Homeward Bound 
265 
cepting the misfortunes that overtook Raven and Weiss, scarcely 
one fell seriously ill—that is, sufficiently so to be confined to bed 
for any time. Slight attacks of malaria, dysentery and fever 
occurred at times, but were of an entirely harmless nature. I, 
personally, escaped all sickness. The only one who suffered a 
violent malarial crisis was Sergeant Czeczatka. In his case the 
fever assumed a very threatening character. He, however, was 
also the only one who, as he himself confessed, did not keep 
strictly to the Koch malaria prophylactic, as we had done, viz., 
one gramme every seventh and eighth day. 
We had to devote our two days’ stay at Basoko entirely to 
the wearisome work of packing. Our special investigation work 
was concluded, and all our apparatus and the latest collections 
we had acquired during the journey down the Aruwimi had to be 
packed in such a way that they could be confided with an easy 
mind to the hold of the FlandrCy and then consigned to a for¬ 
warding agent at Leopoldville for transhipment to Europe. 
When the last chest had been securely nailed down and duly 
marked, and had vanished into the bowels of the Flandre we all 
breathed freely once more, and had a feeling of holiday gaiety 
when we stepped aboard the ship, which awaited our departure 
on the 14th of May. 
The Flandre is not a particularly fine vessel externally, any 
more than the other steamers which navigate the upper Congo. 
She is similar in type to the Delivrancey but is far larger, and 
is driven by two stern-wheels. Suitability for the work required 
was made the sole consideration in constructing all the steamers. 
The difficult conditions ruling the waters of the Congo, the 
numerous shoals which shift from time to time, etc., have to be 
taken into account, so that the boats are given the smallest 
draught possible. Thus in order that the cubic space may not 
be diminished, a proportionate breadth and a high superstructure 
have to be allowed. The resultant structure has not anything 
very shiplike about it. The comfort and convenience of the 
interior arrangements, however, soon reconciled us to a lack of 
mere external finish. These vessels have two superposed decks, 
