ill more tiring, for it is
impossible to force the canoes heavily laden up some of the cataracts.
We have therefore to land three times and while the baggage is carried
along the bank, the empty canoes are hauled up with ropes. At length the
elephant rapids are safely negotiated and an hour or two afterwards
Mokoangai is reached but in three long days' hard work, we have ascended
only about thirty miles of the river.

At Mokoangai is a large plantation and farm and well built houses for
the one or two white men who live there. Next day I start before
daybreak hunting. The country is open and hilly, covered generally with
grass eight or ten feet high. Still there are many places where the
ground is almost bare and it is an ideal spot for stalking game. After
walking a few miles in a mist, we see several antelopes and endeavour to
stalk them. While still nearly a hundred yards away, they commence to
walk slowly towards cover but it is possible to get a fair side shot and
one falls heavily hit in the shoulder. Soon after an elephant suddenly
appears about two hundred yards ahead walking along the crest of a hill.
Sending the native hunter to pick up the antelope, Chikaia and I follow
the elephant's spoor for some hours, but do not come up with it or find
other game. We were now high up on the range of hills behind Mokoangai
and the view was magnificent. The great river could be seen winding its
way between the hills covered with the vivid greens only to be found in
damp tropical countries. Otherwise the picture somewhat recalled
central Wales with a Wye magnified a hundred times. Chikaia had walked a
long way carrying a heavy rifle, and now showed signs of fatigue so he
was encouraged by being allowed to shoot a monkey on the way home.

Next day being Sunday, we rest quietly in the Post and prepare to leave
next morning in the _Aia_ which is one of the first launches Stanley
took to Africa and is therefore, somewhat ancient. Since she is too
small to carry much baggage, she tows a large open iron boat nearly the
same size alongside. In this the camp is slowed and the boys and
soldiers take their places sitting on the bales and cases, and we make a
start on Monday September 19th for Banzyville. Fortunately there are no
rapids in this stretch of the river and it is at least possible to stand
up comfortably in the launch, whereas in the canoes, it was necessary to
sit still in a long hammock chair for practically twelve hours