LAST MISSION TO AFRICA. IT 
and to make sure of a similar market, the women had 
drawn all the water from the wells, and were standing 
in crowds, drawing up the water as fast as it collected. 
It was in vain that the soldiers attempted to come in for 
their share : the camp kettles were by no means so well 
adapted for drawing water as the women's calabashes. 
The soldiers therefore returned without water, having the 
laugh very much against them. 
I received information that there was a pool of water 
about two miles south of the town ; and in order to make 
the women desist, I mounted a man on each of the horses, 
and sent them away to the pool, to bring as much water 
as would boil our rice, and in the afternoon sent all the 
asses to be watered at the same place. In the evening 
some of the soldiers made another attempt to procure 
water from the large well near the town, and succeeded 
by the following stratagem. One of them having dropped 
his canteen into the well, as if by accident, his companions 
fastened a rope round him, and lowered him down to the 
bottom of the well, where he stood and filled all the camp 
kettles, to the great mortification of the women, who had 
been labouring and carrying water for the last twenty-four 
hours, in hopes of having their necks and heads decked 
with small amber and beads by the sale of it. Bought 
two goats for the soldiers. 
D 
