256 
In the Heart of Africa 
threaten our boat, I dropped my rifle and picked up my camera. 
Just then the ill-natured beast took his departure! 
Our river journey had been very poor in respect of fauna. 
Besides the few elephants we had only seen one or two crocodiles. 
Flights of grey parrots had frequently passed over our heads, 
but the trees seemed almost lifeless. The interior of the forest 
is alive with animal life during the daytime; it is only at night 
and in the early morning hours that the river banks show signs 
of life, and after the animals have drunk their fill they retire 
again into the shady shelter of the thickets. 
We reached the “Awake” rapids at three o’clock in the 
afternoon. This place certainly has a name, but possesses no 
houses, so we set up our tents in the forest close to the water’s 
edge, whence we could enjoy a splendid view of the rapids, 
which stretched the whole width of the river. We were very 
glad to finish the day’s journey, as the air on the water was 
most sultry and oppressive. 
In the evening immense hosts of flying foxes flew circling 
over our camp. Uncertain as to whether they were identical 
with the Kwidschwi species, we brought down a few with our 
rifles. We were very much surprised to see that generally two 
fell to the ground together, instead of the one hit only, and on 
falling became detached. They were love pairs, who were 
probably whispering tender caresses into each other’s. big ears 
during their aerial flight. We found them to be identical with 
the Kwidschwi species. 
At Bomili we learned what a well-kept European station of 
considerable dimensions was like. Pretty, whitewashed houses 
stretched out invitingly along the gently sloping river banks 
before the eyes of the weary traveller. Just opposite to them 
the Nepoko flows out from the green forest and joins the 
Aruwimi, which here forms a rushing cataract. As we were 
emerging from the Zone de I’Haut Ituri to enter the Zone de 
Falls, our amiable travelling companion. Commandant Engh, 
turned back for Avakubi with his rowers. A Norwegian by 
birth, Engh is one of the most striking personalities in the whole 
