point. And now, feeling a strong inclination to discourse
of M. de Brazza instead of getting on with my own work, I
descend to diary.
May 20th, 1895.— Landed at Gaboon from the Benguella
amidst showers of good advice and wishes from Captain
Eversfield and Mr. Fothergill, to which an unknown but
amiable French official, who came aboard at Batta, adds a
lovely Goliath beetle.
HATTON AND COOKSON’S FACTORY AT GLASS. '
The captain winds up with the advice to run the gig on to
the beach, and not attempt the steps of Hatton and Cookson’s
wharf, for he asserts “ they are only fit for a hen.” However,
having had for the present enough of running ashore, I go for
the steps, and they are a little sketchy, but quite practicable.
• Mr. Fildes, in the absence of the Agent-General, Mr..
Hudson, receives me most kindly, and in the afternoon I and
Mr. Huyghens, the new clerk out for the firm, are sent off to the
Custom House under the guardian care of a French gentleman,
who is an agent of Hatton and Cookson’s, and who
speaks English perfectly, while retaining his French embellishments
and decorations to conversation.
The Post, i.e. Custom House, is situated a hundred yards
or so from the factory, like it, facing the strand ; and we make
our way thither over and among the usual débris of a south-west
coast beach, logs of waterworn trees, great hard seeds, old tins,
and the canoes, which are drawn up out of the reach of the
ever-mischievous, thieving sea.
The Custom House is far more remarkable for quaintness
than beauty ; it is two stories high, the ground floor being the
local lo.ck-Up. The officer in charge lives on the topmost floor
and has a long skeleton wooden staircase whereby to communicate
With the lower world. This staircase is a veritable
“ hen-roost ” one. It is evidently made to kill people, but why ?
Individuals desirous of defrauding customs would not be likely
to haunt this Custom House staircase, and good people, like me,
who want to' pay dues, should be encouraged and not killed.
The officer is having his siesta; but when aroused' is courteous
and kindly, but he incarcerates my revolver, giving me a feeling
of iniquity for having had the thing. I am informed if I
pay 15A for a licence I may have it— if I fire French ammunition
but of it. This seems a heavy sum, so-1 ask M. Pichault, our
mentor, what-1 may be allowed to shoot if I pay this ? Will it
make me free, as it were, of all the local shooting ? j May I
daily shoot governors, heads of departments, and sous officiers ?
M. Pichault says “ Decidedly not” ;— I may shoot “ hippo, or
elephants, or crocodiles.” Now I have never tried shooting
big game in Africa with a revolver, and as I don’t intend to, I
leave the thing in pawn. My collecting-cases and Spirit, the
things which I expected to reduce me to a financial wreck by
Custom dues, are passed entirely free, because they are for
science. Vive la France ! "
2ii/||-Puddle about seashore. Dr. Nassau comes down
from Baraka to see if Messrs. Hatton and Cookson have not
appropriated a lady intended for the mission station. One
was coming from Batanga by the Benguella, he knew, and he
is told one has been seen on Hatton and Cookson’s quay.
Mr. Fildes assurés him that the lady they have has been
invoiced to the firm, and I am summoned to bear out the