African Buffalo Shooting. 165 



pocket I did about the most unwise act of my life, 

 and wrote to the Committee in Brussels, enclosing a 

 copy of L.'s letter, and also to General G. (then 

 Administrator on the Congo) in similar terms, and as 

 a French vessel was to start the next day, and the 

 captain very kindly offered me a passage, I embarked. 

 The craft was slow, full of cockroaches so full that 

 to go to sleep below was impossible and the so-called 

 pilot, a West Indian nigger, knew nothing of the 

 channels, so we grounded frequently, and instead of 

 being five days at the most to Lakoja, we were nine, 

 and I had the pleasure of seeing the fine passenger 

 vessel of the Niger Company, which started four days 

 after us, and for which I in my eagerness would not 

 wait, pass us. I slept on my trestle cot on deck ; we 

 had constant showers and I was more or less wet the 

 whole way. What I should have done for food even, I 

 do not know, had I not fortunately had some of Barrie's 

 Madras currie-paste with me. This condiment would 

 cause even an old shoe to become somewhat less 

 indigestible than it otherwise would be. They had a 

 few chickens and rice on board, and I soon taught the 

 man who did duty for a cook to prepare me some- 

 thing more palatable than eternal preserved meats, 

 not too fresh of their kind. As we anchored, I saw a 

 launch with the steam up ; I hastened on board to 

 find that she was about to start for Bida in half an 

 hour, so I hurried back, got my impedimenta and three 

 pointers on board, and off we went. The scenery in 

 the Lower Niger is decidedly flat, but as you ascend 

 the banks are clothed with the richest verdure, 

 and splendid vegetation lines the shore. Of animal 

 life you see very little ; egrets and storks are about 



