past the Inspector's house towards the beach to resume work, which is
always interrupted for three hours at 11.30 a.m. during the heat of the
day. In order to feed these people and the soldiers of the Force
Publique at Leopoldville, about a ton and a half of kwanga is prepared
every day from the manioc grown in the villages around, and every able
bodied native has to contribute his or her quota of work. Each person
indeed is supposed to work for at least forty hours each month, and
whether engaged on roads, buildings, or other public work, or in
collecting rubber, wood for the steamers, or kwanga for food, is paid at
the current rate. The principle of the system of Government, although
entirely novel, is undoubtedly sound and suited to the country and the
condition of the native. The whole territory is divided into two great
parts, the lands of the native chiefs and the vacant lands called here
the Domaine Privé. The Government has however, disposed of part of these
to Concessionary Companies in this sense, that the Companies have the
right to exploit all the products of the forest in these areas. Other
portions have been leased to Missions, to Commercial Houses and to
private people. The Government collects the rubber, ivory, food stuffs,
and other produce from the Domain Lands and with the proceeds,
constructs roads, navigates the rivers, maintains the Government and
army and generally develops the country and civilises the natives.

Trading relations are formed with the chiefs as follows: Agents are sent
into their districts with brass wire, cloth, salt, beads, or other
things likely to attract the natives, and these are exchanged for
rubber, ivory, gum copal, manioc, fish, fowl or other produce; thus the
value of rubber, ivory or any other substance is determined in terms of
brass wire, cloth or salt and so its value in sterling. Similarly, the
value of native labour is discovered and the native paid accordingly.
The brass wire is cut into lengths called mitakos, this form of currency