a few moments before, dry, sandy Water-courses
were alone visible. The increasing fury of the
mighty stream, the deepening roar of the falls,
the formation of new rapids, the booming chorus
of a score of torrents precipitated in leaping
columns from the summit of the opposite cliffs a
height of 400 feet into the river, the continuous
rain, the vivid flashes of lightning, and the loud
thunder which crackled and burst overhead with
overwhelming effect, sufficed to keep alive the
anticipation of terrors happily never realized.
The chief of Nzabi received, in return for his
fine trees and the cordial assistance and uniform
kindness he had extended to us, a gift of goods,
which exceeded even his hopes. The people
were sufficiently rested after this agreeable interlude
to resume the dangerous passage of the
cataracts, and on the 23rd we made a movement
down to the west end of Nzabi Creek, and began
hauling the canoes over the rocky ridge
which separated us from another small creek
lower down. The next day we were also clear
of the lower creek, and descended a mile, by
which feat we had succeeded in getting below
the Nséto Falls.
On the 25th, Frank Pocock being too lame,
from his ulcers, to travel overland, the conduct
of the canoe-party was given to Manwa Sera
and Chowpereh, and the care of the boat to
Uledi, the coxswain. Besides Frank, there were
fMay 25, 1877-1 FRANK A “ GOER-GOEE” TOO. 11/
L Mowa. J
thirteen persons afflicted with ulcerous sores,
dysentery, and general debility ; upon whom, on
account of their utter inability to travel by land
or climb over the rocks, the humourist Baraka
had bestowed, out of his fertile brain, the sobriquet
of Goee-Goee, a term quite untranslatable
as regards its descriptive humour, though “ despairing,
forlorn, good-for-nothings” would be a
tolerably fair equivalent. With decent, sober
Christian souls the party would have been distinguished
as the “ sick list” ; hut Baraka was not a
Christian, but a reckless good-natured gamin, of
Mohammedan tendencies. Turning to Frank, he
said to him, with a broad grin, “ Ah, ha! is our
little master become a Goee-Goee too? Inshallah!
we shall all become Goee-Goees now, if our
masters get on the list.” Frank laughingly assented,
and hobbled to the boat to take a seat.
I led the active members of the Expedition
and the women and children up the mountain
from the lower Nzabi Creek, and, having well
surmounted the table-land, struck west from Nzabi
to Mowa, a distance of three miles. The plateau
was a rolling counfry, and extremely picturesque
in the populated part which bordered the river,
thickly sprinkled with clusters pf the guinea-palm
and plantain groves, under which nestled the
elegant huts of the Babwende. This palm
furnishes the natives with a delicious wine, and
also with a yellow butter, which may be turned