UP THE OGOWE TO LAMBARENE 
27 
faces ! One little man walked solemnly about, carrying 
my heavy rifle. 
The canoe journey we found at first anything but 
comfortable. These vessels are only tree trunks 
hollowed out and are therefore both flat and narrow, 
so that their equihbrium is very easily disturbed. 
Moreover, the rowers do not sit, but stand, which, again, 
does not contribute to their stability. With a long, 
narrow paddle, which is held freely in the hands, the 
crew strike the water, singing also so as to keep in time 
with each other, and a single awkward movement of 
one of the rowers may upset the canoe. However, in 
half an hour’s time we had overcome our anxiety, and 
enjoyed the trip thoroughly. The steamer was by 
now again on its way upstream, and the boys raced it, 
with such eagerness, too, that they nearly ran into 
another canoe with three old negresses in it. 
In half an hour’s time we leave the main stream for a 
branch one, the singing still going on as merrily as ever, 
and we can see some white spots on a hill that is 
flooded with light from the setting sun : the houses of 
the mission station ! The nearer we get, the louder is 
the singing, and, after crossing a stream which gusts of 
wind make rather rough, the canoe glides into a quiet 
little bay. 
First there are a dozen black hands to shake, but that 
seems now quite natural. Then, Mrs. Christel, Miss 
Humbert, the schoolmistress, and Mr. Kast, the manual 
worker, conduct us to our little house, which the children 
have hastily decorated with palms and flowers. Built 
of wood, the house stands on some forty iron piles, 
which raise it about 20 inches from the ground, and a 
verandah runs all round its four small rooms. The 
