330 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



grass-covered dunes on each side, which give the river the 

 appearance of an estuary. Then, a Uttle farther on, it 

 narrows down to twentyyards and becomes quite unnavigable, 

 being full of rocks and rapids and presenting the appearance 

 of a Scotch burn. We struggled on for several days, and 

 once got very nearly smashed up through the boat being 

 carried back with great force broadside on to some rocks. 

 At this point I called a halt and pitched camp just below 

 another big rapid. I was feeling anything but cheerful 

 with rapids behind me cutting off retreat and more in front 

 to stay my advance. To make matters worse my guide, a 

 miserable fellow, decamped, and we had only four days' 

 supply of food left, with no chance of getting game, for the 

 grass was too long. It was a serious situation that had to be 

 faced. The first thing to do was to reconnoitre and find 

 out if the river ahead was navigable, and if villages existed 

 where we could get supplies. However, the hostile Mom- 

 buttus, who inhabit the south bank beyond the small Arebi 

 river, had heard of our approach and we found their villages 

 deserted, so the chance of obtaining food and help was a 

 remote one. All appeared hopeless ahead of me ; another 

 day's rations had been eaten and nothing seemed to have 

 been done. It now became a question of either shooting 

 the rapids behind or cutting a way through the long grass to 

 find the path to N'soro which I knew must pass wdthin five 

 miles of the left bank. As I was loth to go back after having 

 got the boat so far, I determined to take the latter course, get 

 food for the men and then penetrate on foot to explore the 

 mountainous country lying to the south of the river before 

 returning to N'soro. 



