. From the Niger to the Nile . ch. Thiswas our first taste of it and we had our mouthful that morning !Our porridge and eggs were full of grit, and the fresh-cutshces of bread became hard like toast in less than half anhour, and we were as cold in our bones as on a bleakNovember day in England. It was speeding the partingguest with a vengeance, and we were glad to be up and onthe move again. So we took the road to Kowa which was to be our nexthalting-place. Four oxen, lent by the Shehu, the carrierswith their loads, and the escort went half an hour aheadof us ; then came Quasso in charge of th
. From the Niger to the Nile . ch. Thiswas our first taste of it and we had our mouthful that morning !Our porridge and eggs were full of grit, and the fresh-cutshces of bread became hard like toast in less than half anhour, and we were as cold in our bones as on a bleakNovember day in England. It was speeding the partingguest with a vengeance, and we were glad to be up and onthe move again. So we took the road to Kowa which was to be our nexthalting-place. Four oxen, lent by the Shehu, the carrierswith their loads, and the escort went half an hour aheadof us ; then came Quasso in charge of the chop box,and Talbot and I, attended by Adamu, the guide, followedat our leisure. Not a soul was abroad in the town, save thesoldiers on guard at the palace gates which we passed onour way; they wore an aspect in keeping with the bleaknessof the morning; silent and sullen, with the hoods of their FROM KUKAWA TO KADDAI 301 bernouses drawn up over their heads. Ten minutes at awalliing pace brought us out of Kukawa, into country. A KAMUKI CilRL similar to that already described on our road fromMaifoni ; only that now there was little of it to be seenthrough the thick sand haze. Now and then on the waywe would meet a partA of donkeys and their drivers, thatwould loom up suddenly a hundred yards ahead, pass, anddisappear as suddenly in the mist of sand behind. We arrived at Kowa in time for mid-day chop, andwere met on our entrance by the chief mallam. The king, 302 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE or lowan as he is called, was away at the time, but had madearrangements for our reception by the order of the we found square shelters of zana matting put up forour use in one of the open places of the town, and a large dash of ground millet for the men, and eggs and fowls forourselves. The tea that accompanied our chop neverwent down more deliciously, for our tongues and throats wereby now as rough as sand-paper. At about three oclock in the afternoon the harmattandrops as suddenl
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