STANLEY FALLS 251 



Formerly the only way to go from Ponthiervllle 

 to the lower naviorable waters of the Conofo was to 

 go in canoes down Stanley Falls, a long series of 

 cataracts, which begin at Ponthierville and extend 

 for about 120 miles to Stanleyville. It was a tire- 

 some journey, as there were four or five places where 

 the canoes could not descend, and baggage had to 

 be transported overland, and there was always a 

 chance of being shipwrecked. Nowadays, since the 

 year 1906, there is a line of railway from Stanley- 

 ville to Ponthierville which cuts straight across the 

 bend of the falls, and the journey of eighty miles is 

 accomplished in about six hours. The line is almost 

 straight, and it passes through magnificent forest. 

 The terminus is on the left bank of the river, oppo- 

 site to Stanleyville, to which place we crossed in 

 canoes. The river there is very narrow, less than a 

 mile across, and the current is very strong. The 

 falls end about two miles above Stanleyville, and 

 the sound of them at night is like the sound of 

 the sea, and is very pleasant to hear. We were re- 

 ceived by the Commissaire-General of the Province, 

 M. Sillye, and his wife, who entertained us most 

 hospitably during the few days that we stayed there. 



Stanleyville is the most important place in the 

 Upper Congo, and it is comparable in many ways 

 with Entebbe, though it falls very far behind that 

 place in one important respect. Whereas at Entebbe 

 one of the most characteristic features of the place 

 is the great number of native and Indian traders, 



