1882.J Geography and Travels. 929 



Two or three days journey from Franceville, the nature of the 

 country changes. To the clayey soil of the Ogowe basin and its 

 richly wooded and moist valleys succeeds a sandy, arid, and hilly 

 country, with here and there, in the neighbourhood of a viliage, 

 a group of palm trees. This is the aspect of the country which 

 forms the water shed between the Ogowe and the tributaries of 

 the Upper Congo; and it is a singular fact that these narrow 

 sandy tracts of country, along the water's bed, are everywhere 

 inhabited by one and the same tribe, the Bateke, reputed, proba- 

 bly erroneously, to be cannibals. When he had passed the Le- 

 keti, a southern branch of the Alima, his route lay across the 

 plateau of the Achicuya, an elevated district lying about 2600 

 feet above the sea-level, and separated from another similar 

 plsfteau (the Aborha) by the River Mpama. The chief of the 

 Achicuya received M. de Brazza in a friendly manner, and a sim- 

 lar reception awaited him on reaching the Aboma tribe. These 

 latter are a fine race of people, handsomer and braver than any he 

 had yet met with. It was here that M de Brazza first received definite 

 information regarding the Congo and the powerful chief Makoko, 

 whose sovereignty the Aboma acknowledge. Leaving their dis- 

 trict, the party next travelled along the Lefini River — the Lawson 

 of Mr. Stanley. M. de Brazza had just finished constructing a 

 raft for the navigation of the stream, when a messenger from King 

 Makoko arrived with offers of friendship. This much facilitated his 

 further proceedings. He descended the Lefini with the envoy as 

 far as Nyampo, leaving there the raft and journeying by land for 

 two days across an uninhabited table-land. His march over a 

 sun-scorched plateau was most wearisome, and he was beginning 

 to find fault with his guide, when at 11 o'clock at night, after a 

 forced march, he came in sight of the Congo. It appeared like 

 an immense sheet of water, the silvery sheen of which contrasted 

 with the sombre hue of the loftv mountains around. Towards 

 the north-east the water-line extended to the horizon, and the 

 river swept in a noiseless, slow current past the foot of the hills 

 beneath him. 



From here he visited Makoko, who gave him a most friendly 

 reception, and entertained him for twenty-five days. A treaty was 

 finally concluded by which the king placed his states under the 

 protection of France, and ceded a tract of country, to be selected 

 by M. de Brazza, on the shores of the Congo. Another treaty 

 was also arranged with the Ubanji, who appear to occupy the 

 region between the Alima and Stanley Tool. The second French 

 station was placed at Ntamo, on the left bank of Stanley Pool, 

 which M. de Brazza considers the key to the Congo interior. 



By these treat es and discoveries, M. de Brazza maintains that 

 the rights of priority of the French nation are clearly established 



