340 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



bernouses. This country marks their western limit of dis- 

 tribution from Kordofan. 



In the afternoon of the fifth day we sighted our other boat 

 in the distance and at once hastened our pace, happy in the 

 realisation that we were so near home. But she appeared 

 to have caught the characteristic shyness of the other craft 

 of the Lake, for she at once took to her heels and disappeared. 

 At this we made up our minds that she could not have seen 

 us. However, all was cleared up later when she appeared 

 again, and we were soon alongside talking to Jose, who 

 explained that there had been great anxiety in the camp at 

 Kaddai for our welfare, for we were known to have left with 

 only five days' provisions, and now it was three weeks that we 

 had been away without their having any news of us. So 

 they were entertaining all sorts of gloomy forebodings, and 

 had prepared to start the next day on an expedition in search 

 of us. Thus it was that Jose, on sighting us, put back at 

 once to tell Gosling the news, and then came out again to 

 greet us. On nearing the shore, all the camp turned out to 

 welcome us, wading out into the water to carry us in from 

 the boat. The " boys " were eager in their hand-shakes 

 and inquiries, which was very gratifying, for absence 

 seemed to have made their hearts grow fonder, thereby 

 proving that after all they possessed the organs which 

 develop sensibihty by separation, but which in the trying 

 conditions of daily intercourse one had long ago ceased to 

 credit them with. 



We returned to find that Gosling during our absence had 

 got the camp into first-rate order ; in fact, it had all the 

 appearance of a well-estabHshed community that had come 



