From this point we could easily see the wide gape of the Rembwe,
the south-eastern influent, or rather fork, of the Gaboon, which
rises in the south-western versant of some meridional chain, and
which I was assured can be ascended in three tides. The people
told me when too late of a great cavity or sink, which they
called Wonga-Wonga; Bowdich represents it to be an "uninhabited
savannah of three days' extent, between Empoongwa and Adjoomba
(Mayumba). I saw nothing of the glittering diamond mountains,
lying eastward of Wonga-Wonga, concerning which the old traveller
was compelled to admit that, "when there was no moon, a pale but
distinct light was invariably reflected from a mountain in that
quarter, and from no other." It has now died out--this
superstition, which corresponds with the carbuncle of Hoy and
others of our Scoto-Scandinavian islands.
Resuming our cruize on the next day, we passed on the right a
village of "bad Bakele," which had been blown down by the French
during the last year; in this little business the "king" and two
lieges had been killed. The tribe is large and important,
scattered over several degrees north and south of the equator, as
is proved by their slaves being collected from distances of
several weeks and even months.
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