FAREWELL TO THE CONGO 



those who have experienced a day in the equatorial 

 climate without a drop from sunrise until late in the 

 afternoon can possibly understand my sensations. 



Salem again turned his attention to the wound, and 

 after he had washed it afresh I was able to proceed to 

 the village half-a-mile away. I walked ahead of the 

 crowd. Then came the chief and my boys, who had 

 been relieved of the remaining loads by many willing 

 hands. All were laughing. The natives pressed forward 

 talking excitedly, laughing and shouting. Some of them 

 twanged their queer stringed instruments merrily. Clouds 

 of dust shot up from under the naked feet of the crowd 

 that followed behind me. Every one spoke at once, no one 

 seemed to listen. There was a babel of voices, so much 

 so that I had difficulty in making Monica understand 

 that I wanted my pipe and tobacco that he was carrying. 



On reaching the centre of the village, I stopped, and 

 the boys brought up the few loads that remained to me. 

 For some little time I sat down smoking and holding a 

 meeting with the chief Naramba and his counsellors, 

 for I wished to ascertain the names of chiefs in the 

 country through which we had just travelled, for future 

 reference. 



Naramba had food brought to me, chickens and a few 

 eggs, potatoes, etc. I had fortunately a little salt in the 

 bucket, and although it was mixed up with the condensed 

 milk that had been smashed in the fray, I took out the 

 fork, rice, cup, and plate and let the chief scrape the 

 bucket, which he did, and I think he enjoyed the jumble 

 of condensed milk, salt, and a little rice ; it was amusing 

 to watch him scraping it out with a small piece of stick 

 and licking away like a child at an ice-cream stall. When 

 he had had enough, a general scramble took place for 

 what was left. The piece of stick was handed round 

 and sucked by one and all. 



After a brief visit, in spite of Naramba's advice to 



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