46 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



a depth of 4 ft., probably to be accounted for by the Lake 

 having received its full complement of water from the Yo 

 river. 



On the way to the Yo mouth we sighted what we took to be 

 a large herd of cattle grazing upon one of the islands, but on 

 our approach they proved to be hippopotami, which had been 

 driven down to the Lake by the falling of the river. I counted 

 sixty of them. They were a grand sight, and to see such a 

 great number of giant, outlandish beasts altogether, seemed 

 at once to lift the Lake into the region of fable. It is at this 

 time of year that the Budumas hunt the hippos. They 

 kill them with spears and cut up the hides in strips, making 

 them into shamboks, which are valuable articles of trade in 

 the markets of Bornu. 



We camped on an island near the Yo mouth for three 

 days while Jose went off to Bosso to obtain a further supply 

 of food. Here the scene was not so busy as on my first 

 visit. The Budumas and the pelicans were not nearly so 

 numerous, for the fish were no longer coming down into the 

 Lake and the river had almost ceased to flow. Along its 

 course the water was broken up into pools which were 

 simply alive with leaping fish, and huge crocodiles basked in 

 the dry grass on the banks. 



One morning there was much excitement in camp when 

 the " boys " spied far off on the horizon, where he was no 

 more than a tiny speck, a horseman coming towards us. 

 Every one wondered who he might be. When he was within 

 500 yards of the Lake, he reined up, stared steadily in our 

 direction for some time and then galloped off. The " boys " 

 all declared he was a Tubu come to spy. 



