276 FEOM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



bred looking. Living as they do in the forest the men 

 are good hunters ; they are also warhke, fighting with spears 

 which they do not throw, but use at close quarters with their 

 enemy so that they may not lose their weapons. At one time 

 they repelled the powerful Azandi who were endeavouring 

 to spread southwards, and they have been inimical to the 

 rule of the white man. As they are a forest people knives 

 are much prized by them, and a man who wants to marry 

 must give forty for one wife and a hundred if he wish to 

 have two. 



The young boys are circumcised and for the period wear 

 a peculiar loin-cloth consisting of a fringe of grass ; this is 

 the only time I have seen the custom practised among the 

 Congo tribes ; probably in this case it is due to Arab influence. 



I returned to Bambili on the 18th and found Gosling 

 looking very much better. Altogether our stay had been 

 profitable for I had added nearly fifty good birds and 

 several rare duikers to my forest collection. 



Our next objective was Amadi, a five days' journey from 

 Bambih. The fever that had accumulated in our systems 

 during our long stay in the forest still affected us, and at 

 Bodo, about twelve miles from Amadi, we both collapsed; 

 but Goshng, owing to his recent illness, was by far the 

 worse, suffering from vomiting as well. As soon as I was 

 able I came to his assistance and careful nursing just 

 warded off another attack of blackwater. 



During his illness the " boy " who looked after his antelope, 

 " Pasi," allowed it to wander away into the bush, and, 

 though we spent the whole of the next day scouring the 

 country we could not find it. 



