Our Last "Safari" 



might be expected, caused us much tribulation and gnashing 

 of teeth, for our goods and chattels not being adjusted to 

 meet this topsj-tuny method of carriage, suffered 

 accordingly. 



Some of these little devils took it into their heads to 

 nm away the day after we left Irumu, thus causing a further 

 delay until others could be obtained. Whilst this was 

 being done we put up in a rest-house on the Ituri River. 

 The river at this crossing is about one hundred yards broad 

 and forms the division between the long grass country of 

 the plateau and the dense forest of the lower Itrui basin. 



When the runaways were replaced therefore, we once 

 more plunged into the great forest, which was to continue 

 without break for the remainder of our journey. 



As the season of the big rains was commencing, heavy 

 afternoon storms were our lot as we made our way through 

 the damp forest, the discomforts of travelling at this season 

 being mitigated, however, by numerous rest-houses en route, 

 built by the order of the Government for the use of their 

 officials. 



Comparatively speaking — with the exception of the 

 Glossina palpalis, the carrier of sleeping-sickness, in the 

 neighbourhood of the rivers — insect pests are not too ob- 

 trusive in the central Ituri forest. Owing to its good 

 drainage and lack of marshes, mosquitoes are infrequent ; 

 that dangerous, grey, night-feeding tick (known colloquially 

 in the Congo as the kimputu), which has become such a 

 scourge elsewhere in Africa as the carrier of the dreaded 

 relapsing or spirillum fever, is non-existent ; the white ants 

 are small and not often met with, and there are few if any 

 jigger fleas (the bane of the porter) away from the white 



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