252 In the Heart of Africa 



gesticulating till they found their own. We endeavoured to 

 bring order into the chaos, but our efforts only had a contrary 

 effect. As everyone was shouting at once, nobody could make 

 himself heard. At last the coil was disentangled bit by bit ; 

 we were given our course, and, accompanied by the lusty singing 

 of the entire crews, our little fleet sailed out on its voyage. 

 Signalling brief farewells to our friends on the receding shore, 

 we turned our eyes to the front and started on the last stretch 

 of our journey. 



The type of boat we used was the common dug-out canoe. 

 The craft were of greater length than usual, however, and in 

 addition to Europeans, boys and Askaris, they bore twenty 

 loads and as many oarsmen, who were posted in the yacht- 

 shaped, cut-away bows. These men were recruited from the 

 Wabudu and Wangilima tribes — fine men, whose splendid dis- 

 play of muscle afforded evidence of perfect training. Their 

 naked bodies shone with grease. They wore caps on their heads 

 made from the long-haired skins of apes, or tightly-fitting 

 bonnets smeared with grease and camwood — something like those 

 used by our ladies at home when bathing. 



Bending down low, the baharia (rowers) dipped their finely- 

 carved, copper-decorated paddles deep into the water, pulling 

 them out again with a peculiar rapid jerk which made the canoe 

 vibrate a little. The men are excellent, hardy river boatmen, 

 who, with some encouragement, will persevere untiringly for 

 hours at their work. Whilst paddling they usually sing melodi- 

 ously and with a purity and harmony of tone that I have seldom 

 met with elsewhere. 



We all found this agreeable mode of travelling an indescrib- 

 able relief after our exhausting marches through the primeval 

 forest. Lounging in dolce far niente style, stretched on a com- 

 fortable chair under the protecting awning, we saw most luxuriant 

 sylvan scenery pass before us in an ever-changing panorama. 

 One might have characterised this kind of voyaging as quite 

 ideal had not the troublesome rapids ever and anon broken the 

 sweet enchantment. Where the river is wide — in some places 



