358 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



whenever it was necessary to pass the boat down the rapids 

 unloaded ; in this way we saved a good deal of time and the 

 work of the " boys " was hghtened. 



We left Wandi on November 1, and very soon found our- 

 selves in the thick of more rapids. Progress was very slow 

 and the seventh camp was made only ten and a half miles 

 farther down. In this distance there are no less than six bad 

 stretches. Near the little River Beradda, about six miles 

 from Wandi. there is a mile and a half of dangerous water 

 culminating in a great chute that assumes gigantic propor- 

 tions on the left bank. It is a magnificent sight ; the river 

 is 300 yards across and an enormous volume of water sweeps 

 foaming over great ledges of rock down a height of 60 ft. 

 This chute is called Madja by the natives, and I have named 

 it the Claud Rapids in memory of my brother. We succeeded 

 in fighting our way by the right bank, taking a whole day to 

 effect the passage. Here the river flows through a country of 

 poor stony soil, and it has no banks to speak of. The whole 

 stretch of the rapids is cut up by islands and groups of rocks ; 

 the islands are covered with beautiful cocoanut palms which 

 are the resorts of dog-faced baboons. 



The rapids on the Yei might be put into four classes, as 

 regards their size and dangerousness. The most formidable 

 are chutes or strong volumes of water, falling over precipitous 

 rocks Hke the Claud Rapids. Then there are those which are 

 formed by reefs stretching across the river, quite formidable 

 enough, but not having sufficient height or force of water to 

 constitute a true chute ; with these there is nearly always a 

 passage to be found. Then there are others like the last, 

 only rendered more comphcated by islands and grass-islets 



