pering
to a point and open at the broad end are fixed by ropes, or rather by
the strong vines which function as ropes here, just at the top of the
rapids and the water rushes through with great force. The fish are
carried into the baskets, but cannot pass through or return against the
current, and are then simply speared and lifted out. They have firm,
white flesh and are good eating.

On October 3rd the Chief of the Banzas comes to the Post to call. He is
a fine, intelligent-looking man and rules his people, who are very
numerous, admirably. In this part of the Congo, the chieftainship
descends from father to son, but in some districts the succession passes
through the family of the wife of the Chief.

Numerous petty Chiefs drop in to the Post at intervals during the day
and are rather a nuisance, for they are always begging for clothes and
offering lances and presents in exchange. They do not realise that one
does not carry a superfluity of clothes when travelling, or that one or
two lances are quite sufficient to keep as curios. Probably they think
we are traders for we are not _bulamatadi_, and no one I believe, has
ever ascended the Ubangi on a pleasure tour before. The newly-elected
Chief was very anxious to be given a suit of clothes as he had none and
wished to make an impression on his new subjects. He described with many
gestures, that he was elected with much beating of drums, which indeed
was only too true and said he always intended to remain a great friend
of the State. After that, of course he had to be given some clothes. The
system of giving _tips_. indiscriminately is however, carried much too
far in the State, and if it is not stopped, will soon prove to be a very
heavy tax on the white man. Every native demands a tip on every possible
occasion whether he has done a service or not, and if he has done some
work and is only paid his due, is as discontented and abusive as a
cabman who has only received his legal fare.

There are many native thieves all over the Congo--one of them actually
penetrated into the house of Captain Auita at midday in bright sunshine
and stole a spear and a native knife. He was however, soon caught and
marched off to prison. Trials by ordeal used to be very common among the
natives. A favourite method was to give a dose of strychnine to a fowl
and if it died, the accused was guilty, but if it lived, he was
innocent. The wretched fowl, feeling in any case very ill, walked about