CHAPTER XX 



MY SECOND VOYAGE ON THE LAKE 



On February 13 Gosling left for Kusseri, which was to be our 

 new base, taking with him the greater part of the stores. 

 His departure was a regular exodus, for there were no less 

 than fifty-eight oxen in all to carry the transport, and five 

 horses, including two owned by Quasso and John. Since they 

 had been in Bornu, the great country for horses where 

 everybody who is any one at all rides his own steed, the 

 " boys " were all mad to possess horses and talked of 

 nothing else in the great parliament of the camp-fire. 

 Thus it was that John and Quasso had each invested their 

 savings in a horse at Kukawa, paying £6 apiece for 

 them ; but their pride of possession was brief and costly,, 

 especially to Quasso who made the journey by water, for 

 they were obliged to part with them at Fort Lamy for £1 

 a head. 



Jose departed the same day with Galadima and the 

 carriers for Kukawa to collect supplies of corn for our 

 journey across the Lake. At the same time he laid in a 

 store of provisions for ourselves, including yams, peppers, 

 onions, sweet potatoes, ground-nuts and tomatoes. These 

 last, which are mostly grown at Mongonnu, were then in full 

 season and very fine. I found them delicious, but they lacked 

 a dressing, for we had been obliged to deprive the " chop 



