122 CHIEFS & CITIES OF CENTRAL AFRICA 



sometimes added, which, of course, gave the necessary 

 stability ; and wooden bowls are also used for culinary 

 and other purposes. 



Fishing Is a great industry, and fish large and 

 small are scattered on the ground or raised on 

 matting to dry In the sun, preparatory to barter 

 with inland peoples. The larger fish are speared 

 with long three-pronged Instruments, the smaller are 

 caught In nets. Many of the fish are excellent 

 eating, and especially the giwan rua, or elephant 

 of the water, which Is delicious. 



We were bound for BIrnI (or walled) Logone, the 

 capital of that part of the Kotoko country watered 

 by the Logone river. It has sometimes been called 

 Karnak, but that, the natives told us. Is merely 

 their word for " great." It is walled, and so 

 effectually that access to it Is by no means easy. 

 This we discovered to our despair, for our reception 

 was to be very magnificent, and a canoe - load of 

 Kotoko grandees had ascended the river for many 

 miles to make us honourable escort. It was impos- 

 sible to effect a landing at the water-gate Itself, and 

 the boys, standing In a few feet of water, lifted us 

 across to a narrow ledg-e of caked mud that skirted 

 the wall. It was touch and go whether we could 

 swing ourselves round the jutting porch In safety, 

 but one by one we accomplished the perilous feat, 

 to find ourselves face to face with the Sultan or 

 Mai and his magnificently robed retinue. A night 

 on board the canoe and close juxtaposition to skinned 

 birds all day had not conduced to the freshness of 

 our frocks, while our hazardous arrival robbed us of 

 dignity ; but our royal host had swagger enough for 



