“Because it’s the edge of a low swampy country, my lad, where great rivers come from inland and bring down the soil of thousands of miles.”
“But I always thought Africa was a sandy desert place where lions were roving about, and where Mungo Park went travelling to Timbuctoo and places like that.”
“Yes, my lad,” said the skipper; “but that’s the Africa of the old books, and there’s plenty of it like that on the east side and up in the north and where old Mungo Park went to, no doubt; but all along this coast it isn’t a dry and thirsty land, but as soon as you get through the mangroves, full of great forests and big rivers. Why, look at the sea here. Right away out it was all as clear as crystal; now here there’s mud enough for anything.”
“But we shan’t want to stop long in a muddy river with banks like this, captain,” said Morny.
“Don’t you be in too great a hurry to judge, sir,” said the skipper. “I have sailed up one or two of these rivers in my time, and when you get higher up you will find it very different: big forests with grand trees, rivers with fine water, and places beautiful enough for anything, such as will satisfy travellers who don’t want ports and towns. You and the doctor, Mr Rodd, will be able to get some fine shooting up there, if you like, and fine fishing too. Do you want to get any birds of all the colours of the rainbow?”
“Why, of course!” cried Rodd eagerly.
“Well, there you’ll find them, sir—singing birds too, green and gold and scarlet and grey, and some with long tails, and some with short. Only,” continued the skipper dryly, and with a grim smile at the two lads, “they don’t sing like our birds at home, but in a foreign lingo, all squeak and scream and squawk, through their having crooked hook beaks. They are what people at home call parrots and parakeets.”
“Oh, that’s what you mean!” cried Rodd, laughing.
“Of course, sir—them as you teaches to talk. Wicked ’uns, some of them, ready enough to learn anything the sailors teach them, but sulky as slugs when you want them to learn anything good.”
“But there are plenty of them, captain?” said Rodd.