THE CONGO. THE LULUNGU RIVER. 77
1883. had also nominated a person for the command at Stanley October 12. u .
Equator Falls; thus our poor young friend Lieutenant Coquil-
hat, after bravely working at Equator station awaiting
his opportunity to be located at Bangala station, now
saw himself, to his great disappointment, obliged to
wait until I could return from the Falls.
We had prepared for this long voyage 1600 lbs. of
corn and cassava flour, and had purchased 500 dried
fish from the Bakuti. Our live stock consisted of three
goats, three sheep, and thirty fowls, which were of
course for the five Europeans on board, as well as a large
store of plantains, ripe bananas, yams, sweet potatoes,
and a dozen cases of Crosse and Blackwell's best tinned
provisions. A full case of Cognac was distributed
among four whites; besides a five-gallon demijohn of
red Portuguese wine. In fact, limited as was the
carrying capacity of the steamers, the five Europeans
and sixty-eight coloured men on board were as well
victualled and equipped at Equator station as a
British division of soldiers might be at Chatham, Woolwich,
or Portsmouth.
On the 16th of October the flotilla started up the
channel leading to Uranga and the Lulungu River.
We steamed ten hours. It was fine when we departed
from the Equator ; but at two o’clock the sky became
overcast, and thunder rolled, but finally the atmosphere
cleared again without rain. At noon we were in
N. Lat. 0° 9'. As we ascended nearly due north, our
night’s camp was probably in N. Lat. 0° 18'.
Following the Uranga channel, we came to the main
channel, and crossed over to the left bank. A few 1883.
. October 17.
hours after we came to the Ikelemba, a comparatively uranga.
small river about 150 yards wide, the colour of its
waters being inky. Clinging closely to the left hank, ,
we arrived opposite Uranga at one o’clock on the 17th.
This populous community is pleasantly located on an
elevated triangle of land to the left of the confluence
of the Lulungu affluent and the Congo, commanding
an extensive view up and down the Congo
and up the Lulungu.
The latter river rather disappointed me, because
the natives had usually spoken . of it as being a,
“ large” river. We ascended it for about three
miles to obtain an idea of its average breadth. I
should judge it to be about 550 yards wide; but the
aborigines informed us that one could ascend it a
month’s journey in canoes, and that the populousness
of its hanks is much superior to any part of the
Congo. It is larger even than the Mohindu they say.
Higher up than the point we reached, the Lulungu
may be wider than the Mohindu; hut I doubt it
being of greater volume. From all I have gathered
and personally seen, it appears to me that there must
be a connection between the Lulungu, Ikelemba, and
Mohindu, but of what character it would he difficult
to say. They are all equally black, and their courses
are parallel and equi-distant from each other. The
country is very flat though densely wooded, and it is
quite possible that there may be channels inland connecting
the rivers'. 1 would also include Mantumba,