194 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



sixty to seventy in number, followed us by the banks in single 

 file, ambling along to keep pace with the boats. At times 

 they would stop and gaze in excited wonder, shaking their 

 furry bodies from head to foot as if to be rid of a dreadful 

 dream. Some, more bold than the rest, climbed small 

 bush-trees to obtain a better view. There were all sorts and 

 sizes, old and young, mothers with babies clinging round 

 their loins, and young ones trotting behind them, while the 

 tail of this weird company was brought up by a monster 

 baboon, bigger than all the rest, who barked at the heels of 

 the others, allowing none to lag behind. The " boys " were 

 wild with delight and threw chaff at the heads of the baboons 

 calling out, " Lafia lafla mutum dajif " (" Are you well, are 

 you well, bushmen ?") followed by imaginary handshakes, 

 while they hailed the giant one with shouts of, " Sariki ya 

 so — ya so ! " (" The king comes — he comes ! ") 



We made our sixth camp at the foot of a high bank covered 

 with magnificent trees, a feature that became more frequent 

 in the scenery the farther we ascended the river. Towards 

 evening, the wood was enlivened with the notes of many 

 birds ; the chorus of little rock-pheasants came from the 

 undergrowth and the rasping calls of guinea-fowls from the 

 high boughs above, while a beautiful green-breasted Plaintain 

 eater (Muso-phaga), with a silky white crest, would now and 

 again run along the stout branches and make the hollows of 

 the river resound with its peculiar, croaking cry. " Oh — oh — 

 oh — oh ! " it would keep on saying in notes that were quite 

 roguish in their tone. 



The next morning heavy rain fell, delaying our start until 

 nine o'clock. A mile up the river we came to another hippo 



