Homeward Bound 265 



cepting the misfortunes that overtook Raven and Weiss, scarcely 

 one fell seriously ill — that is, sufficiently so to be confined to bed 

 for any time. Slight attacks of malaria, dysentery and fever 

 occurred at times, but were of an entirely harmless nature. I, 

 personally, escaped all sickness. The only one who suffered a 

 violent malarial crisis was Sergeant Czeczatka. In his case the 

 fever assumed a very threatening character. He, however, was 

 also the only one who, as he himself confessed, did not keep 

 strictly to the Koch malaria prophylactic, as we had done, viz., 

 one gramme every seventh and eighth day. 



We had to devote our two days' stay at Basoko entirely to 

 the wearisome work of packing. Our special investigation work 

 was concluded, and all our apparatus and the latest collections 

 we had acquired during the journey down the Aruwimi had to be 

 packed in such a way that they could be confided with an easy 

 mind to the hold of the Flandre, and then consigned to a for- 

 warding agent at Leopoldville for transhipment to Europe. 

 When the last chest had been securely nailed down and duly 

 marked, and had vanished into the bowels of the Flandre we all 

 breathed freely once more, and had a feeling of holiday gaiety 

 when we stepped aboard the ship, which awaited our departure 

 on the 14th of May. 



The Flandre is not a particularly fine vessel externally, any 



more than the other steamers which navigate the upper Congo. 



She is similar in type to the Delivrance, but is far larger, and 



is driven by two stern-wheels. Suitability for the v,'ork required 



was made the sole consideration in constructing all the steamers. 



The difficult conditions ruling the waters of the Congo, the 



numerous shoals which shift from time to time, etc., have to be 



taken into account, so that the boats are given the smallest 



draught possible. Thus in order that the cubic space may not 



be diminished, a proportionate breadth and a high superstructure 



have to be allowed. The resultant structure has not anything 



very shiplike about it. The comfort and convenience of the 



interior arrangements, however, soon reconciled us to a lack of 



mere external finish. These vessels have two superposed decks, 

 2 I 



