66 
The Factories. 
and “ hydrometry,” still in an imperfect state, was 
little to be depended upon in the days when Euro¬ 
pean ideas concerning the Congo River were 
formed. Twenty miles up stream the high-water 
mark becomes strongly marked, and further on, as 
will be seen, it shows even better. 
If Barbot’s map have any claim to correctness, 
the southern shore has changed greatly since a.d. 
i 700. A straight line from Cape Padrao to Chapel 
Point, now Shark Point, was more than double 
the breadth of the embouchure. It is vain to 
seek for the “ Island of Calabes ” mentioned by 
Andrew Battel, who was “ sent to a place called 
Zaire on the River Congo, to trade for elephants’ 
teeth, wheat, and palm oil.” It may be a mistake 
for Cavallos, noticed in the next chapter; but the 
“ town on it ” must have been small, and has left, 
they say, no traces. After a scramble through the 
surf, we were received at Shark Point, where, at 
this season, the current is nearer five than three 
knots, by Mr. Tom Peter, Mafuka, or chief trader, 
amongst these “ Musurungus.” He bore his 
highly respectable name upon the frontal band of 
his “ berretta ,” alias “ coroa,” an open-worked affair, 
very like the old-fashioned jelly-bag night-cap. 
This head-gear of office made of pine-apple fibre— 
Tuckey says grass—costs ten shillings; it is worn 
by the kinglets, who now distribute it to all the 
lieges whose fortunes exceed some fifty dollars. 
