Belgian Congo 7 SURFACE of Palaba and the plateau of Bangu. The former reaches its greatest height near Matadi, and the latter rises in Mount Wia (north of Tumba) to a height of about 3,450 ft. The Congo cuts its way through the mountains in a deep gorge, but, owing to the rapids in this part of its course, is here useless as a means of communication .

Central Basin . - As a whole the central basin may be regarded as a vast plateau which is raised along the margins and depressed in the centre. In the neighbour hood of the larger rivers flooding frequently takes place, and there are numerous districts in the interior of the plain which are always more or less marshy.

This region, covered as it is in many places by dense tropical forests, has only been partially explored , and comparatively little is known about the details of its surface features . It would appear, however, to reach its lowest level in the country round Lake Leopold II, where it is only about 1,100 ft. above sea -level. Else where, however, as one goes from the main river towards the north , the land becomes higher and more deeply incised by the tributary streams.

Congo - Nile Plateau.—The north-east of the Congo region rises gradually into a plateau which forms the watershed between the Congo and the Nile, and that part of this divide which belongs to the Belgian Congo is drained by the Welle and its tributaries . The char acter of the surface in general has the form of a plateau which slopes from the east towards the west and south west, while on the south it falls somewhat steeply towards the central basin . The country reaches its greatest elevation in the north -east, where it has a height of 3,000 to 4,000 ft . above sea-level . Here the water -parting assumes the form of a crest, and in this neighbourhood there are some considerable hills, such as Mount Barara and Mount Baginze.

In the south - east also of the Congo-Nile plateau,