160 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



women are tremendously big in build. They have a method 

 of covering the heads of their babies with a calabash as they 

 carry them slung in their waistcloth behind. So, the children 

 can sleep in comfort, protected from light and sun. The 

 calabash is kept in position by a leather strap, fastened 

 tightly round the mother above the breasts. The women 

 wear a large number of leather and brass bracelets above 

 and below the elbow, and small tin earrings and hair-pins of 

 brass of local make. 



Gosling left Wuyo with pleasant recollections of profuse 

 hospitality and charming people. Before starting, the natives 

 treated his " boys " to " chop." He could not take forward 

 with him his excellent Tera boy-guide, Madi, as his next 

 destination was Wadi, whose king had killed the boy's 

 father recently in a fight for supremacy. 



Wadi lies north-west. His way first passed through large 

 stretches of guinea-corn, which had been much damaged 

 by the heavy rains. In one place there was a broad lane 

 mown through the crops by the torrent that had swept 

 down a hill. A large number of palm-trees grew round 

 about. Half an hour from Wuyo he reached a ford on the 

 river Baiyo, and two hours' more marching brought him to 

 the eastern end of the fine rocky mountain which he had seen 

 from the hills of Wuyo. A mile farther he came to Wadi, 

 a town very Uke the last, but half its size, with the walls 

 crowned at intervals with old watch-towers. The king 

 who killed Madi's father was evidently very nervous lest 

 Goshng might have brought Madi with him, for the boy had 

 sworn to kill the king. The latter grovelled and threw dust 

 on his head before Gosling, whom he presented with a sheep 



