312 
WE FERRY THE NILE. 
our questions. He was muffled up all but his head 
in a yellow bark-cloth with black horizontal stripes. 
He presented us with a small bull, some flour, and 
three jars of m'wenge, for which on the following 
day he received some beads and pills, with the pro- 
mise of a handsome necklace when we reached M. de 
Bono's camp. On his second visit this governor wore 
a different costume, and another variety of beads, 
thereby wishing to impress us with the idea that he 
was a man of importance. He was commander-in- 
chief of the district, and constantly fought his men 
against Reonga, the brother of Kamarasi, residing on 
an island one march below the Falls. The inter- 
view was not over when it was reported that a large 
party of travellers were walking down the opposite 
bank of the river. Through the grass we could see a 
line of people going like a train, each one with a load 
on his head, and some wearing white skin coverings. 
They were Kidi going to assist Reonga in fighting 
against the governor with whom we were convers- 
ing, and they marched along with perfect security, as 
a wide and rapid river divided the belligerents, and 
the distance prevented the possibility of an arrow 
reaching across the water. No one proposed to have 
a shot at them, as we were to ferry the river, and 
cross their track as soon as the party had passed. We 
issued orders that our twenty cattle should be first 
sent across, but Africans always reverse everything. 
The cattle were not over till after the sun had set, 
and we were put across in the first canoe. The canoes 
were of hollowed logs, eighteen inches out of the 
water, very rotten, and obliged to be caulked with 
the roots of the papyrus. We had three men pad- 
