228 CHIEFS & CITIES OF CENTRAL AFRICA 



land, principally on the Northern Nigerian shore, whence 

 he carries off goats, cattle, and slaves. His principal 

 victims, the Kanuri, do not dare to venture on the 

 lake, but retaliate, when this is possible, on shore. 



It is agreed, however, that for the purposes of trade 

 the market of Kaua Baga shall be neutral ground. 



When we left the lake we asked one of our Buduma 

 friends to accompany us a few miles inland so that he 

 might make us some models of papyrus canoes. He came 

 after stipulating for our protection both there and back, 

 and it was amusing to see the insolent swagger with 

 which he walked the town of Kaua, as much as to say 

 to the disgusted citizens, " Curs, you long to lay hands 

 on me, but you daren't," — and he loved to watch their 

 expressions of hate and disgust. 



Even were the Kanuri a water-folk it would be no 

 easy task to conquer the Buduma. A large fleet would 

 be required, properly victualled — they would have great 

 difficulty in finding a passage through the thick sedge 

 and mud near the shore ; and, being ignorant of 

 the intricate waterways, they would be in constant 

 peril of ambush from behind the tall clumps of marea 

 and papyrus. Were they to light upon a Buduma 

 town in sufficient force to destroy it, even then they 

 would have inflicted but little damage, for its inhabi- 

 tants could easily elude pursuit, and, when the enemy 

 had gone, return to repair the damage done. 



So great is the feeling of security in the isolation of 

 Lake Chad that refugees from the mainland come 

 regularly to the islands — mainly from the north and 

 east. 



By religion the Buduma are half Fetichist, half Ma- 

 hommedan. They say that the ffi^st people came out 



