I Made A Brief Halt Here,
Getting Some Soda Water.
I was not anxious to reach Victoria before
nightfall, but yet to reach it before dinner, and while I was
chatting, my boys came through the wood and the engineer most kindly
gave them a tot of brandy apiece, to which I owe their arrival in
Victoria.
I left them again resting, fearing I had overdone my
arrangements for arriving just after nightfall and went on down that
road which was more terrible than ever now to my bruised, weary
feet, but even more lovely than ever in the dying light of the
crimson sunset, with all its dark shadows among the trees begemmed
with countless fire-flies - and so safe into Victoria - sneaking up
the Government House hill by the private path through the Botanical
Gardens.
Idabea, the steward, turned up, and I asked him to let me have some
tea and bread and butter, for I was dreadfully hungry. He rushed
off, and I heard tremendous operations going on in the room above.
In a few seconds water poured freely down through the dining-room
ceiling. It was bath palaver again. The excellent Idabea evidently
thought it was severely wanted, more wanted than such vanities as
tea. Fortunately, Herr von Lucke was away down in town, looking
after duty as usual, so I was tidy before he returned to dinner.
When he returned he had the satisfaction a prophet should feel. I
had got half-drowned, and I had got an awful cold, the most awful
cold in the head of modern times, I believe, but he was not
artistically exultant over my afflictions.
My men having all reported themselves safe I went to my comfortable
rooms, but could not turn in, so fascinating was the warmth and
beauty down here; and as I sat on the verandah overlooking Victoria
and the sea, in the dim soft light of the stars, with the fire-flies
round me, and the lights of Victoria away below, and heard the soft
rush of the Lukola River, and the sound of the sea-surf on the
rocks, and the tom-tomming and singing of the natives, all matching
and mingling together, "Why did I come to Africa?" thought I. Why!
who would not come to its twin brother hell itself for all the
beauty and the charm of it!
CHAPTER XXI. TRADE AND LABOUR IN WEST AFRICA.
As I am under the impression that the trade of the West African
Coast is its most important attribute, I hope I may be pardoned for
entering into this subject. My chief excuse for so doing lies in
the fact that independent travellers are rare in the Bights. The
last one I remember hearing of was that unfortunate gentleman who
went to the Coast for pleasure and lost a leg on Lagos Bar. Now I
have not lost any portion of my anatomy anywhere on the Coast, and
therefore have no personal prejudice against the place.
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