hand, flies by exhibiting the most vivid greens, reds, and blues.
Bananas, rubber plants, palms and acacias crowd each other in the forest
through which we walk for three or four miles, until we reach a native
village consisting of a few square huts in a clearing. A handsome
looking fellow comes up to us, salutes and desires to know if we wish to
buy anything. Having neither mitakos, salt, nor cloth except the
pyjamas we are wearing, we cannot deal and leave the man wondering
probably--if the native ever does wonder--why we walked all that
distance if we did not require anything.

On August 8th we visit the Botanical Gardens at Eala, which is about
three miles from Coquilhatville. Mr. Pinard, the Director of the
Gardens, shows us the various plants indigenous and imported which he
has collected, and although the place has only been formed for three
years, almost everything which could possibly grow has been planted. The
soil is sandy, the altitude about 1100 feet above sea level and the
temperature is about 90° F. Numerous varieties of rubber plants are
arranged here for experimental purposes, and gutta percha also is slowly
attaining maturity. Bushes which yield acid, suitable for coagulating
the milk of the rubber plant, grow alongside. Cotton does not do well
here owing to the scarcity of rain, but coffee and tea flourish. All the
palms, many ferns and orchids and nearly every fruit and vegetable,
European as well as tropical, grow in great profusion while the melons,
vegetable marrows, beans, peas, potatoes, lettuces, cucumbers and
tomatoes look healthy. Croton, belladonna and other medicinal herbs are
cultivated and there are many beautiful flowers, whose use is chiefly
ornamental. The gardens are of great extent, well laid out and
beautifully kept, so that it is difficult to believe that four years ago
this site was wild forest.