Many native villages exist near Leopoldville, consisting of huts formed of wooden frames and thatched with grass.  There are no plantations or factories here but great numbers of natives are at present employed in road making and in constructing a new slip for launching the steamers.  Evidently our little party gives rise to much comment for several of the natives have probably never seen a horse before, and a cavalcade of four of these strange animals is something entirely new.  On our way back to the ship we pass down the main street in which are the administrative offices, the mess, the doctors’ and other private houses and close to the beach, the Residency, over which flies the State flag and in front of which patrols a sentry.  At first one thought the sentry in front of the chief official’s house in each town, was merely a symbol of authority as in Europe, afterwards however, it becomes apparent that the system of Government in the Congo is based on absolute uniformity.  Every Post, however big or small, has its State flag and every chief official, from the Governor to the chief of a Wood Post, has a sentry at his door.  Each morning at sunrise the flag is hoisted, while the guard presents arms and every evening at sunset it is lowered with like ceremony.  Indeed, the whole system is military, for everyone rises, works, eats and sleeps at the command of the clarion.  It is a custom at most official and private parties in the Congo, to hand round port wine and cigars before sitting down to table.  At first this seemed a strange kind of aperative., but soon the glass of port became very agreeable after the morning’s work.

Ten or twelve guests were assembled on the verandah when we arrived, and soon Mr. Armarni joined the group.  He is an Italian, an ex-naval officer of distinction and now Commissaire du Roi of the Congo, a position which ranks with, but after, that of Governor General.  By a simple and practical device, the relative rank of all the Administrative and Military officials can be determined at a glance.  Each wears a blue gauntlet on each wrist and forearm over the white sleeve of his coat and affixed on this are a number of gold bands.  A captain of a river steamer, perhaps has three or four bands, a Chef de Poste, four or five, a Commissaire of a Zone or District, seven or eight, an Inspecteur d’Etat, nine or ten, and the Governor General, eleven.  In order however, to economise space and perhaps to facilitate counting, when more than three stripes are worn, a broad strip is substituted which corresponds to the original three.  Thus an official with five stripes wears one broad and two narrow ones, while the Governor General wears three broad stripes and two narrow ones.  The chief decoration, the order of the Lion, can only be gained by Belgians, but the Congo Star is given to all after a certain term of service.  Those who hold purely civil appointments such at Judges, Secretaries and Directors of Transport, wear no stripes at all.