THE NIGER TO THE NILE—ALEXANDER. 391 
IT made it considerably less than it was formerly supposed to be. 
There is an idea that the lake is drying up, but my opinion is that 
it does not alter very much, and I believe that the supposed greater 
original area is simply due to inaccurate survey and partly to the 
fact that the villages on the Bornu side are several miles distant from 
the lake, which has given the impression that these determined a 
former shore line. But I think that the sole reason for their position 
is one of security, for, as there are no containing banks, and the land 
and water being almost level, the Harmattan, which causes the water 
to flow 600 yards over the land with an ordinary wind, drives it as 
far as 2 miles when the wind is strong. Besides, I was told by the 
King of Kowa, a town situate 11 miles from the lake, that in a great 
flood twenty years ago the water had reached as far as the town, 
and in another seven years ago it had risen past it and covered the 
plain as far as a place called Mongonu. While the floods lasted the 
Budumas went up in their boats and established a fish market just 
outside Kowa. Now, on the eastern shore, where there are good 
banks, and the water is not influenced by the prevailing wind, there 
are many villages close to the lake. 
Another fact that has perhaps created the impression that the lake 
is decreasing is that chains of islands that once were separate are now 
more or less joined together by marsh. But I think that this may 
very likely be due to the silting up of mud and sand against the 
obstruction of the islands by the opposing influences of the Yo and 
Shari, the two rivers that feed the lake. In fact, my observations go 
to show that the lake is practically two lakes, divided by the 15 miles 
or so of marsh and maria bush that I attempted to cut through, and 
these form the separate basins of the two rivers. Moreover, a Bu- 
duma chief told me that there was no communication between the 
two parts, and I found that the people on the different sides knew 
little of each other. This impression is further borne out by the 
very marked difference in the character of the scenery and the people. 
On the north the shores are flat and bare, and the surface of the 
water, which is nowhere more than 4 feet deep, is broken up by small 
uninhabited islands that are little more than sand flats. The people 
are neither numerous nor flourishing, and lead a lawless existence. 
But in the south or Shari basin everything has a more flourishing 
appearance. The depth of the water is from 5 to 9 feet, and the 
islands, which form prominent features, are fertile and thickly in- 
habited. Everywhere the maria tree grows luxuriantly, and its close 
dark foliage gives a somber character to the scenery. This is the real 
home of the Buduma, who are a prosperous, enlightened people, gain- 
ing their wealth by fish and potash, and counting it in numbers of 
wives, slaves, and herds of cattle. 
45745°—sm 1909——26 
