160 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



there was a little antelope, too, which was brought to him by 

 some Arabs at Fort Lamy. He had named it " Pasi " which 

 means fleet of foot in the JoUof language. 



A six days' journey brought us to the important town of 

 Maffinhng on the right bank. It is the best and cleanest 

 Baghirmi town we came across. There are some fine trees 

 dotted prettily about the village, and at this time there were 

 flourishing cotton crops. The houses are well built, and the 

 tops of the " big men's " huts are adorned with ostrich eggs 

 which are the symbols of wealth. Here it was necessary to lay 

 in another store of " geri," and our camp assumed the appear- 

 ance of a little market to which the women brought down 

 eggs, beans, oil, ground-nuts, and tobacco, all of which they 

 bartered principally for meat. A\nierever we camped along 

 the Shari, we had no difficulty in finding game ; kob and water- 

 buck were always plentiful. When any animal was brought 

 in, it was Jose's duty to have it cut up, and after putting 

 aside enough for our own wants to divide the remainder 

 among the *'boys." Of course they got far more than they 

 could eat at one time, so they dried a certain quantity, which 

 always went like wild-fire at the village markets. 



About midnight we were driven into our tents by a heavy 

 tornado (it was our habit to sleep in the open when the weather 

 was fine) and the mosquitoes seizing their opportunity got 

 into the nets during the removal and murdered sleep for both 

 of us. In the morning I rose feeling feverish, but managed 

 to go on to our next camp at Lafana, a journey of some 

 seven hours. Then I went down with a severe attack of 

 fever, no doubt due to the daily downpours, for the rainy 

 season had commenced in earnest. It was very disappointing 



