AFRICAN CAMP FIRES 



fortable syllables with everybody who happened 

 along. Mrs. Breemen worked industriously on 

 some kind of feminine gear, and explained to all 

 and sundry that she travelled "to see de sceenery 

 wid my hoosband." 



Also in this group was a small, wiry German 

 Doctor who had lived for many years in the far 

 interior of Africa, and was now returning after his 

 vacation. He was a little man, bright-eyed and 

 keen, with a clear complexion and hard flesh, in 

 striking and agreeable contrast to most of his 

 compatriots. The latter were trying to drink all 

 the beer on the ship; but as she had been stocked 

 for an eighty-day voyage, of which this was but the 

 second week, they were not making noticeable 

 headway. However, they did not seem to be easily 

 discouraged. The Herr Doktor was most polite 

 and attentive, but as we did not talk German nor 

 much Swahili; and he had neither English nor much 

 French, we had our difficulties. I have heard Billy 

 in talking to him scatter fragments of these four 

 languages through a single sentence! 



For several days we drifted down a warm flat sea. 

 Then one morning we came on deck to find ourselves 

 close aboard a number of volcanic islands. They 

 were composed entirely of red and dark purple lava 

 blocks, rugged, quite without vegetation save for 



40 



