208 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



Archambault to bring up another supply of " gero " for we 

 could rely upon nothing in our front. The time was fully 

 occupied in packing our stores and mending as best we could 

 the dilapidated boxes, while plotting out the map of the 

 Bamingi kept us to our tents pretty well all day. July 30 

 commenced with a splendid hot sun and we took the oppor- 

 tunity to dry our things. The sand-bank presented a strange 

 sight strewn with all our belongings and clothes spread out, 

 exhibiting their parti-coloured patches. But at three o'clock 

 the bright day was overcast with the sudden gloom of the 

 eclipse which covered a quarter of the sun, and the " boys " 

 all crowded round me to get a sight of it through a piece of 

 smoked glass. 



Gosling, who always preferred trekking, made arrange- 

 ments to travel by land in order to lighten the boats, but at 

 the last moment the road was found to be impassable owing 

 to the rains. Luckily, however, on August 3, a French 

 steel-boat happened to pass on its way up the river with 

 mails, so Gosling went in her taking with him three of the 

 " boys " who were suffering from guinea -worm and therefore 

 were useless for work. Two days later I and Jose left with 

 the boats. 



The Gribingi river which is the smaller, differs somewhat 

 in its character from the Bamingi ; its low banks, which are 

 covered with thick tree-growth, very seldom attain the 

 steepness which is so picturesque a feature of the latter river. 

 The lower reaches flow through a low land that is knee -deep 

 in water when the river overflows its banks. About eight 

 miles from the mouth a series of three rapids, with strong 

 currents, has to be passed, but at high water it is possible 



