smell of it ceases to make one feel ill. To see
them eating kwanga fish or the flesh of elephants, monkeys, antelopes or
other animals generally both rotten and raw is most disgusting and
brings home the fact sharply that man here is of a very low type.

The oranges the natives sell are very acid, more resembling grape-fruit
than the orange of Florida, but the bananas are as good as any in the
world and the pine apples--three of which can be bought for half a
franc--are equal to the finest hot-house variety.

[Illustration: THE STEAMER _FLANDRE_.]

The line now descends again until it reaches a flat hot, sandy and
uninteresting plain across which it runs absolutely straight for seven
miles until it reaches Kinshasa on the South bank of Stanley Pool. A few
miles further on, is the rail head, Leopoldville. Like everything else
in the Congo, this town has been arranged and built for practical use.
The railway runs along the beach so as to facilitate the loading and
unloading of the steamers of the upper river, and in a very short time
all our baggage is taken from the train and carried straight on board
the _Flandre_ where we find cabins booked for us. This is an excellent
arrangement and saves much trouble, for although the steamer does not
sail for two days, passengers are allowed to live on board while in
port. Indeed it is very necessary, for there are no hotels in the town,
and no accommodation for visitors except a few rooms in the commercial
houses.

Some traits of the native's character were now to be demonstrated to us.
His main idea always is, to do as little work as possible and he will
often take the greatest trouble in his effort to accomplish this object.
Each native endeavoured to put his load as near the gangway as possible
which was soon blocked and then he had to come back, hoist the package
on his head again and carry it to its proper place. Although this
performance took place every day, unless an officer was constantly on
the watch, the foolish fellows in their attempts to shirk duty brought
upon themselves extra work. The cabins were unfurnished, for everyone
carries his own bed on the Congo, and most also their own tent. It was
therefore necessary to unpack a bed. Here was a difficulty. All the bags
and boxes were carefully numbered by the Army and Navy Stores and the
invoice no doubt sent to my London address but I left before it arrived,
and there was no possibility of discovering which number