176 A JOURNEY UP THE RIVER CONGO. 
CHAPTER X. 
MSUATA. 
RETURN FROM Botoso—Irmpa—A Buriat SceENE—A.~ VILLAGE 
DECORATED WITH SKULLS — EurHorBIAs — Mpoxngo’ aGAIN— 
MvuKkemo—TuHe OvtTnet or-THE LAwson—JoOIn LIEUTENANT 
JANssEN—Lire at Msuara—Tue Haunt OF, THE ELEPHANT— 
THe Bruue Pianrain Harer—Birps AnD ' Crocoprtes—THE 
Croups—Tue Strorm—A Visit tro -GoprrA—-MAKOLE UNDER 
TREATMENT—A ‘TRAP FoR THE LroparD—HiIs DEATH, 
I LEFT Bolobo, after a few days’ stay, to return to: Msuata, 
the station near the confluence of the Kwa river. - I had 
hoped to pursue my. journey farther up the Congo, but 
with the paucity of men at my disposal, and the somewhat 
turbulent character of the natives, I thought it better not 
to do. so, just at that time, fearing to throw difficulties 
in Mr. Stanley’s path, should I involve myself in an 
altercation with the natives, when he was trusting that 
everything would g0 smoothly, with time, patience, and 
a pacific bearing towards these impulsive Congo tribes. 
I had intended, however, to spend some two months at 
Bolobo, and use it as a centre for collecting and making 
observations on anthropology; but various ‘considerations 
impelled me to prefer Msuata for these ends, especially as 
that spot, from its position, is Just at the meeting-place 
of three interesting races, the Ba-yansi, the Ba-teke, and 
the Wa-bima, while at Bolobo you have merely Ba-yansi. 
Then also, at Bolobo the food supply was scanty and 
variable, whereas at Msuata the commissariat was more 
skilfully managed ; and finally—and perhaps this was the 
reason that most affected my choice—the mosquitoes at 
Bolobo rendered life unbearable, and Msuata, happy place, 
