Northern Nigeria 



to the other, possessing part of a thatched roof. 

 We divided into two lots of four. I think we were 

 eight altogether, and tossed for the " palace." I 

 was one of the losers, but we were consoled by the 

 fact that their portion of roof fell in on them in 

 a storm the first night. Both this night and 

 the succeeding one, we were treated to terrific 

 tornadoes and drenching rain. Except for the 

 violence of the wind being slightly abated, we 

 might as well have been in the open. 



The first night I arranged all my worldly goods 

 and myself under a large mackintosh sheet I had 

 brought, a relic of former hunting-trips. The 

 sheet blew off in the tornado, and while I was 

 pursing it in the dark, as it flapped away like a 

 wounded bird it blew clean out of the hut the 

 torrential rain came down and nearly drowned 

 me. I remember gasping for breath, as one does 

 after a first plunge in very cold water. The wind 

 in a Nigerian tornado is of terrific strength. The 

 second night I left my goods to get wet, and, by 

 rolling myself round and round in the mackintosh 

 sheet, remained fairly dry, though nearly stifled ; 

 positively, though, at this time I hailed with 

 delight the approach of a tornado, giving as it 

 did a slight respite from the incessant torments 

 of mosquitoes and sand-flies. 



We had not much to cook, but what cooking 

 there was, was done under great difficulties. I 



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