.chap, viii.] DISCOVERY OF SUPPOSED YAMS. S37 
was the march ended than he commenced a search 
in the jungles for something esculent. We were 
in a deep gorge on a steep knoll bounded by a 
ravine about sixty feet of perpendicular depth, at the 
bottom of which flowed a torrent. This was an excel¬ 
lent spot for a camp, as no guards were necessary upon 
the side thus protected. Bordering the ravine were 
a number of fine trees covered with a thorny stem 
creeper, with leaves much resembling those of a species 
of yam. These were at once pronounced by Ibrahimawa 
to be a perfect god-send, and after a few minutes’ 
grubbing he produced a basketful of fine-looking yams. 
In an instant this display of food attracted a crowd of 
hungry people, including those of Ibrahim and my own 
men, who, not being botanists, had left the search for 
food to Ibrahimawa, but who determined to share the 
tempting results. A rush was made at his basket, 
which was emptied on the instant; and I am sorry to 
confess that the black angel Saat was one of the first 
to seize three or four of the largest yams, which he 
most unceremoniously put in a pot and deliberately 
cooked them as though he had been the botanical 
discoverer. How often the original discoverer suffers, 
while others benefit from his labours ! Ibrahimawa, 
the scientific botanist, was left without a yam, after all 
his labour of grubbing up a basketful. Pots were 
VOL. i. z 
