146 PROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



Audelai, Umuru, and Bukar of the original lot that started 

 with us from Nigeria. Then there were John the cook, 

 Lowi, Quasso, Quabena, a Kanuri named Mustafa who acted 

 as Arabic interpreter and an escort of six Hausas armed with 

 Mauser carbines that we had brought out from England. 

 They were under the command of Agoma Lafia who was 

 originally one of the carriers on my journey from Loko and 

 whom we now promoted to the rank of corporal. He was a 

 man of forty with a clean-shaven face, except for a little 

 goatee beard above which his under-lip bulged to extra- 

 ordinary dimensions by reason of the plug of tobacco, without 

 which he was never to be seen. Nor was he often separated 

 from his little Hausa banjo, which he would twang and sing 

 to as he sat on the boxes in the bows of the canoe, and which 

 was still going when we reached Khartoum. It was Ago ma's 

 duty to see all the provision boxes and trade goods taken out 

 of the boats each evening, properly packed in camp, and a 

 guard mounted over them for the night. Later on, when our 

 clothes began to show signs of wear and tear, we discovered 

 that he was nimble with the needle, and he constituted him- 

 self with credit tailor to the Expedition. Dumbornu and 

 Jagoba of the escort were our orderlies, who saw to the pitching 

 of the tents and ministered to our comforts, making ready the 

 warm baths that we were in the habit of taking at the end of 

 our day's journey. Jagoba was our cobbler also, and with the 

 hide of the waterbuck for leather, and sinews of the buffalo 

 for thread, would resole a boot or make a pair of sandals 

 with considerable skill. Our number was completed with 

 the twenty Kotoko polers who manned the two canoes. 

 A course of five and three-quarter hours from Fort Lamy 



