174 FEOM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



white-rumped and the red-fronted gazelles, hyena, and a red 

 monkey new to science. 



On October 12 he and Jose left Yo with one of the boats 

 and a week's provisions for Bosso, nine miles from the river 

 mouth, and twenty-one from Yo. A remarkable number of 

 cattle were seen along the banks, and it was a pretty sight 

 to watch them swim the river. Also large flocks of guinea- 

 fowl were met with, and the river was literally swarming 

 with fish, that banged against the sides of the boat and 

 leapt out upon the banks in their panic to escape the great 

 white monster. 



On the journey from Bosso to the Lake, Gosling came upon 

 a hippo, asleep in the grass by the side of the river ; so he 

 and Jose got out of the boats and returned to stalk it. Two 

 or three bullets in the head were required to roll it over. 

 Two hours from Bosso the bush ceases, and the river widens 

 somewhat as it flows through the open country past steep 

 banks, 6 to 8 ft. high, on both sides. Half a mile from the 

 Lake the river divides into three narrow channels. Follow- 

 ing the one to the south, the boat finally went aground in 

 the shallows a few hundred yards from the Lake, and close to 

 a Buduma canoe, the crew of which were induced to lend 

 their help to push her off again. The water in these channels 

 was nowhere deeper than from 3 to 4 ft. Across the river 

 mouth there is a narrow mud-bank that has been caused 

 by the opposing influence of the river current, and by the 

 tide from the Lake when the prevailing winds set in from 

 the north-east. 



The evening of October 13 saw Gosling camping on the 

 shore of Lake Chad, which stretched away in a broad sheet 



