CHAPTER V
 

BONTHE
 

Most of us retain something of our first vivid impres¬
sion of a country that, to us, is entirely fresh. Unfortu¬
nately, that freshness fades all too soon, and, especially
in a region where the mangrove abounds, gives place to
a sense of monotony, only to be dispelled by a constant
study of one's surroundings.

I never put my own first impressions of the West Coast
upon paper, and now they have been crossed and recrossed
by the experiences of many years; but I have fortunately
just come upon a few lines written by an English lady
when, to her, all was still in its first freshness. It is not
a bad thing to arrive in the Sherbro after dark, because
then the whole scene bursts upon you suddenly in the
morning.

I will not mention the exact spot from which the view
described in the following lines may be seen. It is typical
of that part of the Sherbro River from which the Atlantic is
visible :—" At half-past five next morning I went out on to
the verandah, and there stood speechless for a while, taking
in the utter loveliness of the scene before me. This is
what I saw :   A broad river, far off* in the distance the sea,