152 



FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



Chekkina yesterday. In places the river is almost jumpable ; 

 I had no idea the river was navigable so far. The volume of 



CANOE ON M BASSU RIVER 



water is about 25 ft. by 1 ft. and with a current of one and 

 a half miles an hour." . . . Then this prett}' sketch of the 

 wild life of the river follows. ..." This evening I went to 

 sit over a pool for a while before sunset. First, a fine-headed 

 reedbuck, then a good waterbuck approached very cautiously. 

 It looked round suddenly when a roan antelope disturbed by 

 something came trotting along, and then it ascended the bank 

 to my right. Soon I heard snorts, and my Banda guide on 

 the look-out in the bush told me that a rhino had met the 

 roan and then departed. At dusk a lion was grunting away 



