70 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



carriers had shaken together. Afterwards, the usual duration 

 of the march was about five hours, and the rate two and a 

 half miles an hour, including the ten minutes' rest which 

 they generally had after each hour's march. 



The ordinary procedure on arriving at a village was as 

 follows : If the chief was not there to meet us, we sent for 

 him, or in case of his absence for the next head-man. After 

 greeting him, and having a little friendly conversation, in 

 which we made a point of telling him to let us know at once 

 if any member of the party tried to steal, or misbehave 

 himself — we told him the number of our carriers, and asked 

 him to bring food for them as soon as he could. The food 

 which generally consisted of millet or guinea-corn, and 

 sometimes yams, seldom arrived till the evening, as most 

 of the towns which we visited had little more this year than 

 they needed for themselves. The chief of the town was 

 always Uberally paid before our departure and thanked for 

 his hospitality. For this reason we seldom had much 

 difficulty in getting food wherever it was to be had. 



Next day we left for Serikin Warri, and on our way met 

 several Ankwe, to which tribe most of the people between 

 Ibi and Yelua belong. They are usually tall and slim, 

 and of very mixed race. Each man was carrying his three 

 long spears, the points of which are held downwards enclosed 

 in a sort of leather sheath, much the shape of an elongated 

 bell. When spears are protected in this way it generally 

 means that they are poisoned. 



Serikin Warri is a rather large village, enclosed in a big 

 stockade, and lies on the eastern bank of the River Simanka, 

 which we had to cross and recross next day, owing to its 



