88 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



the Lowan of Kowa, engaged in picking the leaf of the 

 creeping plant from which the blue dye is made. These men 

 were chiefly of the Baghirmi tribe and had been taken over 

 by the Lowan after Faderellah's defeat in Bornu. They used 

 to watch our preparations with interest, and one day came 

 and told Jose that they would like to run away from their 

 hard master and try their luck with me as soon as I should 

 be ready to cross the Lake. So every day they appeared in 

 my camp to see how my preparations were getting on, and 

 then, as if satisfied I could not start that day, silently stole 

 off to resume their leaf-picking. 



Not many incidents marked these days of waiting. The 

 early mornings found me prowling over the plain for birds, 

 and it was on one of these occasions that I discovered a rare 

 little lark [Mirafra cantillans) frequenting the low, dry grass 

 patches near the water. It was the nesting-season and the 

 songs of these birds were delightful to hear as they rose 

 circhng high in the air and then dropped with fairy light- 

 ness to the earth again. This species comes from Arabia 

 through Somaliland, and Lake Chad is now its westernmost 

 range. 



I can never recall to mind the view* from my camp at the 

 Kowa-Baga without seeing the very large herds of Senegal 

 hartebeest that tailed down to the Lake morning and evening 

 not 500 yards from my tent. The days were now very hot 

 and after my morning rambles I sought the shelter of my tent 

 till the late afternoon, but my time was not idle for I had 

 plenty to do in plotting out the routes of my former journeys 

 on the Lake, and towards evening I used to go out to meet 

 the boat-section coming in. At six o'clock my day finished, 



