Arrival at “ the Bush 
36 
upon trampled mud, and, ascending the bank, left 
the creek which supplies baths and drinking water 
to our destination. Striking a fair pathway, we 
passed westward over a low wave of ground, sandy 
and mouldy, and traversed a fern held surrounded 
by a forest of secular trees ; some parasite-grown 
from twig to root, others blanched and scathed by 
the fires of heaven; these roped and corded with 
runners and llianas, those naked and clothed in 
motley patches. At (j.30 a.m., after an hour’s 
work, probably representing a mile, and a total of 
7 h. 30 m., or six miles in a south-south-west direc¬ 
tion from Le Plateau, we left the Ugly cul de sac of 
a creek, and entered Mbata, which the French 
call “ La Plantation.” 
Women and children fled in terror at our ap¬ 
proach—and no wonder : eyes like hunted boars, 
haggard faces, yellow as the sails at the Cape 
Verdes, and beards two days long, act very unlike 
cosmetics. Ahouse was cleared for us by Hota- 
loya, alias “ Andrew,” of the Baraka Mission, the 
lord of the village, who, poor fellow ! has only two 
wives; he is much ashamed of himself, but his 
excuse is, “ I be boy now,” meaning about twenty- 
two. After breakfast we prepared for a sleep, but 
the popular excitement forbade it ; the villagers 
had heard that a white greenhorn was coming to 
bag and to buy gorillas, and they resolved to make 
hay whilst the sun shone. 
