Wherein the voyager gives extracts from the Log of
the Move and of the Eclaireur, and an account of the
voyager’s first meeting with “those fearful
Fans,” also an awful warning to all young persons
who neglect the study of the French language.
On the 20th of May I reached Gaboon, now called Libreville—the
capital of Congo Francais, and, thanks to the kindness
of Mr. Hudson, I was allowed a passage on a small
steamer then running from Gaboon to the Ogowe River,
and up it when necessary as far as navigation by steamer
is possible—this steamer is, I deeply regret
to say, now no more. As experiences of this kind
contain such miscellaneous masses of facts, I am forced
to commit the literary crime of giving you my Ogowe
set of experiences in the form of diary.
June 5th, 1895.—Off on Move at 9.30.
Passengers, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Woods, Mr. Huyghens,
Pere Steinitz, and I. There are black deck-passengers
galore; I do not know their honourable names, but they
are evidently very much married men, for there is quite
a gorgeously coloured little crowd of ladies to see
them off. They salute me as I pass down the
pier, and start inquiries. I say hastily to them:
“Farewell, I’m off up river,” for
I notice Mr. Fildes bearing down on me, and I don’t
want him to drop in on the subject of society interest.
I expect it is settled now, or pretty nearly.
There is a considerable amount of mild uproar among
the black contingent, and the Move firmly clears off
before half the good advice and good wishes for the
black husbands are aboard. She is a fine little
vessel; far finer than I expected. The accommodation
I am getting is excellent. A long, narrow cabin,
with one bunk in it and pretty nearly everything one
can wish for, and a copying press thrown in.
Food is excellent, society charming, captain and engineer
quite acquisitions. The saloon is square and
roomy for the size of the vessel, and most things,
from rowlocks to teapots, are kept under the seats
in good nautical style. We call at the guard-ship
to pass our papers, and then steam ahead out of the
Gaboon estuary to the south, round Pongara Point,
keeping close into the land. About forty feet
from shore there is a good free channel for vessels
with a light draught which if you do not take, you
have to make a big sweep seaward to avoid a reef.
Between four and five miles below Pongara, we pass
Point Gombi, which is fitted with a lighthouse, a
lively and conspicuous structure by day as well as
night. It is perched on a knoll, close to the
extremity of the long arm of low, sandy ground, and
is painted black and white, in horizontal bands, which,
in conjunction with its general figure, give it a pagoda-like
appearance.
