13d4 A JOURNEY UP THE RIVER CONGO. 
a uniform drab and the rain descends for hours, not in 
“bucketsful,” nor in “sheets,” nor in any interesting or 
exceptional manner, but in a steady soaking drizzle with 
little hope of intermission. I have frequently known it 
to rain for twelve hours at a stretch in Tropical Africa, 
and on this particular occasion the rain lasted continously 
for an even longer space of time. 
We repaired ‘to a sandy island, landed, and erected the 
tent. Never had I felt more miserable in Africa. It took 
an hour before the wet wood could be coaxed into a blaze ; 
and as the gloom of evening fell, with its dark mists and 
dismal obscurity, bands of hellish mosquitoes, worthy 
subjects of Beelzebub, king of the flies, swarmed round us, 
rendering it impossible to keep oneself in immobility. 
The poor Zanzibaris went stamping about on the sand and 
swearing in a meek way. -As for me, I hastily swallowed ~ 
some soup aud a timely nip of brandy, and sought refuge 
in bed beneath my mosquito-curtains. Here, amid damp 
rags and clammy coverings, I passed a miserable night, 
fichting the hosts of mosquitoes that managed somehow to 
penetrate my muslin “ moustiquaire.” 
The next morning I arose, feverish and ill. After a 
little hot soup, however, and some coffee, I began to feel 
better and to forget the dismal impressions of yesterday. 
And here I would pause to recommend to all intending 
African travellers the desirability of taking nourishment 
as soon after rising in the morning as possible. It is an 
excellent plan to save some of the soup or bouillon of the 
night before, and have it heated in the early morning, and 
drink it before leaving the tent. ‘So much ill-health is 
incurred in Africa by carelessness as to nourishment, and 
by what is still more idiotic, an idea that it is more heroic 
to conduct yourself like a martyr, undergo long periods of 
fasting, and generally pay little attention to how much 
or how often you eat and drink. On the contrary, the 
whole question of success in Africa depends on regularly 
and amply nourishing the body with as good food as can 
be got. Let nothing, if you can help it, interfere with 
your meals: eat whenever you are hungry and abstain 
Lm entlasiaeGnilnscidiipa amin 
