Although only four years have elapsed since my colleague penned the accompanying chapters, yet events have followed each other so fast that another short chapter seems to be needed to bring them up to date. During this brief interval, our knowledge of the geography of the country and the distribution of its waterways has been considerably extended; important political events have transpired on both the eastern and western boundaries of the Congo Free State; commerce has seriously undertaken the task of exploiting the resources of the interior; and missions also have been moving onward, and at the same time have succeeded in strengthening their old positions.
