210 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



terrific storms gathered from all points of the compass and 

 broke nightly upon the camp with torrents of rain and vivid 

 flashes of lightning. About the middle of September they 

 showed signs of slackening ; there were heavy dews at night 

 and the rain was of shorter duration ; sometimes wind- 

 storms swept over us and passed away to the west, and 

 by the end of October the rainy season had altogether 

 ceased. During this time fine sunset effects were rare, 

 but my diary for September 18 endeavours to record a 

 magnificent contrast of colour. The sun had just set and 

 a great storm-cloud stood against the east, looking like a 

 mountain of black rock where it rested in the shadow of the 

 earth that crept swiftly up its side, while the upper part, 

 still struck by the Parthian arrows of the sun, glowed red 

 like fire -illumined battle smoke. 



The river banks are thinly populated ; in the proximity 

 of the three small wooding-stations of Ratu,Finda, and Wujia 

 there are villages, but they are poor and we could obtain but 

 little food. 



The inhabitants, who are a section of the great Banda 

 race, called themselves Wujia. The men, who are small, have 

 eyes set far apart ; they bear a marked similarity to each 

 other in the shape of their noses, which are broad at the 

 bridge and then run out to a point like the snout of a hedge- 

 hog. Both men and w^omen wear dark and light blue beads, 

 neatly arranged around their loins, necks, or arms. Into 

 their nostrils the women insert thin silver rods, 3 in. long, 

 that turn up like the tusks of a pig ; they also wear a pelele 

 of wood and metal in the upper and lower Hps. Some- 

 times a great number of heavy iron rings are worn on the 



