Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-11-01
Congo Scenery.

Il 4 Congo Scenery. sgsaassg
I left Isangila on January 10 with my
three Zanzibaris to 60 up the Congo IN
the kttle steamer, Royal now removed
to the upper river and forming part of
Mr., Stanley's fotilla. -.
The scenery at first was very pretty.
The banks were richly forested. and
masses Of creepers overspreadthe river
side trees. Sometimes theya appeared
like q green cloth thrown, lightly over
the foliage, showing its masses and
forms distinctly marked underneath.
Sometimes they formed d delicate emer-
aid cobwebbefy, or upreared great walls
of vegetation, looking ~as. if carefully
trirnmed into uniformity of surface, but
often scarcely foot In thickness. I
can hardly give just idea of these
beautiful examples of vegetable archi-
lecture. Often these creepers would
stretch out, as It We're, a fresh series of
constructions, their long straight Ilianas
acting as scafold poles. Then would
come. the horizontal interlacing, arms.
and on this foundation the beautiful
and uniform foliage breaks out, until,
soon, thin walls and enclosures are
made. generally round some giant tree.
How lovely these arbors seemed to rest
in! Beautiful pink convolvuli with
crimson center, and pale yellow flowers
of the creeping cucurbits, varied the
monotonyA Of sthe green, while the
orangesred gourds of3ithe' latter shone
like little lamps amid the diapered foli-
age. The giant speckled kinglfsher
and his little active black and white
hrnthoy- b,,, tod f1o
these walls Of vegetation. enclosed, and
on the gaunt, bare branches which
forced their way through the tender
interlacing creepers' like wild, protest
ing arms trying to rid Themselves Of a
clinging and deceitfu1 embrace the
gnarled and whitened boughs the fish
ing eagle perched, greeting our APP
proach with cheerful, 'bpfsterous
screams. A giant heron, too, sat. on
branch amid somber shade. where he
would have remained. quite indistin-
guishable from the gray bonghs and
boIes around him, but. overcome with a
spasm.of tardy fear, he founced out
from his retreat, nearly Knocked against
the funnel of the steamer. land tapped
his huge wings with frightful striyings,
Here and there the Congo became
strewn with rocky islsts., sparsely4crest-s
ed with trees, and in and out OF these
the stream was whirling and seddying
and babbljng over the hidden rocks.
We stopped at one of these islands, and
at this spot the lighter we had hitherto
been towing had to be closely tied
alongside the little steamer, for together
we were to cross a formidable whirl-
pool. When we turned the island, we
saw the vortex, with great focks OF
foam like balls of cotton wool dancing
madly in a perpetual round. Full pres
sure was put on. and In we Went-tiz-
zing!-an1 out again at right angles,
so that some of the balls of foam, like
bewiltlered captives in an enchanter's
magic circle, are set free by our sudden
breaking through the .rneshes, and GO
gayly floating down the stream. Some
Tunes there, are, long stretchespf low
rocks in the river, looking like rows Of
states stacked in a builders / yard; and
on the shore of the stream and along
the island beaches would show banks of
dazzling white sand. apparently above
tloodmark, since numbers of pratineoles
had made their nests there These
pretty little birds. called scientifically
Glareola, are really small waders, dis
family allied to the .plovers, and : with,
even far-off Relationship, perhaps, to
pigeons and sand grouse; but to q
superficial observer they seem merely
large, stout swallows, and, certainly rel
semble these birds by the way Id which
they pursue the insects over the surface |
of the water,1 flying low and catching
their prey in mid-fiight. On the Congo,
between Isangi1a and Manyanga they !
are found in focks of over 1000 at a 1
time, absolutely i, covering the Isolated !
rocks on which they perch. Perhaps |
their presence in such large numbers is
the reason why in this stretch of thed
river mosquitoes are so happily absent
In the broader parts of the Congo
groups of trees stand in the very middle
of the river, stemming its rapid flood.
They must mark the sites of rocks and |
hanks uncovered in the dry season, or.
more probably, of newly submerged |
islands, for otherwise the Seeding tree |
could hardly have obtained sufficient |
growth in one dry season to withstand
the rivers tiood.-Lo1sdon Truth.