one shows the slightest interest. This appeared curious at the time;
since however, it has transpired that fires in the holds are of common
occurrence, and that as the ships are all of iron, they usually burn
themselves out without harming anything. Soon after however, the captain
with an alarmed look, rushes up on deck and said that a terrible crime
or a great mistake had been committed. It appeared that by some error,
our cases of beer and some others belonging to Commandant Sillye had
been left on the beach at Kinshasa. Immediately we anchored last night a
native boatswain, or capita, was sent with six men in a canoe to fetch
them and ought to have returned by midnight. Nothing however, was heard
of the boat until now when the capita appeared and told a harrowing
story. He found the cases all right and started to return across the
river, but as it began to blow hard, he thought it better to make for
land and wait until the morning before trying to find the ship. He
succeeded in landing on the island of Bamu and soon after a white man
appeared with some Senegalese soldiers and demanded to know what was in
the cases. He explained, when the white man fired and killed all the
crew, but he ran away and escaped. The affair seemed serious so Lord
Mountmorres and Commandant Sillye left for Brazzaville to discover the
truth, while I stayed on the ship to superintend the landing of our
cargo if the fire extended.

Soon after the Commandant of the Port of Leopoldville arrived in a
steamer and asked if we wanted assistance as another ship had run on the
rocks higher up and sunk and he was hastening to rescue any possible
survivors. Sunday, July 24th indeed, seemed to be a veritable day of
horrors, but still no one appeared at all excited. By midday the fire in
the forehold was extinguished and thus one danger was removed. Later in
the afternoon just before sunset, an immense flock of ducks and geese
crossed the river, but as they were flying nearly a hundred feet up in