" In 1817 Bowdich identified the "Ogoowai"
with the Congo, and the Rev. Mr. Wilson (p. 284) shows us the
small amount of knowledge that existed even amongst experts, five
years before the "Gorilla book" appeared. "From Cape Lopez, where
the Nazareth debouches, there is a narrow lagoon running along
the sea-coast, and very near to it, all the way to Mayumba. This
lagoon is much traversed by boats and canoes, and, when the
slave-trade was in vigorous operation, it afforded the Portuguese
traders great facilities for eluding the vigilance of British
cruizers, by shifting their slaves from point to point, and
embarking them, according to a preconcerted plan."
M. du Chaillu first proved that the Ogobe was formed by two
forks, the northern, or Rembo Okanda, and the southern, or Rembo
Nguye. The former is the more important. Mr. R.S.N. Walker found
this stream above the confluence to be from 1,800 to 2,100 feet
wide, though half the bed was occupied by bare sand-banks. Higher
up, where rocks and rapids interfered with the boat-voyage, the
current was considerable, but the breadth diminished to 600 feet.
Pages:
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75