360 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



thirty miles of that place there appeared in the distance on 

 the right bank isolated hills, about 400 ft. in height and of 

 rugged outhne covered with spare trees. 



These and their neighbourhood are inhabited by the Misa 

 people, a tribe that struck me as original. The men, who 

 are smooth-skinned and gentle, adorn themselves with bead 

 ornaments and girdles of beautiful design ; while the women 

 affect a masculine severity of costume, fruit stones taking 

 the place of beads. The small white and red beads are 

 the ones most liked by them. Charms in the form of polished 

 bits of wood, stones and brass cartridge-cases were hung from 

 their necklaces. In both the men and the women, the hair 

 of the body is shaved, and the middle four of the lower front 

 teeth are taken out. The tribal mark consists of a number 

 of fine lines on both sides of and at right angles to a straight 

 line on each temple, like the fronds of a fern. The men go 

 about armed with bows 4 ft. long. 



The Misas are not a river people, and their villages as a 

 rule are some distance from the banks. Salt, beads and 

 powder are the best trade-goods. 



On November 18 we reached the small Misa village of 

 Abringwa. The condition of the boat was becoming 

 desperate, the holes were getting larger and more wax was 

 required, but we had finished our supply long ago. There 

 was no sign of the river improving, but as long as the boat 

 held out I lived in hopes of better water with each mile we 

 passed till one day my dream of a wide river would come 

 true. 



After leaving Abringwa there is a very good stretch, with 

 an average width of fifty yards. For the first mile the scenery 



