342 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



salt-making settlements in the bush between Kaddai and Yo, 

 and we could see from the camp their fires burning the whole 

 night long. The native process is interesting. A well is 

 dug, and from the clay extracted a pot is made. Then the 

 branches of a mimosa are burnt, the ashes of which are 

 placed in a basket on a structure of wood ; water is poured 

 upon the ashes and trickles through into the pot below. 

 The contents of the pot are afterwards boiled away till they 

 leave a sediment of salt. The Kanuri use the same method, 

 only substituting dried grass which is not nearly so satisfac- 

 tory as the wood. 



As may be imagined, it was not always easy to find 

 employment for so large a number of men and keep them 

 out of mischief, for it was not long before the people of 

 the neighbouring towns of Kukawa and Kowa came to 

 know of our whereabouts, and, besides the traders who 

 came down to do honest business, there was always the 

 inevitable tag-rag of worthless characters of both sexes. 

 As I have described in a previous chapter, it was here that 

 people came from long distances to buy our famous cloth. 

 One trader travelled all the way from Fort Lamy, a fifteen 

 days' journey, to buy three pounds' worth ! 



For the most part the men were employed cutting wood 

 for the fires, which were kept going through the night as a 

 protection against mosquitoes and for warmth, for the nights 

 were chilly; the thermometer sometimes fell to 46° Fahr. 

 in the early morning, and later, in January, recorded a 

 minimum of 32°. Then there were periodic journeys to 

 Kukawa for food, and sometimes a certain number of men 

 were employed on hunting expeditions. For all there was 



