100 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



that all these curious rocks should be pipes of volcanoes, 

 but anyhow these and the whole lie of the land show that 

 there must have been an extraordinary amount of volcanic 

 disturbance here at some time. At Lusa there is a rock, in 

 the clefts of which we saw many rock dassies. We shot 

 several, but they died in their crevices, and although we 

 both tried we found it impossible to reach them. 



Alexander had an attack of fever here, but would not hear 

 of my staying more than a day to look after him — besides 

 which it would have been impossible to have got food enough 

 for all the carriers for a longer stay ; I therefore went on to 

 Gital where he caught me up two days later. 



On passing through Bagoro, the last Seaua town, I found 

 the chief waiting for me with two bags of meal which he had 

 brought out of his own accord, a thing which we flattered 

 ourselves he would not have done unless our former hosts 

 had given us a very good character. After this we had to 

 cross two branches of the River Gital, the water of which was 

 deep enough in parts to come over my horse's saddle. The 

 carriers had great difficulty in carrying over the goats and 

 sheep which the Chief of Brott had given us, and which, to 

 our joy, provided us with fresh milk every morning. The 

 Gital was the first river of any size which we had come to 

 since leaving the Benue, and the carriers enjoyed themselves 

 mightily, in swimming, splashing one another and bathing, 

 as well as in washing their clothes. 



At Gital where we entered Jaraua territory, we were not 

 received with much friendliness, though the country was 

 more civilised and the king Uved in quite a big palace. Here 

 the great baobab, or monkey-fruit tree, began to be in 



