84 FEOM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



and saw Montoil hurrying to the scene of action from aU 

 directions — their casualties, I hear, were two wives. What- 

 ever you do, don't hurry away from milk and Wase — There's 

 none to be got from the Montoil, who don't ' savvy ' how 

 to do the operation. They are very niggardly in their 

 contributions of meal, but bring any amount of eggs and 

 chicks, in embryo and otherwise. I beheve most savages 

 get a bit hard up for corn just before their harvest 

 time." 



Two days later, I had another letter from him, from which 

 it was evident that the best way of connecting the peaks 

 was by triangulation from a measured base at the bottom. 



On May 26 a letter came for me from Gosling at Ibi, to 

 ask Alexander to go back thither at once, as it was feared 

 that his brother had black- water fever, and to beg the doctor 

 to set out immediately. This Dr. Ellis kindly did and went 

 straight through to Ibi without stopping. I mounted my 

 horse-boy and sent him off at once to Alexander, whom he 

 could not find for some time, as appeared from the following 

 letter which crossed mine. 



" Dossuma " [one of the soldiers] " has just arrived, 

 and I was glad to hear he thought you better. He brought 

 no note, but said your horse-boy had already left with one, 

 I hope he hasn't been ' chopped.' 



" I have heard from Bauchi that they have no objection 

 to our going through the Angos country. 



" I have fixed upon a base about three and a quarter 

 miles long, and put up flags. The distance can easily be 

 determined by measuring a shorter base in between, and this 

 I will work out to-morrow. The two ends of the proper 



