CH. IX A W IL FU L MAN HAS HIS WAY
come down to us, but only to chat. One of them, I
notice, has had something happen severely to one side of his
face. I ask M’bo what’s the matter, and he answers, with a
derisive laugh, “ He be fool man, he go for tief plantain and
done got shot.” M’bo does not make it clear where the sin in. .
this affair is exactly located ; I expect it is in being “ fool man.
Having got our supply of long stout poles we push off and
paddle on again. Before we reach Njole I recognise my crew
have got the grumbles, and at once inquire into the reason.
M’bo sadly informs me that “ they no got chop,” having been
provided only with? plantain, and ho meat or fish to eat
with it. I promise to get them plenty at Njole, and contentment
settles on the crew, and they sing. After about three
hours we reach Njole, and I proceed to interview the authorities.
Dr. Pdlessier is away down river, and the two gentlemen in
charge don’t understand English ; but Pierre translates, and the
letter which M. Forget has kindly written for me explains things,
and so the palaver ends satisfactorily, after a long talk. First, the
official says he does not like to take the responsibility of allowing
me to endanger myself in those rapids. I explain I will
not hold any one responsible but myself, and I urge that a
lady has been up before, a Mme. Quinee. He says “ Yes,
that is true, but Madame'had with her a husband and many
men, whereas I am alone and have only eight Igalwas and
not Adoomas, the proper crew for the rapids, and they are
away up river now with the convoy.” “ True, oh K in g ! ” I
answer, “• but Madame Quinee went right up to Lestourville,
whereas I only want to go sufficiently high up the rapids to
get typical fish. And these Igalwas are great men at canoe
work, and can go in a canoe anywhere that any mortal man
can go ”— this to cheer up my Igalwa interpreter— “ and as for
the husband, neither the Royal Geographical Society’s list, in
their ‘ Hints to Travellers,’ nor Messrs. Silver, in their elaborate
lists of articles necessary for a traveller in tropical climates,
make mention of husbands.” If they did, by the by,
they would say he was to be green, but they don’t say
a word about one. However, the official ultimately says Yes,
I may go, and parts with me as with one bent on self-
destruction. This affair being settled I start off, like an