"I think they have something in them, and that they are more enterprising than Arabs."
"What makes you think so, particularly now?"
"Well, myself and kinsmen have been looking at this town, these big ships and piers, and we have thought how much better all these things appear compared to Zanzibar, which was captured from the Portuguese before this town was built, and I have been wondering why we could not have done as well as you white people. I begin to think you must be very clever."
"If you have discovered so much, Tippu-Tib, you are on the high road to discover more. The white men 1887.
March 16.
Cape Town. require a deal of study before you can quite make them out. It is a pity you never went to England for a visit."
"I hope to go there before I die."
"Be faithful to us on this long journey, and I will take you there, and you will see more things than you can dream of now."
"Inshallah! if it is the will of Allah we shall go together."
On the 18th March the Madura entered the mouth of the Congo River, and dropped her anchor about 200 yards abreast of the sandy point, called Banana.
In a few minutes I was in the presence of Mr. Lafontaine Ferney, the chief Agent of the Dutch Company, to whom our steamer was consigned. Through some delay he had not been informed of our intending to arrive as soon. Everybody professed surprise, as they did not expect us before the 25th, but this fortunate accident was solely due to the captain and the good steamer. However, I succeeded in making arrangements by which the Dutch Company's steamer K. A. Nieman—so named after a fine young man of that name, who had lately died at St. Paul de Loanda—would be placed at my disposal, for the transport to Mataddi of 230 men next day.