254 
In the Heart of Africa 
Foam and spray splashed up and besprinkled the occupants of 
the 'fragile craft. A few moments more and we were through, 
gliding forward with increased speed for a time, and the danger, 
of which we only had a vague appreciation, was over. Yet the 
jabbering of the rowers, which immediately increased in anima¬ 
tion, and the sudden lightening up and smiling expression of 
their faces warned us that their previous apparent tranquillity 
had only been assumed. 
Turning our heads we observed that the second boat had 
sailed smoothly over the rocky river bed. The third one— 
Czeczatka’s “ pirogue was just coming up. Its bows had 
barely touched the line of foam when it suddenly turned 
obstinately athwart the channel. Recognising the danger, a 
Congolese Askari sprang up quickly, but a sudden side-jolt of 
the canoe and—^he vanished to rise no more. The next moment 
the boat had capsized and thrown all its occupants into the water. 
We were horror-stricken! Any idea of rendering assistance was 
out of the question, for boat after boat came swishing into the 
current quite unstably, and each one had quite enough to do in 
endeavouring to avoid the fate of the luckless craft. It was 
lying, bottom upwards, jammed in between the rocks, and one 
boy who emerged from the flood succeeded in grasping its sides 
and clambering on to the keel. A hand rose up from the water 
close by—it was that of the non-commissioned officer. The boy, 
reaching out, grasped it, and on the head following, the brave 
boy, with a great effort, managed to pull his master up into 
a place of security. The pressure of the water, however, had 
loosened the canoe and it went floating down the stream with 
both of them hanging on to it. One by one the rest of the 
unfortunates appeared on the surface, some being borne away 
by the current, others, who had already passed the rocks, making 
for the banks, whilst some succeeded in saving themselves by 
clinging on to great stones, where, dripping with water, they 
awaited their release. 
The work of rescue was not an easy one, as the canoes 
were constantly driven away by the current. At length, how- 
