Marlow learns the steamer he was to pilot has sunk - How did this come about? What does it seem to indicate about the quality of management at the station?

The story goes that the General Manager had suddenly decided to try to reach Kurtz at the Inner Station with an inexperienced pilot at the helm of the steamship. The steamship sank. This tells us it was difficult to get experienced people in this part of the world. It also explains why Marlow was hired on the spot.