78 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



one another, and are continually raiding their supplanters 

 below, to get captives. We were very sorry that it was 

 impossible to get into communication with these primitive 



YERGUM PAGANS 



peoples, as they would, from their still greater antiquity, 

 have probably been even more interesting than their con- 

 querors. 



The Yergum told me that the Gazum people have tails 

 about 6 in. long for which they have to dig a hole in the 

 ground when they sit down. But I should think these tails 

 would require a pretty good sprinkling of salt before they 

 could be laid hold of. 



The first big Montoil village we came to was called Shan 

 Kwoim. It was not typical in any way, as, like others 

 to the east, it has been touched by Ankwe influence, and 



