112 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



a romance there, but I think the real reason was his dread of 

 returning to the boat which had been his prison house for so 

 long and under such trying circumstances. As we left, the 

 French flag was lowered three times, a graceful compli- 

 ment which was much appreciated by the bullock-driver of 

 Kukawa ! 



We had left the desolate sand-dunes of Kanem behind 

 and were now passing through a flat country clothed with 

 mimosa and thorn thickets that changed in the vicinity of 

 the river to delightful forest glades with green grass under 

 foot. These are the haunts of gazelle, rhinoceros, wild pig, 

 and buffalo. Farther away from the river there are large 

 fertile plains of black mud, the rich deposit from the inunda- 

 tions of the river in the rains. Over the cracked surface in 

 the dry season there are isolated water-pools, fringed with 

 short green grass like Enghsh pastures. Here lions come to 

 drink and troops of giraffe make their abode. 



It is the giraffe's nature to live in the open plains, and he 

 avoids the wooded country, where — if one might say it — he 

 is in danger of getting his long neck tied round the trees. 

 The natives of Kanem hunt the giraffe on horseback with 

 poisoned spears, but he is very difficult to get near, breaking 

 away on the first sign of approaching danger to take refuge 

 in the marshes where his broader hoofs carry him beyond 

 the reach of the horses of his pursuers. 



The plains are dotted with the villages of the Benisett 

 Arabs, which are situated on the gentle rises and are always 

 to be " spotted " by their clusters of shady trees. These 

 Arabs came from Wadai two centuries ago, and are the same 

 race as the Shuas of Bornu, but they have kept the type of 



