216 CHIEFS & CITIES OF CENTRAL AFRICA 



and sell it to the Buduma, who take it to the 

 markets of Northern Nigeria and the Shari. They 

 hold a monopoly of traffic on the lake by virtue of 

 the terror they inspire, and they would mercilessly 

 pillage any other native craft that ventured upon 

 its waters. They told our Kotoko polers such awful 

 tales that they came and entreated Mr Talbot to let 

 them " live " and return to their own country. As 

 this permission could not be granted and we were 

 afraid they would go without it, he took the pre- 

 caution to seize their poles and paddles, so that 

 escape was impossible. 



The Buduma showed us a personal friendliness that 

 was really remarkable, for while the boys occupied 

 their wind-screens the zakis promptly fell to upon 

 their fish and played with their nets, none of which 

 familiarities did they resent. No doubt we owed 

 this good feeling to the three Buduma who acted as 

 our guides. They had been trading at Mani a few 

 days previously, where the chief detained them to 

 do us service, and luckily they liked us. Otherwise 

 we should not have received the welcome they in- 

 variably accorded to us, for it is impossible to believe 

 that the bold and independent Buduma would have 

 been materially influenced by any consideration of 

 gain or loss. 



The wind at night amounted to a gale, our tents 

 were nearly blown away, and they could not have 

 stood had we ventured to keep the entrances open. 

 As it was, we fastened everything, though even so 

 the air rushed in at every crevice and beneath the 

 canvas, and we shivered under three blankets. 



In the daytime there was a thick mist, and we 



