4 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



barren hills and sand, where, when the train stops, the 

 travellers jump down from the trucks and join their fellow 

 pilgrims, some to stay till the next train passes, others 

 to pray for the few minutes before the train goes on in the 

 places marked out for prayer by stones. A good Mahomedan 

 is supposed to go at least once in his life, and the journey 

 there and back from west to east often takes four years to 

 accomplish. With the genuinely devout go many hangers- 

 on, who take advantage of the protection that the caravan 

 affords for travelling and trading. Many of these latter, 

 when they reach a likely country, settle by the way, and 

 few of them get beyond the populous markets of Wadai. 



The caravan which now comes into my story had origin- 

 ally started from Timbuctoo, and, increasing its following as 

 it went along from all the countries on the way, now numbered 

 700 souls and a thousand head of sheep and cattle. Its 

 leaders were Hausa and Fulani mallams, who saw to the 

 feeding of the pilgrims and were responsible for law and 

 order in the caravan. The mallams also arranged the 

 payment of the tolls for protection to the various kings 

 whose countries the caravan passed through. 



It was a wonderful organisation, this slowly moving 

 community, with its population of varied races, and cattle 

 and sheep, forming a column that stretched for miles along the 

 way. Whole families were there, carrying all their belongings, 

 and perched upon the backs of the oxen were Httle children, 

 some of whom had been brought forth upon the road. Cattle 

 were their wealth to trade and pay their w^ay with, and 

 wherever they tarried the land was covered with grazing 

 flocks and herds, and a town sprang up and a market was 



