OUR JOURNEY UP THE UBANGUI 241 



apparently everywhere used. A box of one hundred caps 

 will fetch more than twenty times its cost price. Only flint- 

 lock guns are allowed to be imported, but they are easily 

 converted afterwards ; the natives will not look at one that 

 is not. 



After leaving Buaddo I entered a virgin forest of con- 

 siderable extent which brought to mind recollections of my 

 experience in the tropical forests of Ashanti. 



On entering the forest the first sensation is one of grateful 

 coolness and shade after the glare and heat of the sun and 

 a sudden relief to the eyes as the field of vision becomes 

 restricted, but soon the gloom, that catches no relief from 

 the dark opaque leaves of the trees and heavy masses of 

 pendent creepers, becomes monotonous and oppressive. 



After steady marching till noon, in answer to my question, 

 " Koddero yongolo ? " (" Village far ? ") my guide repHed, 

 "Peppe" ("No"), and soon bunches of poles, which the 

 natives had been cutting for building their huts, told us that 

 we had not much farther to go. Then appeared clusters of 

 banana-trees (a sure sign of a village in the forest), soon to 

 disclose the straw peaks of huts, from which up-curled spires 

 of smoke, showing blue against the dark trees beyond. This 

 was the Leti village of Molegbwe, where I intended to stay 

 and make collections. 



The next morning the chief came to see me, bringing with 

 him some fine bananas and pine-apples. He was accom- 

 panied by his white wi5e who was the fairest woman I ever 

 met. Naturally he was very proud of her and evidently 

 wished to show her ofE as much as possible, for she was quite 

 naked. It would have been interesting to hear her history, 

 11 Q 



