Mme. Forget Received Me Most Kindly, And, Thanks To Her Ever
Thoughtful Hospitality, I Spent A Very Pleasant Time At Talagouga,
Wandering About The Forest And Collecting Fishes From The Native
Fishermen:
And seeing the strange forms of some of these Talagouga
region fishes and the marked difference between them and those of
Lembarene, I set my heart on going up into the region of the Ogowe
rapids.
For some time no one whom I could get hold of regarded it
as a feasible scheme, but, at last, M. Gacon thought it might be
managed; I said I would give a reward of 100 francs to any one who
would lend me a canoe and a crew, and I would pay the working
expenses, food, wages, etc. M. Gacon had a good canoe and could
spare me two English-speaking Igalwas, one of whom had been part of
the way with MM. Allegret and Teisseres, when they made their
journey up to Franceville and then across to Brazzaville and down
the Congo two years ago. He also thought we could get six Fans to
complete the crew. I was delighted, packed my small portmanteau
with a few things, got some trade goods, wound up my watch,
ascertained the date of the day of the month, and borrowed three
hair-pins from Mme. Forget, then down came disappointment. On my
return from the bush that evening, Mme. Forget said M. Gacon said
"it was impossible," the Fans round Talagouga wouldn't go at any
price above Njole, because they were certain they would be killed
and eaten by the up-river Fans. Internally consigning the entire
tribe to regions where they will get a rise in temperature, even on
this climate, I went with Mme. Forget to M. Gacon, and we talked it
over; finally, M. Gacon thought he could let me have two more
Igalwas from Hatton and Cookson's beach across the river. Sending
across there we found this could be done, so I now felt I was in for
it, and screwed my courage to the sticking point - no easy matter
after all the information I had got into my mind regarding the
rapids of the River Ogowe.
I establish myself on my portmanteau comfortably in the canoe, my
back is against the trade box, and behind that is the usual mound of
pillows, sleeping mats, and mosquito-bars of the Igalwa crew; the
whole surmounted by the French flag flying from an indifferent
stick.
M. and Mme. Forget provide me with everything I can possibly
require, and say that the blood of half my crew is half alcohol; on
the whole it is patent they don't expect to see me again, and I
forgive them, because they don't seem cheerful over it; but still it
is not reassuring - nothing is about this affair, and it's going to
rain. It does, as we go up the river to Njole, where there is
another risk of the affair collapsing, by the French authorities
declining to allow me to proceed.
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