THE RAINS 257 



Our great anxiety was the shortage of food. We would 

 have had to move every one to Meshra er Rek had it 

 not been for the quantity of dura Bouhiois' foresight 

 and Wahbi Eff.'s energy had poured in from the 

 western district. The Cathohc missionaries were 

 actually starving at one time, till I heard of their 

 plight and sold them some raw grain. 



The rains were unaccountably bad. The Niam- 

 Niams laid the blame on our late expedition, and per- 

 formed many a weird sacrifice to the river gods. One 

 of these was the immersion of a pair of carved wooden 

 images in the river at Sultan Tambera's. At Wau the 

 soi-disant Moslems decided, in old-time fashion, to 

 sacrifice a sheep in the middle of the river. There 

 was a slight shower on the appointed day, so the cere- 

 mony was put off. When it was performed it was a 

 very poor show. A procession, with a flag made of 

 two bandana handkerchiefs on a long bamboo, was 

 formed of less than fifty men, which salved its con- 

 science by loud cries of " La Allah, ila Allah." The 

 local head sheikh dragged the unwilling victim into 

 mid-stream, cut its throat, and then brought back its 

 carcase to form the piece de resistance of a feast. 



At last the river rose sufficiently to justify us in 

 wiring to Khartum that a steamer could safely attempt 

 the passage up. The Governor took a small steamer 

 which had lain at Wau the whole of the dry weather, 

 and, with much difficulty, sailed down in her, and the 

 situation was saved. The garrison had been on reduced 

 rations for some time, and had less than a week's supply 

 in hand when the first steamer reached us. 



R 



