At twelve o'clock they went on board the Niger, bound for the west coast of Africa.

This would carry them as far as Sierra Leone, whence Mr.
Goodenough intended to take passage in a sailing ship to his starting point for the interior.
Frank enjoyed the voyage out intensely, and three days after sailing they had left winter behind; four days later they were lying in the harbor of Funchal.
"What a glorious place that would be to ramble about!" he said to Mr.
Goodenough.
"Yes, indeed.

It would be difficult to imagine a greater contrast than between this mountainous island of Madeira and the country which we are about to penetrate.

This is one of the most delightful climates in the world, the west coast of Africa one of the worst.

Once well in the interior, the swamp fevers, which are the curse of the shores, disappear, but African travelers are seldom long free from attacks of fever of one kind or the other.