50 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



their positions witli back- and cross-bearings. It was tndng 

 work, for the pace of the boat was always altering. At one 

 moment she would be travelling steadily along, and at the next 

 graze and come to a standstill in the mud. Then overboard 

 the " boys " would have to go, disappearing up to their 

 arm-pits in the slimy black mud and hanging on to the gun- 

 wales for fear of being altogether swallowed up as they 

 pushed the boat laboriously along. How they hated it ! 

 But still they stuck to it manfully, I must say, and only 

 when the day's work was done would Quasso sometimes 

 venture to say : " Never see white man do dis before ! '* 

 We struggled on in this manner for ten miles, and then the 

 depth of the water decreased to 6 in. A feeling of despair 

 came over us, for darkness would be upon us within two hours, 

 and the old fear of having to stay huddled up in the boats all 

 night, exposed to the attack of thousands of mosquitoes 

 struck us with dismay. The nearest island was half a mile 

 distant, but with a supreme effort, wading and pushing chest- 

 deep in the mud we succeeded in reaching it just as darkness 

 was falling. The " boys " by now were utterly exhausted, 

 and I fear they were not in the best of tempers. From the 

 very start they had regarded the Lake with disfavour, as a 

 region full of ju-ju. They feared the Budumas, too, who, 

 owing to their strange powers of suddenly disappearing, 

 lived, they believed, like mermen underneath the water. 

 They always hated it, when the order came to go overboard 

 and shove, for they were afraid of being dragged under by 

 these fabulous people. In clear water when the sun was 

 shining, these fears were dispelled to a great extent, but as 

 soon as darkness and exhaustion found them in difficulties 



