engaged in studying these treaties, we arrived at Free Town,
Sierra Leone on July 5th. Here again the place forms a beautiful picture
from the sea. A reef runs far out and is marked by a lighthouse, while
the town itself, protected by a fort with grass ramparts, lies on the
south side of a kind of bay, which, however, has more the appearance of
the mouth of a large river. Palms and other tropical plants grow to the
water's edge and among them are yellow and red houses while higher up
the hills behind, are isolated bungalows and the barracks, at this time
occupied by the West African regiment. In the distance, bleak and bare
mountains passively regard the scene. On landing, one meets faces
showing every shade from ivory white to jet black and clothes of every
known colour. The roads are not paved in any way, as there are neither
horses nor wheeled vehicles here. Indeed, the houses are built in rows
facing each other, a gutter is cut in front and the space between forms
a street. The Custom House is an imposing structure near the beach and
the Cathedral is a handsome Gothic church, but as one end was covered
with scaffolding, it was not looking its best. A light railway runs up
the hill to the barracks of the native regiment and a special train was
arranged for the passengers of the _Leopoldville_.

Hotel accommodation in Sierra Leone is, like the demand for it, limited.
It is, however, possible to obtain a meal at the _Victoria_. Altogether
Free Town leaves the impression that it could be developed into a most
attractive watering place if it were nearer Europe and had a better
climate.

It is now getting rather hot and tropical, while the sea is as smooth as
a mirror and equally reflects the glare.

I continue to read up the Congo controversy. The report of Mr. Casement,
at one time British Consul at Boma, created quite a sensation when it
appeared. He stated that the Congo Free State had granted concessions to
Trading Companies, which is a fact, and that the agents of these
companies compelled the natives by force to collect rubber, which
however, he does not attempt to prove by his own experience, but relies
entirely upon reports of natives and hearsay evidence. He quoted one
case which illustrates the extreme difficulty of discovering the truth
from natives. He examined a boy named Epondo who stated that his left
hand had been cut off by a native sentry. Not knowing the native
dialect, Mr. Casement employed an inter