ACROSS LAKE CHAD 215 



distinguished by its large red flowers, a big grey baboon 

 watched us out of sight. 



As we drew nearer to the lake the vegetation changed, 

 and the character of country became more and more 

 swampy, till a marsh engulfed everything. 



Presently we came upon a tiny elevation where 

 the land was dry, and this we found occupied by an 

 encampment of Buduma, who were storm-bound on 

 the shores of the lake. It was the only dry ground, 

 so we too landed. 



The place was carpeted with fish - scales, out of 

 which an occasional big, hideous, flat head peeped, 

 with eyes so far apart that it seemed as if they 

 must belong to two fish instead of one. Nets were 

 hung out to dry on wooden posts, and against them 

 shields were propped, behind which men cowered for 

 shelter from the biting wind. Oval wooden frames 

 covered with matting stood beside them. These 

 were Buduma beds, designed as a protection against 

 mosquitos, for the matting is turned in and sand 

 heaped over it after a man has crawled inside. He 

 has to lie in a curled-up position, as five feet by 

 three feet is an outsize for a camp-bed. 



Our camp companions were Kanembu and Buduma, 

 who had taken potash — or horse salt, as they call it 

 — to barter at Mani, and were now on their way 

 back to the lake, but owing to the strong wind 

 were unable to quit the shore. 



They had had a bad market, for three out of four 

 canoes were still full of potash, and only one had 

 exchanged its load for pots and bowls. 



The great mass of potash comes from the mainland 

 to the east of the lake, and the Dugu tribe collect 



