OUR FIRST VOYAGE ON LAKE CHAD 323 



When our polers realised what was happening they put on a 

 tremendous spurt and sent our boat along grandly. But 

 the effort was vain ; when we arrived upon the scene boats 



■HMa Bet '"** ' 



A BUDUMA CANOE LADEX WITH DRIED FISH 



and men had disappeared into the reeds with amazing 

 suddenness, leaving behind them only three of their large 

 canoes, which were too heavy for them to move. 



We had been in hope, had the Budumas not run away, 

 of getting information that would bring us to land, or better 

 still, perhaps persuade one of them to go with us as guide. 

 But, as it was, we had to be content with what they left 

 behind them, and we were soon busy arranging two of the 

 canoes as our dwellings for the night. We found them 

 full of the fish that had just been caught, while that which 

 was already dried was slung on a frame-work of poles 



