Next day I return to Irebu in the _Florida_ a small stern wheel steamer,
and find a welcome mail from home and also a permit to shoot game from
Boma. This latter is an imposing document of nine articles and gives
permission to shoot adult male animals but not female if accompanied by
their young, or, if possible to distinguish them, even if alone. The
animals named are, _hippopotames, baffles, antilopes, gazelles, ibex,
chevrotains, les divers sangliers, petits singes, outardes, francolains,
perdreaux, pintades_ and other game birds. Permission is also given to
kill _in a scientific manner_. one elephant in the close season. It will
thus be seen that the State is determined to protect the wild animals of
the forest from indiscriminate slaughter and stringent laws regulating
hunting are decreed from time to time.

[Illustration: THE UBANGI RIVER.]




CHAPTER V.

The Ubangi River.--Irebu to Banzyville.


We leave Irebu on August 29th in the _Florida_ and steam up the river
Ubangi. The colour of the water at once changes for whereas the Congo
carries much sand and is brown, the Ubangi carries much clay and is a
dirty yellow. The banks are densely wooded and in the stream are many
islands also covered with forest. Lying on patches of sand or on the
fallen trunks of trees are many crocodiles asleep. There is not much