304 Return to the Congo Mouth. 
revolver, and placed it handy, so the goods were 
afterwards respected. 
At length, on Sept. 19, a piece of cloth ( = 48 
yards) procured a canoe. But calico and beads 
are not removed from an African settlement with¬ 
out disturbance : my factotum has given a detailed 
account of the scene. 1 Gidi Mavunga so managed 
that the porters, instead of proceeding straight to 
the stream, marched upon Banza Nokki where his 
royal son was awaiting us. Worse still, Nessudi- 
kira’s royal mother was there, a large old virago, 
who smoked like a steam-engine and who “swore 
awful.” The moleques were armed, but none 
liked proceeding to extremes; so, after an un¬ 
usually loud quarrel, we reached the river in three 
hours, and at 9.45 a.m. we set out for Boma. 
The down voyage was charming. Instead of 
hugging the southern bank, we raced at a swinging 
pace down mid-stream. A few showers had 
wonderfully improved the aspect of the land, 
where 
“ Every tree well from his fellow grew 
With branches broad, laden with leaves new, 
That springen out against the sunny sheen, 
Some very red and some a glad light green 
and the first breath of spring gave life to the 
queer antediluvian vegetation—calabash and 
1 In the “ Geographical Magazine” for February, 1875. 
