ith impunity on either
side of the river, _i.e._ in the French or the State Congo, and be able
to communicate with the Chiefs, for it will be rather difficult perhaps
to feed so many people.

Next day we start amid the most terrific din. Each of the seven canoes
carries one or two tom-toms and some have also native bells. All the
capitas and most of the paddlers shout orders to each other which no one
regards, even if they hear them, while the friends of the paddlers howl
farewells from the beach. At length however, the baggage is arranged and
the little fleet starts in single file, for each canoe hugs the bank.
Before half an hour had elapsed my canoe struck a rock and stuck on it.
Fortunately we were not travelling faster than two miles an hour, or a
hole would have been made in the bottom. As it was, it was necessary for
half the crew to go overboard, stand on the rock, and lift the canoe
off. Never was a ship so speedily lightened, and in a few moments we
were once more afloat.

The river now passes through a kind of gorge not more than half a mile
wide and continues between hills clad with long grass but after an hour
or two, it widens out again and the banks become low. The heat is great
and the unceasing blows on the tom-tom within three feet of one's ears
are very annoying, but if it is stopped, the crew no longer keep good
time, and the boat, therefore, travels very slowly. The singing, on the
other hand, is by no means unpleasant. One of the crew sings a solo, a
kind of recitative, the words being an extempore criticism, as a rule,
of the white passenger, and then the whole join in chorus in perfect
harmony. The music is now wild and weird, now passionate and joyful, but
always natural. There is nothing of the catch penny type of ditties,
which become popular in England and America, in these savage African
songs, nor are they in the least like Chinese or Indian music. The
instruments are rudimentary; simple zithers, rattles, bells and a kind
of guitar, but it is probable that all these, except the bells, have
been introduced by the Europeans or Arabs.

On we creep slowly until we reach the island of Ya which belongs to the
State. All the other islands, except Bamu, being no man's land. Here we
land at a large village and while the boys are arranging the camp, we
see that our party are all fed. The Chiefs are requested to provide
food, and soon nearly two hundred women appear, each with a wooden
vessel conta