adventures and letters-第58节

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aw　a　strange　fish　that　leaps　on　the　top　of　the　water　just　as　a　frog　jumps　on　land。　　It　is　certainly　hot。　　Milani　and　I　went　in　swimming　in　the　ocean；　and　got　finely　cool。　　Then　we　paddled　the　canoe　back　to　the　ship　to　show　the　blacks　how　good　we　were；　and　got　very　hot；　and　the　blacks　charged　us　a　franc　for　the　voyage。　　To…morrow　we　will　be　in　Boma；　the　capital；　which　is　much　of　a　place　with　shops　and　a　lawn　tennis　court。


BOMA；　February　15th。

Boma　is　more　or　less　laid　out　and　contains　the　official　residences　of　the　Government。　　I　walked　all　over　it　in　an　hour；　and　here　you　walk　very　slow。　　There　are　three　or　four　big　trading　stores　AND　a　tennis　court。　　It　is；　however；　a　dreary　place。　　We　called　on　the　missionary　and　his　wife；　but　she　does　not　speak　English　and　their　point　of　view　of　everything　was　not　cheerful　or　instructive。　　Cecil　plans　to　remain　on　board　while　at　Matadi　and　return　with　this　same　boat　to　Boma。　　I　want　her　to　go　home　in　this　boat　or　in　some　other；　as　I　believe　Boma　most　unhealthy　and　I　know　it　to　be　most　uncomfortable。　　She　would　have　to　go　to　a　hotel　which　is　very　hot　and　rough；　although　it　is　clean　and　well　run。　　I　am　undecided　whether　to　go　up　the　river　for　ten　days；　to　where　it　crosses　the　equator；　or　to　leave　the　upper　Congo　and　go　up　the　Kasai　river。　　This　is　off　the　beaten　track；　and　one　may　see　something　of　interest。　　I　will　know　better　what　I　will　do　in　an　hour；　when　I　get　to　Matadi。


MATADIFeby。　21。

We　are　now　at　Matadi。　　The　Captain　invited　us　to　stop　on　board　and　it　is　well　he　did。　　We　dine　on　deck　where　the　wind　blows　but　the　rest　of　the　ship　is　being　cleaned　and　painted　for　the　trip　North。　　Four　hatches　are　discharging　cargo　all　at　once；　from　four　in　the　morning　until　midnight。　　Officers　and　kroo　boys　get　four　hours　sleep　out　of　the　twenty…four；　but　I　sleep　right　through　it；　so　does　Cecil。　　Sometimes　they　take　out　iron　rails　and　then　zinc　roofs　and　steel　boats；　6000　cases　of　gin　and　1000　tons　of　coal。　　Still；　it　is　much　better　than　in　the　Hotel　Africa　on　shore。　　Matadi　is　a　hill　of　red　iron　and　the　heat　is　grand。　　Everything　in　this　country　is　grand。　　The　river　is；　in　places；　seven　miles　wide；　the　sunsets　are　like　nothing　earthly；　and　the　black　people　are　like　brooding　shadows　of　lost　souls；　that　is；　if　souls　have　shadows。　　Most　of　the　blacks　in　this　town　are　〃prisoners〃　with　a　steel　ring　around　the　neck；　and　chained　in　long　lines。　　I　leave　on　the　23d　to　go　up　the　Kasai　River；　because　that　is　where　the　atrocities　come　from　and　up　there　there　are　many　missionaries。　　I　don't　want　you　to　think　I　say　this　to　〃calm　your　fears；〃　but　I　say　it　because　it　is　as　true　of　this　place　as　of　every　other　one　in　the　world；　and　that　is；　that　it　is　as　easy　to　get　about　here　as　it　is　in　Rhode　Island。　　It　is　not　half　as　dangerous　as　automobiling。　　I　have　not　even　felt　feverish；　neither　has　Cecil。　　I　never　felt　better。　　Cecil　stays　on　board　and　goes　back　to　Boma。　　There　she　stops　a　week　and　then　takes　another　ship　back　to　London。　　She　will　not　wait　at　Boma　for　me；　at　least；　I　hope　not　and　cannot　imagine　her　doing　so。　　In　any　event；　after　I　start；　there　will　be　no　way　for　us　to　communicate；　and　I　will　act　on　the　understanding　that　she　has　started　North。

I　have　two　very　good　boys　and　both　speak　English；　and　are　from　Sierra　Leone。　　I　take　a　two…day　trip　of　200　miles　by　rail；　then　four　days　by　boat　up　the　Kasai　and　then　I　may　come　back　by　boat　or　walk。　　It　depends　on　how　I　like　it；　how　long　I　stay；　for　I　can　hope　to　see　very　little；　as　under　a　year　it　would　be　impossible　to　write　with　authority　of　this　country。　　But　I'll　see　more　of　it　than　some　at　home；　and　I'll　hear　what　those　who　have　lived　here　for　years　have　to　say。　　It　is　awfully　interesting；　absolutely　different　and　more　uncivilized　than　anything　I　ever　saw。　　But　all　the　time　you　are　depressed　with　how　little　you　know　and　can　know　of　it。　　I　will　be　here　six　weeks　or　two　months　and　then　should　get　up　the　coast　to　London　about　the　middle　of　May　or　sooner。

DICK。


From　diary　of　February　22nd；　1907。

Spent　about　the　worst　night　of　my　life。　　No　mattress；　no　pillow。　　Not　space　enough　for　my　own　cot。　　Every　insect　in　the　world　ate　me。　　After　a　bath　and　coffee　felt　better。　　It　rained　heavily　until　three　P。　M。　Read　Pendennis；　and　loved　it。　　The　picture　of　life　at　Clavering　and　Fairoaks；　and　Dr。　Portman　and　Foker　are　wonderful。　　I　do　not　know　when　I　have　enjoyed　and　admired　a　work　so　much。　　For　some　reason　it　is　all　entirely　new　again。　　I　will　read　them　all　now　in　turn。　　After　rain　cleared　took　my　slaves　and　went　after　〃supplies。〃　　Met　a　King。　　I　thought　he　was　a　witch　doctor；　and　the　boys　said　he　was　a　dancing　man。　　All　his　suite；　wives　and　subjects　followed；　singing　a　song　that　made　your　flesh　creep。　　At　Hatton　and　Cookson's　bought　〃plenty　chop〃　for　〃boys〃　who　were　much　pleased。　　Also　a　sparklet　bottle；　some　whiskey　and　two　pints　of　champagne　at　7　francs　the　pint。　　Blush　to　own　it　was　demi　Sec。　　Also　bacon；　jam；　milk；　envelopes；　a　pillow。　　Saw　some　ivory　State　had　seized　and　returned。　15　Kilo's。　　Some　taken　from　Gomez　across　street　not　returned　until　he　gave　up　half。　　No　reason　given　Taylor　agent　H。　&　C。　why　returned　Apparently　when　called　will　come　down　on　the　ivory　question。　　Cuthbert　Malet；　coffee　planter；　came　call　on　me。　　Only　Englishman　still　in　Service　State。　　Had　much　to　say　which　did　not　want　printed　until　he　out　of　country　which　will　be　in　month　or　two。　　Anstrossi　has　given　me　side　of　cabin　where　there　is　room　for　my　cot；　so　expect　to　sleep。


STANLEY　POOL；　Feb。　22nd；　1907。　DEAR　MOTHER：

When　you　get　this；　I　will　be　on　my　way　to　London。　　　The　rest　of　my　stay　here　will　be　on　board　two　boats；　touching　at　the　banks　of　the　Kasai　river。　　One　I　now　am　on　takes　me　up　and　another　takes　me　down。　　I　will　see　a　great　deal　that　is　strange　and　it　is　very　interesting。　　Yesterday；　for　example；　only　an　hour　before　our　train　reached　Gongolo　Station；　there　were　three　elephants　that　wandered　across　the　track。　　We　were　very　disappointed　not　to　have　seen　them。　　At　the　mission　house　on　the　way　up；　I　brought　the　first　ice　the　mission　boys　had　seen　and　when　I　put　a　piece　in　the　hand　of　one；　he　yelled　and　danced　about　as　though　it　were　a　coal。　　The　higher　up　you　go　the　tougher　it　gets。　　Back　in　the　jungle；　one　can　only　imagine　what　it　is　like。　　Here　all　the　white　men　have　black　wives；　and　the　way　the　whip　is　used　on　the　men　is　very　different　from　the　lower　congo。　　The　boat　is　about　as　large　as　a　touring　car；　with　all　the　machinery　exposed。　　I　am　very　comfortable　though；　with　my　bed　and　camp　chair；　and；　books　to　read；　when　one　gets　tired　of　this　great；　dirty　river。　　I；　expect　to　see　hippopotamuses　and　many　crocodiles　and　to　learn　something　of　the　〃atrocities〃　by　hearsay。　　To　see　for　oneself；　would　take　months。　　I　return　from　the　Kasai　district　by　a　boat　like　this　one；　burning　wood　and　with　a　stern　wheel；　reaching　Leopoldville；　this　place；　about　the　12th　of　March；　and　sailing　on　the　Albertville　for　Southampton　on　the　19th　of　March。　　So　I　should　be　in　London　and　so　very　near　you　by　the　8th　of　April。　　Of　course；　if　I　take　a　later　boat　from　here；　I　will　be　just　that　much　later。　　I　am　perfectly　well；　never　better。　　No　fever；　no　〃tired　feeling〃　good　appetite；　in　spite　of　awful　tough　food。　　From　this　place　money　cannot　be　used　and　I　carry　a　bag　of　salt　and　rolls　of　cloth。　　For　a　bottle　of　salt　you　get　a　fowl　or　a　turkey；　for　a　tablespoonful　an　egg；　or　a　bunch　of　fruit。　　When　you　write　be　sure　and　tell　me　ALL　your　plans　for　the　summer；　that　is；　after　you　have　been　to　see　us。　　My　dearest　love　to　you　all。

DICK。


From　diary　of　February　27th；　1907。

Saw　two　hippos。　　Thought　Anstrossi　said　they　were　buffalo。　　So　was　glad　when　I　found　out　what　they　were。　　I　did　not　want　to　go　home　without　having　seen　only　two　dead　ones。　　In　a　few　minutes　I　saw　two　more。　　Anstrossi　fired　at　them　but　I　did　not；　as　thought　it　not　the　game　when　one　could　not　recover　them。　　Before　noon　saw　six　in　a　bunchand　then　what　I　thought　was　a　spit　of　rock　with　a　hippo　lying　on　the　end　of　it；　turned　out　to　be　fifteen　hippos　in　a　line！　　Burnham　has　told　he　had　seen　eleven　in　the　Volta　in　one　day。　　Before　one　o'clock；　I　had　seen　twenty…six；　and；　later　in　the　day　Anstrossi　fired　at　another；　and　shot　a　hole　in　the　awning。　　That　made　twenty…seven　in　one　day。　　Also　some　monkeys。　The　hippos　were　delightful。　　They　seemed　so　aristocratic；　like　gouty　old　gentlemen；　puffing　and　blowing　and　yawning；　as　though　everything　bored　them。

From　diary　of　February　28th；　1907。

When　just　going　up　for　coffee；　saw　what　was　so　big；　looking　at　it　against　horizon；　thought　it　must　be　an　elephant。　　Was　a　young　hippo。　　Captain　Jensen　brought　boat　within　eighty　yards　of　him；　and　both　Anstrossi　and　I　fired；　apparently　knocking　him　off　his　legs；　for　he　rolled　on　his　side　as　though　his　back　was　broken。　　I　missed　him　the　second　shot；　which　struck　the　water　just　in　front　of　him。　　The　other　three　shots　caught　him　in　the　head；　in　the　mouth　and　ear。　　He　lay　quite　still；　and　the　boys　rushed　out　a　gang　plank　and　surrounded　him　singing　and　shouting　and　cutting　his　tail　to　make　him　bleed　and　weaken　him。　　They　don't　die　for　an　hour　but　he　seemed　dead　enough；　so　I　went　to　my　cabin　to　re…load　my　gun　and　my　camera。　　In　three　minutes　I　came　out；　and