164 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



On September 3, my brother, looking very fit, turned up 

 from chasing Talbot for six days. Having collected nineteen 

 oxen and twenty-five carriers, he left again on the 8th 

 for Maidugari. Jose came in the same day with the other 

 boat and the rest of the loads. Meanwhile, Gosling had 

 been busy repacking the boxes, many of which had got wet 

 on the Gongola, and much of the cloth had been spoiled. 



On September 9 he started for Gaidam with 133 loads 

 and a transport of one hundred donkeys and ninety carriers ; 

 Jose following two days afterwards with the boat sections. 



The next twenty-seven miles was waterless bush, but 

 he was lucky to find at the end of ten miles a small water- 

 hole filled by the recent heavy rains, so he pitched camp 

 and continued the journey next day to Gabai Kahma, 

 where the young king received him well. He had sent on 

 a messenger beforehand to order supplies of food for his 

 large number of men and beasts, and now found ninety 

 large calabashes of meal, five fowls, and twenty-two eggs 

 waiting for him. The eggs were all good, which was quite 

 a record. Once a neighbouring king sent in 500 eggs to 

 Gujba, of which only eleven were good ! 



September 13 found Gosling at Gunsha, a large Kanuri 

 town ; very tired after a thirsty march of twenty miles. 

 On the way " Wuka " was kicked in the mouth by one of 

 the donkeys. He bled very profusely, much to the detriment 

 of the clothes of his master, who carried him the rest of the 

 way, for the day was very hot. Another pet of his at this 

 time was a porcupine, that felt this journey very much 

 and arrived in a state of collapse, from which, however, a 

 drink of milk soon revived him. 



