hills to the East, and at one's feet is a native village nestling in a
valley, for the natives dislike wind and cold almost as much as they do
rain. Separated from it is another native village in which the
Government has placed the educated people who can read and write and
many are now ambitions to qualify for admission.

It is now time to return to dinner with Mr. Vandamme where we meet Mr.
Gohr, the Director of Justice, and Mr. Underwood. Everyone here dines in
white, which is both cool and picturesque. Our host has an excellent
native cook who gives us some very good vegetable soup, one of the
numerous Congo fishes, all of which are nice, a very tender chicken, an
excellent salad and a well made omelette, all of which are products of
the country. Flour and butter have however, to be imported, as no wheat
will grow in this part of the country and the cows give scarcely enough
milk for their calves. Everyone retires and rises early, so at 9 p.m. we
seek our house guided by a boy with a lantern, for most of the streets
of Boma are not lighted artificially.

Next day we call on Mr. Nightingale who is at present acting as British
Consul. The consulate is about a mile from the town situated on the
banks of the river and is well constructed of wood. Mr. Nightingale
offers kindly to lend us any assistance on our voyage that we may
require. Afterwards we buy many things which will be necessary up
country, among which are bags of salt, a very popular form of money in
some parts, and tins of petrol for the lanterns.

Everyone in Boma works hard, from the Secretaire General who is at his
office from 7 a.m. to midday and from 2.30 to 5 p.m. to the hardy
healthy-looking native who wields his pick as he chats with his fellows.
Roads are being made and gardens laid out in various places. One very