298 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



with three species of gazelle, the dorcas, red-fronted, and 

 dama. These, being desert creatures, were to be seen on 

 the open plain during the heat of the day. Not so the 

 hartebeest that only wended their way morning and evening 

 to the Lake from the woods. Sometimes there were 

 solitary kob that looked as if they had strayed from their 

 accustomed haunts in the green glades. 



Gosling made a good record during his stay at Fort Lamy ; 

 his bag included giraffe, duiker, reedbuck, roan antelope, 

 lesser bushbuck, Lake Chad buffalo, rhino, and wild dog. 

 Indeed, the whole of the Shari region is a paradise for the 

 hunter, especially in the dry season from October to May. 

 In the rains, however, most of the game desert the river 

 and scatter over a wide area of country, frequenting the 

 smaller rivers and the edges of extensive marshes. 



On several occasions in this region we came across wild 

 dogs (Lycaon), and the one which Gosling shot near Fort 

 Lamy proved to be a new species. At the time it was shot 

 a party of three of them were dining off a dead goat. They 

 are interesting animals, but have a rather " low-class " 

 appearance ; the skin is a mixture of yellow, black, white 

 and grey, with bushy tail. The natives hold them in great 

 awe, and there are many tales told about them ; it is said 

 they attack men and that all the animals of the bush go in 

 fear of them. i 



In the neighbourhood of Fort Lamy there are many places 

 in the thick thorn woods where there are streams, the sandy 

 beds of which even in the dry season hold pools of water. 

 These are favourite haunts of buffalo, which dislike having 

 to come down to the more open river. Farther away in 



