FROM THE SHARI TO THE UBANGUI 209 



with some difficulty to navigate them in small steamers that 

 draw 2 ft. They are evidently formed by the same rocky 

 stratum which causes the rapids on the Bamingi. Sixty 

 miles higher up, the river narrows to thirty yards, becom- 

 ing tortuous with sometimes steep-cut banks. The bush 

 tree with red berries, like that found on the Bamingi, lines 

 its banks, and in places the spreading branches reduce the 

 width of the passage to five yards. Farther, about one hun- 

 dred miles below Fort Crampel, the country becomes more 

 undulating, accentuated by little wooded hills of rock and 

 red earth that sometimes abut on the river. 



The ascending of the Gribingi, some two hundred and 

 thirty miles in length, proved a difficult task, and the passage 

 of the rapid near the mouth was nearly disastrous to one of 

 the boats, which was carried down by the force of the current 

 under the overhanging branches of the trees, the men being 

 swept off into the water and the boat nearly capsized. 

 Poling was impossible owing to the depth, and paddles had 

 to be used ; sometimes we helped ourselves along by the 

 overhanging branches. It can be imagined how slow and 

 tedious was our progress, we seldom made more than a mile 

 an hour. Often camp had to be pitched in the pouring rain 

 in swampy forests of long grass, 12 ft. high, but it was 

 wonderful how a few camp fires transformed these evil- 

 looking places. Our Sara polers, who were naked, spent a 

 miserable time crouching by the fires all night, preyed on by 

 mosquitoes. Yet in spite of it all and the fact that they had 

 hardly enough food to keep body and soul together, they did 

 their eleven hours a day of paddling cheerfully. 



The rains had now reached their culminating-point ; 



II o 



