e, 141.9 
CHAPTER VIII. 
STANLEY POOL TO THE KWA RIVER. 
Native Canors—ButTtTerFruirs—IFLora AND Fauna oF THE RIVER- 
BANKS— BANANA-COOKING—NGuri— Narrow I[iscAPpE FROM A 
Hirvorotamus—THr Birps—THE Native Dogs—LIEvUTENANT 
J ANSSEN—MsuaTA—A -BAYANSI VILLAGE—NATIVE HAIRDRESS- 
ING—PersonaL Decoration—A Sacred ‘lREE—Mysrertious 
SLAVES. 
SOME extracts from the diary kept during my fortnight’s 
voyage up the river beyond Stanley Pool will perhaps 
most exactly give the impressions made on me at the 
time by the aspect of things on the Upper Congo. 
february 25rd, 1883.—I rose early, as soon as the least 
diffusion of cold light was ebservable, and left my bed and 
tent precipitately. The mosquitoes rendered one’s toilet a 
maddening torture, and I was thankful to repair to the 
boat and eat some fried bananas there over a pleasant 
book. As we left the great expansion of the Pool and 
entered the narrower Congo, the forest scenery became 
extravagantly rich, and many vegetable wonders were 
displayed before our eyes. Farther on, the face of this 
wild African nature has a little changed. On the north, 
or more properly on the western, bank, the high wooded 
hills continue, but along the other side stretches flat and 
sandy woodland, with occasional tiny rills of delicious 
water that is much piererable to that of the Congo for 
drinking purposes. A little while before sunset, we 
suddenly see some native canoes approaching, heavily 
loaded with goods. There is now some hope ot fresh food, 
and my threatened régime of tinned provisions will be 
averted. As the boat rounds a little spit of sand, we come 
