STANLEY POOL. 131 
teristic of Borrassine or Hyphcenoid palms, and which adds 
strangely to the grace of the pillar-like stem. 
The vegetation which clothes the shores of these islands 
is rich and pleasing in colour. It is brightened by masses 
of yellow cucurbit flowers, lilac-coloured papilionaceve and 
mauve convolvuli. Beautiful scarlet seed-vessels of a 
Onestis form blazing clusters of gorgeous effect amid the 
tender green foliage. Immense numbers of grey parrots. 
small flocks of them going together, flutter and play about 
HYPHGNE PALMS. 
the tops of the tall trees, whistling and screaming joyously 
all the time, while on the many snagegs that rear their 
withered branches above the waterside, numerous little 
birds have for safety’s sake hung their pendent nests of 
erass, and there is thus a constant twittering and fluttering 
of dainty forms round the gnarled old trunks and whitened 
twigs. 
At one of the many islands, we stopped to eat some 
breakfast. The remainder of the fish presented to me by 
the lady of Kinshasha was re-cooked in a stew with some 
K 2 
