THE EXPLORATION OF LAKE CHAD 69 



who are believed to live under the water and who are said to 

 worship the spirit of the Lake in a great watersnake which 

 dwells therein. 



I now abandoned this my third attempt to find a passage 



" THEY CLOSED UP READY TO ATTACK" 



through the reed-belts to the Shari mouth, and on March 31, 

 returned again to Kaddai. When within half a mile of the 

 shore, we found the water had disappeared. As it was late 

 and we were too exhausted to attempt to drag the boats 

 over the intervening mud, the men slept in the boats while 

 my bed was put up in 6 in. of water, and that night I slept on 

 the floor of the Lake. In the morning the water rose earher 

 than I did and I had just time to get out of bed as the Lake 

 was getting in. The wind was now blowing strong, and after 

 waiting for two hours there was enough water to carry us in. 



