EXPLORATION OF THE KIBALI 335 



It was at this time I received a letter from Commandant 

 Sarolea at Niangara, gladly accepting my offer to sell him 

 one of the boats for use as a ferry-boat. I found that one 

 boat was now sufficient for my needs, and the Cassiopeia was 

 a bit " done up " ; she had served me well and her record was 

 a good one, the Niger, Benue, Gongola, Yo, Lake Chad, Shari 

 Bamingi, Gribingi, Nunna, Tomi, Ubangui, Welle, Bomakandi, 

 Goruba and Kibali. 



I felt I was now a rich man, for in return, I received a 

 bale of cloth and thirty kilos of salt. But there was one great 

 drawback to the transaction. I had to send Jose and the 

 " boys " to put the boat together at Niangara, which was a 

 serious undertaking as the sections had to be carried practi- 

 cally across country a distance of ten days. 



During Jose's absence I made a collecting-trip in the 

 direction of my previous journey to Magombo. This was 

 to be my last collection. It was an important country, in 

 character unlike any I had worked in before. I felt that 

 if I should succeed with this and Jose return safe, I might 

 then turn my face towards the Nile. Every delay now meant 

 danger to a worn-out constitution that had lost the power 

 to resist. One could only live for the day, and if a week 

 went by without fever or pain, it was a thing to marvel at. 



I made my headquarters at Gudima, close to the river 

 Ira. It was a good locality for collecting, as there was a 

 nice wood bordering the river. At this time of the year my 

 work was confined to such localities, for the open country was 

 impossible owing to the long grass. 



I had not been there very long when I was laid up with a 

 severe attack of dysentery, but after two doses of "Elkossam" 



