Evening star., 1930-06-01

ceiving our guests, for dining and repacking,
and for storage.
To our kitchen that evening the natives
trooped with supplies. The Belgian franc was
there worth only 3 cents in United States cur
rency. We paid franc for q chicken, l franc
for four quarts of deliciously tender green BEANS
" franc for two quarts of small red tomatoes,
so francs for a live sheep. As everywhere else
in Africa our living had been as expensive as
in America, this a change indeed
Our day had been filled to the brirn. AS the
late afternoon shadows heightened, Carl and
sat in our long canvas chairs on the edge of the
porch Six magnificent Kavirondo cranes tanned
since they were hedglings, walked majesticaly
across the lawn in front of us, turning their
golden crested heads inquiringly from side to
side. Savage looking native boys wandered up
and down beside our house, strumming strange
looking stringed instruments, wrought in primi-
tive design and warbling in monotonous but
tuneful voices. Saucy-looking native girls,
dressed as gaudily as Kongo fashions admit,
haunted the flower gardens near our head
quarters intent upon attracting the attention
of our boys. They did it. Sheet lightning
played across the western horizon. the after
math of a recent sudden cooling shower. Here
we were at last the borderland Of the most
interesting, because the most nearly untouched,
part of Africa undeveloped, remote, potential
Africa all Kenya and Uganda had been 20
years ago.
Four crowded days passed quickly in Rut-
shuru We had to obtain Kongo currency, secure
our entrance permits, pay taxes on our possess
sons. Then we had to reShape our loads for
the Kivu porterS. These natives are not stall
wart and outstanding like the Uganda porters.
Many were lame and in bad physical condition
They carry only 80 or 40 pounds at the most.
It was eight months since We had begun work
in Africa and our journey to the Gorilla Sane
tuary had long been dreamed of as the culmlna-
ton of our wonderful year there together.
Travel was easy enough as we went down the
grassy trails from RutShuru lined with shamoas
of bananas and beans. across the deep, swollen
Rutshuru River, its palm-fringed banks haroor-
ing the crocodile and the hippo, and across the
broken country to Busingisi
In the early forenoon, we reached the Hugarl
Uulenga) Mission of the White Fathers SOO
feet above RutShuru. There we stopped our
safari to pay our respects and II possible. 70
arrange for the purchase of the staple kiVu
posho beans for our native porters. After Carl
and RaddatZ had spent several hours III re-
pairing the Fathers motorcycle, and DerscneIo
had completed arrangements for food supplies
we left in a cold drizzle.
Carl had ordered the boys to stop on the
summit of a small hill overlooking the valley
and well above the rest house. He wished 10
camp where in 1921 he had met the old cnlet
Burunga who had given him his gorilla guloeS
and porters to take him up to the volcanoes.
But Burunga had been banished from the sec
ton for the commission Of petty crimes Carr
was greatly disappointed, as he had counted on
getting back to the spot where In 1921 MS
luck had turned" where he had gotten his frst
effect native assistants In his gorilla hunt.
Here our tents were pitched on q broken lava
camp ground surrounded by thick underground
and with noisy lions nearby.