74 TEE GONGO.
Equator
Station.
liow to cook, and how food should be prepared.
We have sufficient acreage near the station to be
able, if necessary, to feed everybody abundantly. The
climate is healthy also, though they have such moist,
weathers here, and the ground is so astonishingly rich
that one would have thought that fever would be
prevalent, yet our officers have been already four
months at Wangata without experiencing one hour’s,
indisposition.”
f o u n d in g s t a t io n s . 75
CHAPTER XXYI1I.
TO THE ARUWIMI OR BIYERRE.
Equipping for a long voyage—The Luluugu river—Bolombo—Bangala
the terrible—Stirring memories—Boleko the chief—“ Stop thief! ”
Mata Bwyki—A modern Hercules—“ Is this Tandelay ? ”—Uncomfortable
moments—The appeal of Tumbila—“ Bula Matari and Mata
Bwyki are one to-day! ”—Luxuriant tropical scenes—Immense forest
wealth—Unsheltered in a storm—Deserted districts—Nganza—Old
Rubunga—Langa-Langa women—The currency changing—Ndobo
I—Oyster-shells a sign of former population—Bumba and the chief
Myombi—The dreaded Ibanza—A trick with a tiger’s skin—Yam-
binga—Itimbiri river—Yalulima armourers—Hostile natives—War
canoes on the look out—The Aruwimi—Mokulu—An effective salutation—“
Bravo, Yumbila! ”
.Our work of founding stations, many of which, if the i883.
. i -a . , October 12. future were favourable to our designs, would grow into Eqilator
cities, had carried us well towards the heart of Africa, Statlon-
for Equator Station was 757 English miles from the
sea, and 412 miles above Leopoldville. In response to
earnest wishes from Brussels, I was now about to steam
up the Congo some 600 miles further, to found a settlement
at Stanley Falls, and endeavour to make verbal
treaties with the more populous settlements on either
bank as I voyaged upward, leaving to a future occasion
the permanent establishment of stations. The Committee