412 AFRICA SPEAKS 



were further assured when two blacks dressed in the 

 familiar kanzu came out and greeted me in Swahili. 

 However, when these boys explained that they had 

 served in a Nigerian regiment which fought in the 

 East African campaign of the late war, and told how 

 long it had taken them to get there and back, my 

 boys were nearly heartbroken. 



The Resident greeted our party in a most friendly 

 manner, and upon learning we had driven all the way 

 from Mombasa, heartily congratulated us on accom- 

 pHshing the feat, then insisted that we have sun- 

 downers and dinner with him. It seemed we were 

 alternating our nights by sleeping in swamps between 

 banquets, and I wondered how long it would be until 

 the next swamp night. 



The Vacuum Oil Company had our supphes awaiting 

 us, and, after arranging with their agent for the return 

 of the borrowed gasoline to Fort Lamy, we restocked 

 and headed westward toward Jos. Ill luck stiU 

 attended us and trouble with the clutch on one truck 

 delayed the expedition for two days, but in spite of 

 this and the fact that Jones was unable to shift gears 

 on his truck, we managed to move forward, thankful 

 that the road was smooth and free of mudholes. 



After passing through Putuskum and Rauchi we 

 climbed upwards, gradually gaining altitude until we 

 had reached the sky-land of Nigeria, a region lying 

 between three and four thousand feet above sea level, 

 the far-famed Plateau of the Pagans. 



