448 LAKE OF TCHAD. 



but all was quite inffectual. I repeatedly in- 

 quired for the king {sidikeen), but could obtain 

 no answer. 



We then left them, and returned to the village 

 of Obohbe during a heavy shower of rain, where 

 I found the natives in considerable alarm, in con- 

 sequence of a dispute raised by the chief, be- 

 cause they had supplied us with a few eggs, 

 and had held communication with us contrary to 

 his direct prohibition ; the Chief or King of Dag- 

 boh having threatened to give him magJiony 

 (poison) if he held any intercourse with us. The 

 malca, or fourteen days' rain, had not yet set in ; 

 but in the evening we had two tornadoes blow- 

 ing from the south-east, which was rather unu- 

 sual : they were accompanied with heavy rain. 

 Steam was ordered to be got up by six in the 

 morning, and the vessel's course to be directed 

 for the Niger and Rabba, having accomplished 

 a voyage of one hundred and four miles up a 

 river hitherto totally unknown except at its con- 

 fluence. 



It still remains to be determined whether or 

 not the lake of Tchad empties itself into the 

 Tchadda or Shary. If we are to believe the 

 accounts of the natives, it does so ; but it may be 



