Chapter XI: Through the Forest to Mazamboni's Peak

In the country of the Balessé--Their houses and clearings--Natives of Bukiri--The first village of dwarfs--Our rate of progress increased--The road from Mambungu's--Halts at East and West Indékaru--A little storm between "Three o'clock" and Khamis--We reach Ibwiri--Khamis and the "vile Zanzibaris"--The Ibwiri clearing--Plentiful provisions--The state of my men; and what they had recently gone through--Khamis and party explore the neighbourhood--And return with a flock of goats--Khamis captures Boryo, but is released--Jephson returns from the relief of Captain Nelson--Departure of Khamis and the Manyuema--Memorandum of charges against Messrs. Kilonga-Longa & Co. of Ipoto--Suicide of Simba--Sali's reflections on the same--Lieutenant Stairs reconnoitres--Muster and reorganisation at Ibwiri--Improved condition of the men--Boryo's village--Balessé customs--East Indenduru--We reach the outskirts of the forest--Mount Pisgah--The village of Iyugu--Heaven's light at last; the beautiful grass-land--We drop across an ancient crone--Indésura and its products--Juma's capture--The Ituri river again--We emerge upon a rolling plain--And forage in some villages--The mode of hut construction--The district of the Babusessé--Our Mbiri captives--Natives attack the camp--The course of the Ituri--The natives of Abunguma--Our fare since leaving Ibwiri--Mazamboni's Peak--The east Ituri--A mass of plantations--Demonstration by the natives--Our camp on the crest of Nzera Kum--"Be strong and of a good courage"--Friendly intercourse with the natives--We are compelled to disperse them--Peace arranged--Arms of the Bandussuma 255

CHAPTER XII. ARRIVAL AT LAKE ALBERT AND OUR RETURN TO IBWIRI.

We are further annoyed by the natives--Their villages fired--Gavira's village--We keep the natives at bay--Plateau of Unyoro in view--Night attack by the natives--The village of Katonza's--Parley with the natives--No news of the Pasha--Our supply of cartridges--We consider our position--Lieutenant Stairs converses with the people of Kasenya Island--The only sensible course left us--Again attacked by natives--Scenery on the lake's shore--We climb a mountain--A rich discovery of grain--The rich valley of Undussuma--Our return journey to Ibwiri--The construction of Fort Bodo 319

CHAPTER XIII. LIFE AT FORT BODO.

Our impending duties--The stockade of Fort Bodo--Instructions to Lieutenant Stairs--His departure for Kilonga-Longa's--Pested by rats, mosquitoes, &c.--Nights disturbed by the lemur--Armies of red ants--Snakes in tropical Africa--Hoisting the Egyptian flag--Arrival of Surgeon Parke and Captain Nelson from Ipoto--Report of their stay with the Manyuema--Lieutenant Stairs arrives with the steel boat--We determine to push on to the Lake at once--Volunteers to convey letters to Major Barttelot--Illness of myself and Captain Nelson--Uledi captures a Queen of the Pigmies--Our fields of corn--Life at Fort Bodo--We again set out for the Nyanza 350

CHAPTER XIV. TO THE ALBERT NYANZA A SECOND TIME.

Difficulties with the steel boat--African forest craft--Splendid capture of pigmies, and description of the same--We cross the Ituri River--Dr. Parke's delight on leaving the forest--Camp at Bessé--Zanzibari wit--At Nzera-Kum Hill once more--Intercourse with the natives--"Malleju," or the "Bearded One," being first news of Emin--Visit from chief Mazamboni and his followers--Jephson goes through the form of friendship with Mazamboni--The medicine men, Nestor and Murabo--The tribes of the Congo--Visit from chief Gavira--A Mhuma chief--The Bavira and Wahuma races--The varying African features--Friendship with Mpinga--Gavira and the looking-glass--Exposed Uzanza--We reach Kavalli--The chief produces "Malleju's" letter--Emin's letter--Jephson and Parke convey the steel boat to the lake--Copy of letter sent by me to Emin through Jephson--Friendly visits from natives 373

CHAPTER XV. THE MEETING WITH EMIN PASHA.

Our camp at Bundi--Mbiassi, the chief of Kavalli--The Balegga granaries--Chiefs Katonza and Komubi express contrition--The kites at Badzwa--A note from Jephson--Emin, Casati and Jephson walk into our camp at old Kavalli--Descriptions of Emin Pasha and Captain Casati--The Pasha's Soudanese--Our Zanzibaris--The steamer _Khedive_--Baker and the Blue Mountains--Drs. Junker and Felkin's descriptions of Emin--Proximity of Kabba Rega--Emin and the Equatorial Provinces--Dr. Junker's report of Emin--I discuss with Emin our future proceedings--Captain Casati's plans--Our camp and provisions at Nsabé--Kabba Rega's treatment of Captain Casati and Mohammed Biri--Mabruki gored by a buffalo--Emin Pasha and his soldiers--My propositions to Emin and his answer--Emin's position--Mahomet Achmet--The Congo State--The Foreign Office despatches 393