THE NIGER AND BENUE 11 



that they tested the rifle and found its sighting 

 false. I have never seen men brighten with such 

 relief, though for me the discovery was humiliating. 



Major Rose not only gave me the lessons, but 

 lent me a light rifle to take on our expedition. I 

 had not brought one out, as I did not intend to shoot, 

 but it was safer to have one should emergencies arise, 

 and I soon got to place an unreasoned faith in its 

 possession. 



Our immediate destination was Yola, the most dis- 

 tant British post on the Benue, and, as she was 

 taking the mails there, we were again given passage 

 on the Sultan, for whom we felt by now a real 

 affection. The mail was five days late, and, in spite 

 of the unbounded hospitality we received, we were 

 glad when she came and a start was possible. We 

 now recommenced a life very similar to that we 

 had spent in ascending the Niger, and Ibi was the 

 only place of importance at which we called. We 

 were kindly welcomed there by Mrs Buxton, whose 

 husband (the Resident) was away with the Governor. 

 We stopped long enough to pay our usual visit to 

 the market, where we saw some of the celebrated 

 Munchi pagans, whose name originated, it is said, 

 in the days when Allah paid a visit to their country. 

 Not seeing the other tribes who lived in the neigh- 

 bourhood, he demanded news of them. The response 

 was " Mun chi," which being interpreted is " we 

 have eaten." Certainly they have earned a bad rep- 

 utation in the past, and are still looked on with sus- 

 picion, though they are no longer cannibals. They 

 hate Europeans, and prefer to trade with extortion- 

 ate middlemen of their own colour rather than gain 



