16 A JOURNEY UP THE RIVER CONGO. - 
little peninsula of sand, which on one side is lashed by 
the breakers of the Atlantic, and on the other meets the 
brunt of the mighty Congo. Its existence is only saved 
or prolonged by rows of stakes driven into the shore, 
while the beach is raised and fortified by masses of large 
stones. Why such an unmeaning name was given to this 
sandy promontory by the Dutch, ‘who first christened it, I 
do not know; certainly it is no longer applicable, for not 
a banana is to be seen erowing there. How ever, the name 
sticks to it, and is known far and wide now, for Banana is 
an important settlement, and is likely to become go in the 
future development of the Congo, on account of being the 
only good and safe harbour at its mouth. On this narrow 
strip of land, where space is as valuable as in some civilized 
cities, there are three separate factories of which that 
belonging to the Dutch Company is by far the largest and 
most important. On the ground occupied by this estab- 
lishment many handsome palms are planted, to aid with 
their roots in keeping the loose soil together. Where the 
peninsula is joined to the mainland it is all overgrown 
with giant mangroves and is very marshy in character, 
being to all intents and purposes an island, for it is im- 
possible to reach the high ground beyond, otherwise than 
by water. On the inner side of the little promontory is a 
deep and capacious inlet of the Congo, where there is 
room for a whole navy to be moored. Here ships of 
the greatest size can be anchored within fifty yards, of 
the shore. 
The Dutch trading company of the Nieuwe Afri- 
kaansche Handels Genootschap, occupies nearly half 
Banana Point, and its site is healthy, for the narrowing 
strip of land is swept by the sea breezes, and all the 
washed-up refuse of the shore, together with the garbage 
thrown. out of the houses, is soon gobbled up by the scapu- 
lated crows. These useful birds are wisely protected at 
Banana, and are in consequence very tame, assembling in 
numbers on the sandy shore to demolish and consume > all 
putrefying matter that the land-crabs are too slow to eat. 
The Dutch establishment is very large, and the white 
