nibals. Being one of the world's champion eaters,
he shrank from being eaten himself. I promised him an extra allowance of
food and a khaki uniform that I had worn in the war, and he agreed to
take a chance.

Right here let me give an evidence of the Congo native's astounding
quickness to grasp things. I do not refer to his light-fingered
propensities, however. When we got to Kinshassa Nelson knew scarcely a
word of the local dialect. When we left a week later, he could jabber
intelligently with any savage he met. On the four weeks' trip from
Elizabethville he had picked up enough French to make himself
understood. The Central African native has an aptitude for languages
that far surpasses that of the average white man.

I was the only passenger on the "Lusanga," which had been reconstructed
for Lord Leverhulme's trip through the Congo in 1914. I occupied the
suite installed for him and it was my last taste of luxury for many a
day. The captain, Albert Carrie, was a retired lieutenant in the British
Royal Navy, and the chief engineer was a Scotchman. The Congo River
seemed like an old friend as we steamed up toward Kwamouth. As soon as
we turned into the Kasai I found that conditions were different than on
the main river. There was an abundance of fuel, both for man and boat.
The daily goat steak of the Congo was relieved by duck and fish. The
Kasai region is thickly populated and I saw a new type of native,
lighter in colour than elsewhere, and more keen and intelligent.

The women of the Kasai are probably the most attractive in the Congo.
This applies particularly to the Batetelas, who are of light brown
colour. From childhood the females of this tribe have a sense of modesty
that is in sharp contrast with the nudity that prevails elsewhere
throughout the country. They swathe their bodies from neck to ankle with
gaily coloured calico. I am often asked if the scant attire in Central
Africa shocked me. I invariably reply by saying that the contemporary
feminine fashion of near-undress in America and Europe made me feel
that some of the chocolate-hued ladies of the jungle were almost
over-clothed!

The fourth day of my trip was also the American Fourth of July. Captain
Carrie and I celebrated by toasting the British and American Navies, and
it was not in Kasai water. This day also witnessed a somewhat remarkable
revelation of the fact that world economic unrest has penetrated to the
very heart of the primitive regio