OUR JOURNEY UP THE UBANGUI 229 



more than an acre in extent and cultivated by the natives 

 for maize and rogo; they were completely concealed by the 

 tall grass that walled them in, and were safeguarded in this 

 way from the natives of the interior who sometimes raid the 

 crops of the river people. 



The rogo is excellent eating ; in appearance and quality it 

 is like the yam. After the rind has been peeled off it is soaked 

 for three days in water (without this precaution the food is 

 poisonous), and then spread out in the sun till it becomes 

 quite hard and brittle, when it is ready for pounding. 



The scenery of these hills is exceedingly pretty, as I had 

 plenty of time to observe, wending my way slowly up the little 

 water-courses where the banks are smothered in thick bushes 

 and creepers that clamber up the ravines. Sometimes when 

 I stood still to watch the birds flit across my path I heard a 

 nightingale singing in the depths of the thicket, but its song 

 sounded much fainter than in the woods at home ; or my 

 attention was attracted by a squirrel in the tree-tops 

 " chucking " angry protest against my intrusion. Higher 

 up in the ravines, parturiunt monies ! the rocks tumble over 

 themselves to mark the source of springs where tiny tricklings 

 of water ooze out and drop lazily from stone to stone. Once 

 the noise of my feet slipping on the mosses startled out of 

 their sleep a pair of nightjars which I at once perceived were 

 new to me, so when they had settled again I took off my 

 shoes and stalked them, luckily obtaining both birds. This 

 nightjar proved afterwards to be new to science, and I named 

 it Gafrimulgus goslingi in memory of Gosling. 



Whenever I shot a rare bird my satisfaction was shared 

 by my boy who always received a " dash " in celebration of 



