259 



CHAPTER XIV. 



FOUR WEEKS IN FIKA. 



(MARCH 1-28.) 



Clay Tots. 



On hearing that the railway was now so near to 

 Kano as to make it our quickest route to Lagos, we 

 changed our plans, gave up Bauchi, and started off 

 by the least - known road to Kano. Our first stage 

 was to Fika ; and we set out in high spirits, for the 

 road was a pretty one, shaded by dum and borassus 

 palms, amongst which dog -faced baboons ran in and 

 out. The first one I saw looked so exactly like a 

 dog that I shouted out to Mr Talbot not to fire at 

 it, which brought mockery upon me. 



Our path led up and down steep braes, and at the 

 bottom of one of these lay a dull, turbid piece of 

 water. I should be tempted to describe it as a 

 ditch, were it not glorified by the habitation of an 

 evil djinn. It is only three or four feet in width, 

 and looks innocent enough ; but no one who has ever 

 set foot in it has escaped destruction. 



The water djinn is a common enough genus in 

 Bornu, and it is well known that they covet fine 

 things — such as necklaces, bracelets, and rings ; so 



