The Journal of a Sporting Nomad 



to buoy the channel for the ships which were to 

 take part in the attack, and accomplished this 

 so far as the entrance of the creek a very deep 

 one to Nimbi. Pinnaces and patrol boats, with 

 various launches belonging to the Protectorate, 

 were told off, and the twin-screw steamer 

 Yoruba, of the Niger Company, was pressed into 

 the service for the foray on Sacrifice Island, 

 which was to be made on the following day. 



This island lay at the junction of two creeks, 

 about two miles from where the Nimbi creek 

 joined the Niger River, and across the creek, 

 close to the island, the natives had built a very 

 strong boom of timber, all fastened together with 

 iron bands an extremely formidable barrier. 



One of the pinnaces exploded a charge of gun- 

 cotton in the centre of this defence without 

 clearing it away, whereon the officer in charge, 

 going back some distance, charged the obstacle 

 with the boat, breaking a way through, after 

 the place had been weakened by this means. 

 Other boats bringing troops followed closely, 

 and before long most of the expedition had 

 landed. 



In the afternoon the natives of Nimbi appeared 

 in force in their war canoes, beating tom-toms. 

 Each canoe had a big gun in her bows, with 

 which they fired at our men on the island. 



The Yoruba, which was an ocean-going steamer 

 of some twelve hundred tons, had been brought 



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