is goods. In a short time however, he had
disposed of his cargo and paddled contentedly away.

[Illustration: NATIVES OF THE UPPER CONGO.]

The natives are very vain and take much trouble over their personal
appearance. As their clothes are very simple this is concentrated on
their tatooage and on their hair dressing. From a hopeless looking
tangle of black tow a very pretty erection is created by the barbers who
are of both sexes. Often the hair has five or six separate partings and
quills or feathers are inserted into the ridges in between. All the
women here wear a simple piece of cloth as they do in the Lower Congo
and sometimes a plain leather belt is worn round the waist. The arms and
legs are bare and covered with plain bangles made of mitakos. The women
wear no hat of any kind, but the men ape the Europeans and appear in
old helmets or straw hats. Both sexes are very clean personally, and
bathe frequently in the river, but never dry themselves afterwards. The
men keep on their loin cloths, but if they wear also shirts or trousers,
take these off, while the women bathe in a white linen loin cloth and
everyone afterwards pulls on his other clothes without drying. Many
natives rub a red powder into the skin made from cam-wood and thus
acquire a copper colour, while others paint their faces with various
stripes of red, yellow or white. On the Congo however, where the natives
are becoming civilised, this custom seems to be dying out.

On August 3rd we cross the Equator marked by a post on one side of the
river and the point of an island in the centre. Here used to be a
settlement, but most of the people have moved higher up. There is still
a Mission near the place and a good road runs along the bank between
plantations of bananas and gardens to Coquilhatville which we reach in
the afternoon.

[Illustration: BOTANICAL GARDENS AT EALA.]

CHAPTER IV.

The Equator District.

Coquilhatville, the capital of this important District is the largest
town in the Upper Congo. The roads are formed by bamboos laid in rows,
upon which sand and mud are placed the whole forming an effective
pavement for foot passengers and no other is required for there are no
carriages and only a few horses. All the officers don white uniforms
with full dress, badges and medals, and together we proceed to make a
formal call on Captain Stevens, the Commissaire of the District with
whom is staying Mr. Malfeyt, Commissaire du Roi. Some