300 THE LAKELET CHIDIA. CHAP. XL 



" As you go, sir ! " while the black men in the bows of the 

 others shouted the practical equivalents, " Pagombe ! 

 Pagombe ! " " Enda quete ! " " Berane ! Berane ! " Pre- 

 sently the leading-boat touches on a sandbank; down 

 comes the fluttering sail ; the men jump out to shove her 

 off, and the other boats, shunning the obstruction, shoot on 

 ahead to be brought up each in its turn by mistaking a 

 sandbank for the channel, which had often but a very 

 little depth of water. 



A drowsy herd of hippopotami were suddenly startled 

 by a score of rifle-shots, and stared in amazement at the 

 strange objects which had invaded their peaceful domains, 

 until a few more bullets compelled them to seek refuge at 

 the bottom of the deep pool, near which they had been 

 quietly reposing. On our return, one of the herd retaliated. 

 He followed the boat, came up under it, and twice tried to 

 tear the bottom out of it ; but fortunately it was too flat 

 for his jaws to get a good grip, so he merely damaged one 

 of the planks with his tusks, though he lifted the boat 

 right up, with ten men and a ton of ebony in it. 



We slept, one of the two nights Captain Gardner was 

 with us, opposite the lakelet Chidia, which is connected 

 with the river in flood time, and is nearly surrounded by 

 hills some 500 or 600 feet high, dotted over with trees. 

 A few small groups of huts stood on the hill-sides, with 

 gardens off which the usual native produce had been 

 reaped. The people did not seem much alarmed by the 

 presence of the large party which had drawn up on the 

 sandbanks below their dwellings. There is abundance 

 of large ebony in the neighbourhood. The pretty little 

 antelope (Cephalophus cceruleus), about the size of a hare, 

 seemed to abound, as many of their skins were offered 

 for sale. Neat figured date-leaf mats of various colours 

 are woven here, the different dyes being obtained from 

 the barks of trees. Cattle could not live on the banks of 



