1 70 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



calling himself a Houssa, whether sound, maimed or 

 halt, was enlisted, a "fez" given him, and several 

 yards of cloth ; he was then enrolled and had to report 

 himself once or twice a week. In this way we had 

 several hundred men on our books, but when it came 

 to their being ordered to be in readiness to march, 

 nearly every man Jack bolted. I had ventured to 

 differ from L. in his mode of recruiting (which gave 

 dire offence), but I did not like to say much, as he had 

 never risen to a grade higher than that of a lieutenant, 

 for I had placed myself in a false position. The 

 deadly nature of the country and the exposure I had 

 undergone coming up told on my constitution, which 

 I had thought impervious to malaria, but in a week I 

 was down with the dread African fever, and all my 

 comrades suffered more or less from the same com- 

 plaint. 



I had an interview, first with the Prime Minister 

 (very wily, like our G.O.M.) and afterwards with 

 the chief. Every matter we named was acquiesced 

 in verbally, but never fulfilled. I got permission 

 to go out shooting, and the doctor accompanied me 

 to a place about seventeen miles distant, where we 

 shot a few guinea fowls and partridge, but nothing- 

 larger w T as to be seen. Every village we saw is so 

 built that the outer walls form a defence, as they are 

 subject to constant raids by the heathen populace, as 

 distinguished from the orthodox Mussulmans, who 

 however are not backward in reprisals, so the people, 

 it may be said, live in a perpetual state of feud, 

 anarchy, and war. Cannibals too abound. 



The laws of Bida are very stringent. If a man, 

 woman, or child steals a goat or a sheep, or in fact 



