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We came back to the Seybolds for curry, bringing with us the Captain and the Chief, the Campbells and Mr. Burgess. It was a good lunch, and afterwards we all decided to go down the river with the Captain and do some fishing on the way back. From the Company's landing on the Farmington we got into a good big launch, which does 18 knots an hour, and started off down our first [[strikethrough]] tropical [[/strikethrough]] [[insertion]] African [[/insertion]] river. For a while we just sat and watched the river bank for signs of life, and in the course of the ride saw herons, egrets, a tall Episcopus stork, a hornbill, some pigeons and rails. 

Although the Captain had professed himself to be in a hurry to get back to his ship saying that this was the longest he had ever been away from it, he couldn't resist the temptation to have a try at fishing, and the men, and Bernice, soon had handlines out the back. The launch slowed down to three knots an hour, and after only a few moments' trolling Bernice hauled in a small barracuda. Then Dr. Campbell caught a "yellow jack" (which the white people don't eat, and a grouper, which is the best eating fish of all. 

We reached Marshall, the small port where the Du and the Farmington both empty into the sea, about four o'clock. Out beyond the sand bar we could see the outline of the Kebar, and we regretfully said good-bye to the ship's officers, who had been so friendly and such good company all the way out. 

Then we went slowly back up the river, fishing for two hours and a half. I had the only bit of luck, bringing in a 22 1/2 pound barracuda, about five feet l ong. I was astonished when I got the fish close to the boat, for it had not fought at all as I reeled it in, and I expected nothing more than a minnow from the feel of it. Well, if it's not a game fish it at least is a delicious food fish, and the Seybold household will have plenty of barracuda from now on, with George's big one still in the ice house, and now this one to add to it. 

March 13 - 

Did little all day except unpack and re-arrange our gear, so that camping cliothes would be accessible for our first trip into the bush, when and if we can arrange one.  [[insert]] As [[/insert]] [[strikethrough]] Like [[/strikethrough]] [[insert]] in [[/insert]] all new countries, it is hard to get started in our work, and it seems especially discouraging here, where so little trapping has been done.  The natives are accustomed to killing animals, not to catching them alive.

In the afternoon Bill went to see an old German who has two baby leopards, and a Liberian distiller of cane juice, who promised to send out "all his men" after animals for us.

Mr. and Mrs. Heilman came for dinner.  Just as we were sitting down for the frist drink word came that one of the big dump trucks had overturned down by the Company store, and two or three people killed.  Mr. Vipond dashed off at once, and came back to report that one man was dead, one dying, and five injured more of less seriously.  The driver, who escaped with a black eye, was under arrest, and the coroner's jury would have to be summoned.

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