The blessed day came when I got on "The Anversville" and changed from the dirt and discomfort of the river boat and the colonial hotel to the luxury of the ocean vessel. It was like stepping into paradise to get settled once more in an immaculate cabin with its shining brass bedstead and the inviting bathroom adjacent. I spent an hour calmly sitting on the divan and revelling in this welcome environment. It was almost too good to be true.
Nelson remained with me to the end. He helped the stewards place my luggage in the ship, which was the first liner he had ever seen. He was almost appalled at its magnitude. I asked him if he would like to accompany me to Europe. He shook his head solemnly and said, "No, master. The ship is too big and I am afraid of it. I want to go home to Elizabethville." As a parting gift I gave him more money than he had ever before seen in his life. It only elicited this laconic response, "Now I am rich enough to buy a wife." With these words he bade me farewell.
"The Anversville" was another agreeable surprise. She is one of three sister ships in the service of the Compagnie Belge Maritime du Congo. The other two are "The Albertville" and "The Elizabethville." The original "Elizabethville" was sunk by a German submarine during the war off the coast of France. These vessels are big, clean, and comfortable and the service is excellent.
All vessels to and from Europe stop at Boma, the capital of the Congo, which is five hours steaming down river from Matadi. We remained here for a day and a half because the Minister of the Colonies was to go back on "The Anversville." I was glad of the opportunity for it enabled me to see this town, which is the mainspring of the colonial administration. The palace of the Governor-General stands on a commanding hill and is a pretentious establishment. The original capital of the Congo was Vivi, established by Stanley at a point not far from Matadi. It was abandoned some year ago on account of its undesirable location. There is a strong sentiment that Leopoldville and not Boma should be the capital and it is not unlikely that this change will be made.
The Minister of the Colonies and Monsieur Henry, the Governor-General, who also went home on our boat, received a spectacular send-off. A thousand native troops provided the guard of honour which was drawn up on the bank of the river. Native bands played, flags waved, and the populace, which included hundreds of blacks, shouted a noisy farewell.
Slowly and majestically the vessel backed away from the pier and turned its prow downstream. With mingled feelings of relief and regret I watched the shores recede as the body of the river widened. Near the mouth it is twenty miles wide and hundreds of feet deep.
At Banana Point I looked my last on the Congo River. For months I had followed its winding way through a land that teems with hidden life and resists the inroads of man. I had been lulled to sleep by its dull roar; I had observed its varied caprice; I had caught the glamour of its subtle charm. Something of its vast and mysterious spirit laid hold of me. Now at parting the mighty stream seemed more than ever to be invested with a tenacious human quality. Sixty miles out at sea its sullen brown current still vies with the green and blue of the ocean swell. It lingers like the spell of all Africa.
The Congo is merely a phase of the larger lure.
INDEX
Albert, Lake, 60, 180
Alberta, 208, 209, 211,
212, 214
Albertville, 60
Ants, 155, 156
Armour, J. Ogden, 125
Bailey, Sir Abe, 135
Ball, Sidney H., 244, 245
Baluba, 203
Bangala, The, 194, 195, 200,
203
Barclay, Mrs. Edwin, 265
Barclay, Mr. Edwin, 265, 270
Barnato, Barney, 70-80, 86
Basuto, 92
Bechuanaland, 103, 106-108,
113
Behr, H. C., 86
Beira, 119, 127, 150
Belgian Congo, 59, 81, 107,
124, 125,
130, 139-177, 225,
227-230,
241-284
Benguella, 151
Bia Expedition, 241
Bolobo, 202
Botha, General, 16-17, 19,
22, 23,
24-26,
38, 39,
74, 98
Braham, I. F., 212, 213, 214
Brandsma, Father, 192, 193
British South Africa Company, 108-111, 115,
126-127
Broken Hill Railway, 146
Bukama, 61, 160, 163
Bulawayo, 104-106, 112,
113, 127,
130, 134,
135, 144,
150
Bunge, Edward, 244
Butner, Daniel, 149
Butters, Charles, 86, 88
Cairo, 57
Cameroons, 100, 101
Campbell, J. G., 167-168
"Cape-boy," 93
Cape Colony, 23, 64
"Cape-to-Cairo," 57-101, 108,
146, 150-151
Capetown, 17, 28-30,
57, 68,
74, 76,
104, 105,
114
Carnahan, Thomas, 149
Carrie, Albert, 248-249
Carson, Sir Edward, 27
Casement, Sir Roger, 100, 142
Chaka, 105
Chaplin, Sir Drummond, 109-110
Chilembwe, John, 94
Clement, Victor M., 86, 88
Cleveland, President, 227
Cleveland, Rev. Roy Fields, 277,
278
"Comte de Flandre," 189-192, 197
Congo-Kasai Province, 221, 246, 248
Congo River, The, 59, 140-145,
153, 160-162, 179-284
Coquilhatville, 201-202, 216
Crane, Mr. and Mrs. Charles L., 278-279
Creswell, Col. F. H. P., 29-30
Cullinan, Thomas M., 90
Curtis, J. S., 86, 88
Davis, Charles H., 277, 278
Dean, Captain, 187, 188
DeBeers, 78-80, 129
Delcommune, Alexander, 243-244
Diamonds, 64, 76, 77-90, 94,
134, 135,
146, 152,
244, 265;
Congo Fields, 265-269;
Congo Output, 152
Djoko Punda, 225, 247, 255,
269, 275,
276
Doyle, Donald, 259, 262, 267
Doyle, Mrs. Donald, 264
Dubois, Lieutenant, 187-188
Dunn, Dr. John, 262
Durban 69
Dutoitspan Mine, 81
Elizabethville, 145, 147, 148,
149, 153,
157, 181
Fairbairn, Henry, 277, 278
Forminiere, The, 225-228, 232-234, 237,
256, 257,
261, 277
Franck, Louis, 169-176, 179
Francqui, Emile, 239-243
Fungurume, 157, 160
George, Lloyd, 15, 38, 40-42, 45
German East Africa, 70, 101, 166
German South-West Africa, 25,
70, 73,
81, 99,
101, 152
Germany in Africa, 98-101, 150,
151, 165,
166, 174,
210, 216,
231
Gerome, 157, 181
Gordon, General, 58, 187
Grenfell, George, 198, 201, 203,
255
Grey, George, 147
Groote Schuur, 32-34, 36,
41, 47,
53, 114
Guggenheim, Daniel, 235
Hammond, John Hays, 84, 86, 88,
128-129,
235
Harriman, E. H., 238, 239
Hellman, Fred, 86
Hertzog, General W. B. M., 25-28, 46,
50-51,
53
Hex River, 76
Honnold, W. L., 86
Horner, Preston K., 149, 157
Hottentot, 92, 93
Hoy, Sir William W., 66-67
Huileries du Congo Belge, 189,
208-212,
222, 226,
263
Jadot, Jean, 237-238, 239,
241, 243
Jameson, Raid, 23, 86, 87,
89, 100,
115
Jameson, Sir Starr 80, 89, 106,
111, 117,
136
Janot, N., 245
Jenkins, Hennen, 86, 87
Jennings, Sidney, 86
Johannesburg, 30, 65, 76,
78, 84,
85, 89,
93, 103,
105, 244
Johnston, Sir Harry, 197, 201, 203,
212, 255
Kabalo, 60, 165
Kabambaie, 258, 259, 275,
276
Kaffir, 64, 71, 82,
92, 266
Kahew, Frank, 149
Kambove, 149, 150
Karoo, 77
Kasai River, 95-96, 156,
189, 191,
199, 217,
223, 225,
227, 246,
247,
249, 253-258, 264,
269, 275
Katanga, 145-146, 147,
148, 149,
150-153,
165, 174-175, 181,
194, 226,
241
Kimberley, 64, 76, 77,
90, 94,
134, 135,
146, 154,
244, 265
Kindu, 59, 168-169,
170
Kinshassa, 153, 190, 201,
216, 217,
221-222,
247, 275,
281
Kitchener, Lord, 15, 39, 77
Kito, 180-181
Kongolo, 59, 166, 168,
177
Kruger, Paul, 22, 38, 47,
87-88,
89, 100,
107
Kwamouth, 217, 247
Kwilu River, 47, 209, 226
Labram, George, 82-83
Lane, Capt. E. F. C., 43
Leggett, T. H., 86
Leopold, King, 106, 139, 142,
150, 158,
226, 227,
228, 229,
230-235,
244, 245
Leopoldville, 221, 222
Leverhulme, Lord, 189, 208, 248
Leverville, 209
Lewaniki, 125
Livingstone, Dr., 184, 185, 254
Lobengula, 105, 106, 112,
115, 134
"Louis Cousin," 160-162
Lowa, 170
Lualaba River, 59, 60, 160,
161-164,
168, 170,
177, 190,
191, 197
Luluaburg, 215
Lusanga, 249, 251
Mabonda Mine, 265, 270
"Madeleine," 252-254, 276
Mafeking, 103
Maguire, Rochfort, 107
Mahagi, 59-60, 62
Maize, 124-125
Mashonaland, 106, 111-112
Matabele, 103, 105, 106,
112, 113,
115, 126,
134
Matadi, 279-281, 282
Matopo Hills, 113-114, 115,
135
McMillan, William, 267
McMillan, Mrs. William, 268
Mein, Capt. Thomas, 86, 88
Mein, W. W., 86
Merriman, J. X., 94
Milner, Lord, 118
Mohun, R. D. L., 244, 245, 246
Moody, G. D., 256, 257, 258,
259, 261,
276
Morgan, J. P. 74, 228, 238
Morrison, Rev. W. M., 273
Moul, R. D., 143
Nanda, 254, 255
Natal, 21, 23, 78,
122
Nelson, 181-182, 248,
257, 258,
276, 282,
283
Newport, Glenn H., 271
Nile River, 59, 60, 175
Nyassaland, 94, 142
Oliver, Roland B., 245
Orange Free State, 21, 23, 25,
50, 106,
139
Perkins, H. C., 86
Plumer, Lord, 113
Ponthierville, 59, 152, 170
Port Elizabeth, 72, 77
Portuguese East Africa, 106,
112, 113,
150
Prester, John, 94
Pretoria, 47, 76, 90,
93
Rand, The, 84-85, 86,
87, 89,
152, 249
Reid, A. E. H., 245
Reid, C. A., 245
Rey, General de la, 25, 45
Rhodes, Cecil, 17, 20, 32,
58, 60-61, 77-83, 86,
104-110,
114-121,
125,
129-137,
150, 165,
186, 230
Rhodesia, 18, 33, 59,
94, 103-110, 114-121, 122-131
Roberts, Lord, 16
Robinson, J. B., 85
Robison, J. E., 256, 258
Rondebosch, 32
Roos, Tielman, 53-54
Roosevelt, Theodore, 19
Rudd, C. D., 107
Ryan, Thomas F., 228, 232-235,
244, 275
Sabin, Charles H., 74
Sakania, 144
Sanford, General H. S., 227,
228
Selous, F. C., 111
Seymour, Louis, 86
Shaler, Millard K., 245
Smartt, Sir Thomas, 52
Smith, Hamilton, 86
Smuts, Jan Christian, 15-20, 23,
24-26,
28, 29-56, 98
Snow, Frederick, 149
Société Generale, 234-236, 239
Solvay, Edmond, 244
Soudan Railway, 60
Stanley, Henry M., 159, 166, 170,
177, 183,
184, 185-188, 194,
196,
201, 203,
217, 218-221, 227,
228, 230,
255, 262
Stanley Pool, 218, 222, 279
Stanleyville, 59, 162, 166,
168, 169,
175, 177-180, 183,
185, 189,
190,
196, 200
Steyne, President, 49
Stoddard, Lothrop, 96
Stonelake, Dr., 202
Tambeur, General, 165
Tanganyika Lake, 60, 142, 150,
166, 169
Teneriffe, 69
Thompson, F. R., 107
Thompson, Samuel, 86
Thompson, W. B., 74
Thys, General Albert, 279, 280
Tippo Tib, 166,
184-185
Togoland, 100-101
"Tony", 133
Transvaal, 21, 23, 50,
106
Tshikapa, 247, 256, 259,
262, 263,
264, 265,
267, 275,
282
Uganda, 59
Union of South Africa, 18, 20, 23
Van den Hove, Adrian M., 251-252
Venezilos, 15
Verner, S. P., 244
Victoria Falls, 104, 127, 130-132
Vryburg, 119
Wallace, Major Claude, 212,
213, 214
Wallace, Mrs. Claude, 212
Wangermee, General Emile, 148
Wankie, 128
Ward, Herbert, 184-188, 203
Warriner, Ruel C., 86
Webb, H. H., 86
Webber, George, 86
Wheeler, A. E., 149
Whitney, Harry Payne, 235
Williams, Gardner F., 82, 88
Williams, Robert, 61, 146, 150,
151, 175
Wilson, Woodrow, 37, 40, 42,
43, 50
Wissmann, Herman, 255
Yale, Thomas, 149
Yeatman, Pope, 86
Zambesi River, 18, 109, 131-132
Zambesia, 108
Zimbabwe Ruins, 130
Zulu, 64, 71, 82,
92, 93,
266