CHAPTER II.

Banana to Leopoldville.


The amount of sand in the bath water on the morning of July 12th
indicated that we were approaching the mouth of a large river. The
Atlantic indeed, which had varied in colour from dirty green near the
English Channel to ultra marine at Teneriffe, was now of a fine amber
tint. As yet land was not in sight; it was comparatively cool and a
slight breeze was blowing. About midday the low lying coast of Central
Africa became visible as a dark line and half an hour afterwards a
simple break could be seen in this line which was the clearly defined
mouth of the Congo. On reference to the chart it became clear that
although the lower Congo forms a delta in some places twenty miles in
width, all the streams coalesce and flow through an opening not more
than five miles wide. On both sides the coast is low lying and well
wooded.

As we approach nearer, the northern point resolves itself into the
extremity of a peninsula, for one branch of the river turns northward
thus leaving a strip of land a few hundred yards wide. We pass through
the mouth of the river, thread our way between several buoys, turn up
this northern channel and arrive at an anchorage in which eight or nine
small ships are riding. As we take up our position a boat leaves the
shore flying the Congo Flag, a blue ground with a golden star in the