330 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



invasion. We therefore were obliged to turn to the flocks 

 of gulls which often circled above us, and it was not long 

 before we had spitted and roasted a brace before the fire in 

 the boat. The following evening, however, our case became 

 still more serious, for our cartridges were almost finished 

 and hunger forced us to make for the rats which abound on 

 the islands. We dug them out of their holes and made 

 humble pie of them. And this was how we lived for another 

 six days. To make matters worse there was nearly a mutiny 

 of the crew, incited by the worthless kinsman of Adamu, 

 who had long ago proved an impostor, without the smallest 

 knowledge of the Lake. He now turned out a coward into 

 the bargain and we found him working on the fears of the 

 " boys," telling them that we would all be lost and starve to 

 death or only survive to be taken by the Budumas for slaves. 

 As a firm hand had to be shown, the scoundrel was 

 ordered up for punishment. At this his courage failed him, 

 and, breaking away, he made off for the reeds. When he 

 was gone far enough to make no stigma attach to us for 

 missing him, we sent a couple of bullets flying over his head 

 just to give him a hint of the kind of reception he might 

 expect, should he be so rash as to return. With Jonah 

 overboard order was restored once more, and the crew 

 settled comfortably to work again as if they had sent a 

 scapegoat with their sins into the wilderness. 



We were now beginning to realise the hopelessness of 

 continuing our search for a passage to the south, for ever 

 since our start reed belt and island had consistently 

 pushed us northwards, and now we were heading straight 

 for the Pole. Moreover, we had been away on the voyage 



