CHAPTER XI.

THROUGH THE FOREST TO MAZAMBONI'S PEAK.

In the country of the Balessé--Their houses and clearings--Natives of Bukiri--The first village of dwarfs--Our rate of progress increased--The road from Mambungu's--Halts at East and West Indékaru--A little storm between "Three o'clock" and Khamis--We reach Ibwiri--Khamis and the "vile Zanzibaris"--The Ibwiri clearing--Plentiful provisions--The state of my men; and what they had recently gone through--Khamis and party explore the neighbourhood--And return with a flock of goats--Khamis captures Boryo, but is released--Jephson returns from the relief of Captain Nelson--Departure of Khamis and the Manyuema--Memorandum of charges against Messrs. Kilonga-Longa & Co. of Ipoto--Suicide of Simba--Sali's reflections on the same--Lieutenant Stairs reconnoitres--Muster and reorganisation at Ibwiri--Improved condition of the men--Boryo's village--Balessé customs--East Indenduru--We reach the outskirts of the forest--Mount Pisgah--The village of Iyugu--Heaven's light at last; the beautiful grass-land--We drop across an ancient crone--Indésura and its products--Juma's capture--The Ituri river again--We emerge upon a rolling plain--And forage in some villages--The mode of hut construction--The district of the Babusessé--Our Mbiri captives--Natives attack the camp--The course of the Ituri--The natives of Abunguma--Our fare since leaving Ibwiri--Mazamboni's Peak--The east Ituri--A mass of plantations--Demonstration by the natives--Our camp on the crest of Nzera Kum--"Be strong and of a good courage"--Friendly intercourse with the natives--We are compelled to disperse them--Peace arranged--Arms of the Bandussuma 255