44 CHIEFS & CITIES OF CENTRAL AFRICA 



population of parasitic insects that proved the recent 

 habitation of goats. We had hardly arrived before a 

 poor woman came, bringing a little offering of salt — 

 the emblem of welcome — and this was the precursor 

 of a large number of dashes. Mr Talbot showed great 

 ungraciousness over one, a present of meat, which he 

 handed back to its giver, saying that he did not 

 w^ant it. I reproached him, and he explained that 

 the donor had no more wish to give than he to 

 receive, but that the boys were in the habit of 

 intimating that the white man would like whatever 

 they most wanted themselves, and they were fond 

 of larofe meat meals. 



We dined that night with M. Bertaut at the Fort ; 

 he had two other guests, M. Bouhaben, who was there 

 on a road-survey, and M. Loyer, who had come to 

 relieve the Resident. The ordinary term of service is 

 two years, and M. Bertaut had already exceeded his 

 time by three months, and was immensely looking 

 forward to his return home, though the journey 

 through the French Congo takes four to six months to 

 accomplish. Poor man, his term of service was destined 

 to be still further extended, for news of the reverse in 

 Wadai reached him when he got to the Shari, and no 

 man could be spared from the territory at such a 

 juncture. Lere is not a healthy place, and he had 

 been weakened by an accident to his leg, which had 

 necessitated his travelling to Fort Lamy to see the 

 doctor, a journey of about a fortnight's duration. 



In the whole military territory of Chad, where there 

 are twenty-three posts, there are only three doctors. 

 They are Government servants, and may receive no 

 fees for attendance on either white men or black. 



