All was ready when we left Waterloo at 10.25 a.m. on Friday June 24th
1904 accompanied by Sir Alfred Jones and Sir Ralph Moor who saw us off
at Southampton. The latter has had much experience of Africa and told
some blood-curdling stories of the manners of the natives. Adulterers
used to be punished in a most barbarous way. A youth who had erred with
one of the numerous wives of a Chief, was nailed by the ears to a tree
in the forest and left to starve. Women also were treated with equal
severity and all manner of mutilations were practised. Such atrocities
have of course been suppressed by the Congo Free State.

Having reached Southampton, we went on board the S.S. _Leopoldville_, a
ship of about 5,000 tons burden, very clean and well-found. She belongs
to the _Compagnie maritime belge_ which runs a ship every third week
from Antwerp and Southampton to Boma and Matadi. We sailed about 2 p.m.
and a savoury smell from the galley reminded us that it was about seven
hours since we had breakfasted.

Some of the passengers were English military officers and miners bound
for the Gold Coast, but most were evidently officials of the Congo Free
State. The conversation soon turned upon the agitation in Europe against
the Congo Government, and it was extraordinary with what sorrowful
indignation the various charges were refuted. This impressed me greatly
at the time for it was in marked contrast with the indifference shown by
an average Englishmen when his country and methods are abused by
foreigners. Probably the explanation is, that we are so used to
unmerited abuse, that we regard it as part of the normal order of
things. The Congo State on the other hand, has only recently become
sufficiently prosperous to attract attention.

One of the passengers dressed as a Catholic Priest, proved a veritable