FROM THE SHARI TO THE UBANGUI 215 



miniature baskets made of grass and place others on sticks 

 by the entrance to their villages ; while their neighbours the 

 Kachi (a section of the Yakoma race), who work iron, put 

 their trust in iron rings. Many more instances could be 

 given, but these will suffice to show how the native always 

 endows the evil spirit with his own attributes. 



Our time at Fort Crampel was not without troubles, and 

 discontent showed itself among the men, who started malin- 

 gering, giving the usual excuse of " sick for belly " for 

 wanting to return home. A firm hand was necessary to nip 

 the trouble in the bud, which amounted to a mutiny among 

 the Arab polers whom we had engaged at Fort Lamy. We 

 had set much store by the hope that these men would stick 

 to us, for we realised more every day how necessary it was 

 to have our own followers on an expedition of this kind. It 

 is never safe to rely on the help of the natives of the countries 

 through which one passes, for as soon as they find their 

 day's work too long or their food too short they desert at a 

 critical moment. I am sorry to say that Bukar threw in his 

 weight with the Arabs. However, in the light of his subse- 

 quent loyalty and excellent service, I have long ago forgiven 

 him. 



Added to this trouble was the difficulty of finding food ; 

 there was little grain to be had, and no meat, on account of 

 the tsetse-fly which abounds in the unhealthy neighbourhood. 

 To crown all came the loss of Jaggra, who died a king's 

 death by bursting his crop with a surfeit of maze. 



In such unfavourable circumstances we were not sorry 

 when the time came for us to take our departure. We now 

 left the water to trek to Krebeje, a five days' journey, with 



