248 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



simple feast. They came and drew up in line before us, and 

 Agoma, acting as spokesman, said that they would like to 

 perform a play for our amusement. When we readily 

 consented, they went a little distance away to prepare for the 

 thrilling drama that appears in the following play-bill. 



"THE WHITE MEN" 

 Characters. Caste. 



Boyd Alexanders fDunbornu 



G. B. Gosling jMighty Hunters . . . \umuru 



Jose, Captain of the Boats . . . . . Mama-shua 

 Elephant ........ Audelai 



Buffalo) J^g°^* 



Little Bird Quab'na 



Polers, Gun-boys, &c. 



Agoma's banjo was the orchestra and accompanied the 

 play throughout. It was a " play without words," in which 

 the so-called dumb animals were the only characters that 

 had speaking parts; the lion's roar and the elephant's trumpet- 

 ing were really wonderful pieces of mimicry. Some of the 

 actors were gifted, and their truthful studies from the life 

 were very amusing and made us laugh heartily as we recog- 

 nised each other's little peculiarities. The first act opened 

 with the entry of the boats, with the polers poling furiously 

 up a rapid ; then the hunters disembarked and the plot 

 thickened considerably ; the main upshot being that Gosling 

 hunted the biggest elephant in the bush, and got it ; while I 

 went stalking the smallest bird in the forest, and secured 

 that also. Then buffaloes and lions crowded the scene and 

 were despatched with marvellous rapidity, till Agoma 

 stepped forward, and, holding up his hand, called out, " Ya 

 Kari " (" It is finished "). 



