FAREWELL TO THE CONGO 



There were still two hundred miles to go before 

 i«-hing the Victoria Nyanza, one hundred and sixty of 

 which would have to be covered on foot. 



I found that Mr. Hannington, the collector, was about to 

 leave for home on six months' furlough. Mr. C. S. Sullivan 

 had arrived from Nimule the night before my arrival to 

 take over the charge of the district during Hannington's 

 absence. It seems to me that the officials working in the 

 Nile Province are entitled to an allowance of leave similar 

 to that granted to those on the west coast. The Nile 

 Province is admittedly far more unhealthy than Nairobi, 

 for instance, yet the same conditions prevail as regards 

 " home leave " in both districts. I consider that for 

 reasons of health alone eighteen months is quite the longest 

 period a man should be called upon to serve at a stretch 

 in the low-lying fever country around the Upper Nile or 

 Nile Provinces. 



I well remember the evening when Messrs. Hanning- 

 ton, Sullivan, Maulkinson, and I dined together. The 

 table had been spread on the landing-stage. A large 

 lamp lit up the snowy white table-cloth and etceteras. 

 Afterwards we smoked and chatted over all the news. The 

 moonlit waters danced around us, overhead the stars 

 gleamed brightly, while on either side of us lay the Kenia 

 and the Good Intent ; the former had steam up ready 

 for her journey to Butiaba. The James Martin, heavily 

 laden with askaris and porters, lay anchored close by 

 to be towed by the Kenia. At length the whistle sounded, 

 farewells were taken, the fox terriers that had been 

 accommodated on the roof of the iron awning barked 

 their adieu, and the Kenia glided away down the river 

 towards the lake, leaving Mr. Sullivan and myself as the 

 sole European population of Koba. 



The following morning I told Mr. Sullivan my story, 

 or at least gave him a brief outline of it, which was 

 afterwards corroborated by the boys who had survived. 



247 



