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The hospital, the official and the private buildings lie a little 

 distance away from the river ; the city proper, the commercial 

 part, the factories and the negro quarters extend along the bank. 

 A steam tramway, on which officials are allowed a free pass, 

 connects both parts. An experienced guide accompanied us on 

 a tour of inspection of the chief buildings and their internal 

 arrangements : the native hospital, which is built in conformity 

 with all modern hygienic ideas, the barracks, the school, the 

 prison, etc. The latter contains a separate part intended for 

 white men, which consists of thirty single cells of equal size and 

 a common mess-room. This arrangement has proved to be 

 necessary in case it should happen that twenty Europeans should 

 be simultaneously expiating their offences, which for the most 

 part consist in the oppression of the natives. Everything we 

 saw in Boma pointed to practical experience and exemplary 

 method. As we promenaded through the jardin publique next 

 day (Ascension Day) at the hour when the elite of Boma was 

 wont to air itself, we listened to the strains of a negro band 

 and enjoyed hearing many a familiar tune again. 



In the meantime the captain of the Mandingo had telegraphed 

 from Loanda announcing that he would arrive at the mouth of 

 the Congo at noon on the 29th of May. We were to be taken 

 there by the Wall, a small Congo State steamer which plies 

 between Boma and Matadi. The Governor and other gentlemen 

 courteously saw us aboard the Wall, and in glorious weather, 

 with hearts rejoicing, we steamed to the open sea, which we had 

 not seen for a year. 



Sunk in thought, we gradually approached the mouth of the 

 Congo, hardly observing the gradual receding of the river banks 

 and the slowly changing colour of the water, till our attention 

 was aroused to the proximity of the ocean by freshening breezes 

 and an increased pitching of the boat. Then, having drawn 

 abreast of the large islands which lie in the channel and obstruct 

 the view, we saw the ocean at last, stretching blue and limitless 

 before us. The waves were glittering in the sunlight as if 

 they were spangled with gold, and their crests were curling with 



