fine, and dismisses the affair without even permitting a protest.
Hence, impudent robbery occurs every day. The discontent of the
white reacts upon his clients the black men; of late, les Gabons,
as the French call the natives, have gone so far as to declare
that foreigners have no right to the upper river, which is all
private property. The line drawn by them is at Fetish Rock, off
Pointe Francaise, near the native village of Mpira, about half a
mile above the Plateau; and they would hail with pleasure a
transfer to masters who are not so uncommonly ready with their
gros canons.

The Gaboon trade is chronicled by John Barbot, Agent-General of
the French West African Company, "Description of the Coast of
South Guinea," Churchill, vol. v. book iv. chap. 9; and the chief
items were, and still are, ivory and beeswax. Of the former,
90,000 lbs. may be exported when the home prices are good, and
sometimes the total has reached 100 tons. Hippopotamus tusks are
dying out, being now worth only 2s. per lb. Other exports are
caoutchouc, ebony (of which the best comes from the Congo), and
camwood or barwood (a Tephrosia). M. du Chaillu calls it the
"Ego-tree;" the natives (Mpongwe) name the tree Igo, and the
billet Ezigo.





Chapter II.

The Departure.--the Tornado.--arrival at "The Bush."