368 TiMEHRI. 



through the forest in mule carts, is, that the roads stand 

 the traffic well, and not being cut very wide open, do not 

 admit enough sunlight to allow of the too rapid growth 

 of all kinds of bush ropes and creepers and small trees, 

 which might render the maintenance of the pathway a 

 matter of even very small extra expense after its first 

 constru6lion. 



There is unfortunately no rich leisured class in the 

 colony who from pure love of adventure and travel 

 would add to the general knowledge of the interior of 

 the country by carefully chosen spheres for exploration. 

 The only leisured classes are by a curious anomaly the 

 black labourers and the bucks; the former enjoy their 

 cessation from toil at the beginning and end of every 

 week, while the latter appear to maintain an unending 

 indefinite holiday, and nothing can be expefted from 

 either of these classes to add to the small amount of 

 information at the disposal of the traveller. All must 

 be done either by Government or private enterprise. 

 For private enterprise the Steamer Contra6lors must be 

 commended for the way in which they have helped to 

 facilitate access to the interior, so far as their steamers 

 have, up to the present, been able to penetrate, as in- 

 stanced by the large number of voyages made by their 

 boats over and above the number required by the terms of 

 their contract. In this, of course, business acumen has 

 pointed out how very much to the advantage of the Con- 

 tra6lors the increased though unsubsidized steam service 

 would be. There is, however, a far wider field yet 

 before them and there is also scope for the energies and 

 capital of any one who may in the future secure the 

 right to navigate the higher still-water reaches of the 



