242 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



day, and the only traces of former habitations are the broken 

 shards that are turned up from the side of the hill, and the 

 swarms of white ants that are never to be found in great 

 numbers on ground trodden by man. In its place, a British 

 fort crowns the hill in grand solitude, except for a small 

 village of native huts some Uttle distance down the northern 

 slope, and a few market stalls where trade is carried on with 

 the soldiers' wives. 



The fort is an imposing mud structure, about 50 yards 

 square and surrounded by a 6-ft. wall and ditch. Within, 

 there are two square blocks of houses and a guard-house. 

 The garrison consists of a company of the West African 

 Frontier Force, which was at this time under the command of 

 Lieutenant Farmer, a smart soldier and good man. It was 

 a great blow to me when, on my return to England, I heard 

 the sad news of this officer's death, for I was cherishing the 

 hope of being able to shake him by the hand once again and 

 thank him for his strong help to us all in the dark days 

 of my brother's illness. 



The soldiers live with their wives in huts half a mile down 

 the hill to the south. In the plain on the east there runs a 

 beautiful Uttle komadugu, or stream, of excellent water. 

 In the dry season when it ceases to flow, wells are dug in the 

 bed where good water is always found. With this great 

 advantage so near, and taking into account its fine situation 

 which commands the whole country for miles around, Fort 

 Maifoni is ideally placed from the mihtary as well as sanitary 

 point of view. The selection of the site was made by General 

 Morland in the year 1901, and speaks well for that officer's 

 sagacity. The fort was built by Lieutenant Ross out of the 



