Page:Travels in West Africa, Congo Français, Corisco and Cameroons (IA travelsinwestafr00kingrich).pdf/670

 is this way: after being in West Africa some little time, particularly if you have been away in the bush, your wardrobe is always in a rarefied state. For example, when in Cameroons I had one dress, and one only, that I regarded as fit to support the dignity of a representative of England, so of course when going to call on the representative of another Power I had to put that dress on, and then go out in open boats to war-ships or for bush walks in it, and equally of course down came tornadoes and rain by the ton. I did not care for the thunder, lightning, or wind. What worried me was the conviction that that precious rain would take the colour out of my costume.

Governor von Puttkamer has a peculiarity not shared by any other Governor on the Coast. He likes the sea, so during breakfast the Nachtigal was ordered to steam about the bay, which she energetically did. Fortunately, I like the sea too, or—well! as it was, the only inconvenience we suffered was getting a heavy shock in the middle of the meal. We thought we had discovered a new rock, but found we had only struck a sleeping whale. What the whale thought I do not know, but it made a considerable fuss and left the bay without a word of apology to the Governor.

The Nachtigal left Victoria the next day, it being held too unhealthy a place for the Governor to stay in after his severe illness, and went round to Man-o'-War Bay. And the day after Herr von Lucke took me round to the plantation in Man-o'-War Bay, whereat the Governor was staying for a few days.

Man-o'-War Bay is a very peculiar and charming bay to the south of Ambas, having a narrower inlet and not quite so great a depth as the latter, from which it is separated by a high rocky promontory of hills. I do not think it has been carefully sounded, but there is deep water close alongside its shores, which rise very steeply in densely wooded mountains. The main peculiarity of it is that through a rock wall at its eastern end there is a natural tunnel in the rock, and you can row through this in a boat and then find yourself on another sheet of water which has no other inlet or outlet, and is, if possible, more beautiful than Man-o'-War Bay itself,