With all the gear and participants the convoy was three trucks long and accompanied by a host of horses. They sallied-forth into midday on the most well-used northern trail, Matadi Road. It was less a road then it was a muddy trail, however workable with the trucks. They puttered slowly into the consuming jungle around them and in only half an hour, Leopoldville disappeared in the thickness to the south. "How far is it?" Schaffer asked Sanderson. "Three or four hours . . ." He looked up and took note of their pace and with classic American dismissal, shrugged, "six hours." He turned to Schaffer.