley is full 

 of plantations both new and old ; the most extensive 

 plantations of ground-nuts I ever saw in Africa are 

 found here — they extend along the slopes of the 

 banks of the river for miles. I once thought a small 

 steamer might reach this place from above the Samba 

 Nagoshi Falls, but I was told on my return journey 

 that there was an obstruction in the shape of rapids 

 a few miles below Yengue. By taking the meridian 

 altitude of two stars, I found the latitude of Yengue 

 to be 2° 0' 49" S. I could not take lunar distances 

 to determine the longitude, as the sky was constantly 

 covered with a leaden veil of cloud at night. The 

 altitude above the sea-level is 369 feet ; this seems 

 a low elevation, but Yengue lies in a valley much 

 depressed below the general level of the country. 

 The river flows through a most beautiful country, 

 and is the largest feeder of the Rembo Ngouyai above 

 the Falls, that I have seen. 



June 16th. This morning, whilst making prepara- 

 tions for the continuation of our journey, a deputation 

 arrived from an Apono village some miles south of 

 Yengue, the chief of which was a brother of Kombila, 

 bringing us an invitation to visit it on our way. The 

 chief promised to take us from his village to the 

 Ashango country. I declined the offer, as the route 

 would have taken me too far south, and I had already 

 diverged more towards the south than I had in- 

 tended. 



The Yengue people were afraid I should take their 

 canoes by force to cross the Ogoulou, and when I was 



