208 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



weight, riding the water with 3 in. of rim above the surface. 

 Then, in spite of the warning of the poet who sang : 



" Trust not your boat to the cruel tide, 

 Nor sail in your shell o'er a grave so wide ! " 



I was pushed out into the current, and the coffin, swiftly 

 carried along, after a few exciting moments, touched the 

 opposite bank at a curve in the river, seventy yards lower 

 down. 



It took the whole day to complete the crossing of the 

 river, and the work was very arduous. So we did not march 

 further, but camped by the river-bank that night and stayed 

 all the next day while I explored the neighbouring country 

 for birds. 



From this point I struck in a north-easterly direction 

 hugging the foot of the hills, determined not to leave them 

 without a sight of their inhabitants. In two days we arrived 

 at the Petti hill, a fine isolated mass with steep sides rising 

 about 800 ft. out of the plain, and strewn with grand volcanic 

 rocks. On the lower slopes there were Httle water springs, 

 clothed in luxuriant vegetation of bushes and hanging 

 creeper, with here and there fine cotton trees. This cloak 

 of green swept half way up the hill, and then the verdure 

 grew more scant, to fall away from the steep bare sides 

 of its cap of rock. I found a very interesting fauna, pecu- 

 liar to the hills, with local forms not found upon the plains. 

 There was a pretty little grass warbler and a beautiful 

 rock-thrush, both new to science. The latter has a bright 

 red rust-coloured breast and white shoulder patches, most 

 remarkable when the bird is flying. His movements are 



