A resident's wife in Nigeria

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1

A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

A RESIDENT'S WIFE
IN NIGERIA

By

■]fy

CONSTANCE LARYMORE

< 1 » ' » > > ■> ,' '. ' .

» , > .

' , »■". '

WITH FORTY-ONF ILLUSTRATIONS AND A PORTRAIT OF

THE AUTHOR

LONDON

GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS, LIA4ITED

New York : E. P. BUTTON S- CO

1908

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C'

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DeMcation

TO THE VERY BEST OF COMRADES

AND FELLOW-TRAVELLERS

' THE SAHIB '

5168S6

Preface

In offering this little book to the public, I want to
admit at once that it is in no sense intended as a
literary effort, but is merely a record, gathered up
from journals and notes of our everyday life and
journeys which have occupied the last five years.

My excuse for offering it is that I have been specially
fortunate in having opportunities and privileges
of travelling about a little bit of the world where few
Englishmen have been ; and though sorely handi-
capped by very limited scientific knowledge, I have
tried always to keep eyes and ears open.

Only a short time ago, I read these words, written
by a wise man, on this very subject —

' But the best way of travelling is to ride on a
horse through country where there are no railways,
and no roads, and where, accordingly, the people
are rooted and untroubled in mind, and do as little
woik as they can. Such travelling, it is not to be
questioned, makes the best books.'

In the hope that he is right — for, as I have said, he
is a wise man — I send my little book forth, to take its
chance. The last few chapters, I am aware, should

Vll

viii PREFACE

belong to a separate volume, and they were never
intended for publication in this form. But they are
the outcome of actual experience, and not generaliz-
ing from hearsay. Most of them, indeed, were
written originally in 1902, but they have been revised,
corrected, and corrected again, as time showed me
my mistakes and failures. In manuscript form
they had been read by many of my friends who
pronounced them * good,' and it is by their request
that these chapters are included here. It is to
these friends that I offer my grateful thanks for the
majority and the best of my illustrations. I also
have to acknowledge the kindness of the Editors of
Chambers Journal and the Pall Mall Gazette in per-
mitting the reproduction of articles published by
them at different times.

CONSTANCE LARYMORE.

Contents

PART I

CHAP.

I. Sierra Leone to Lokoja
11. On Tour

III. BiDA AND EgGA

IV. Keffi

V. Trekking North

VI. Kano

VII. Katagum and Hadeija, and back
VIII. Kabba, Semolika and Patti Abaja

IX. BORGU

X. Bida

PAGE

I
II

25

47

61

73

85

III

147

IS5

FART II

I. The Home

II. The Household

195
205

IX

X CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

III. Dogs, Poultry and Cows . . . .221

IV. The Garden 239

V. The Stable 257

VI. Camp Life 271

VII. What to Wear 291

List of Illustrations

Portrait of the Author

The Preperanda .
Polo at Lokoja .
Kuka (Baobab) Trees
A Hausa Beauty

The Emir escorting us into Bida
Details of Gown Embroidery
A Typical Hausa Gown
Trouser Embroidery
A Camp on the River Bank
Roofing at Keffi .

Native Drummers at Kefh

A Detachment of the N. N. Regt.

A Kano Street Scene .

FACING

PAGE

Frontispiece

8

8

14

• 14

. 28

. 28

. 32

. 32

. 40

. 40

• 54

. 54

. 76

XI

Xll

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

A Kano Mounted Messenger

A Kano Caravan Donkey Driver .

Bringing in Firewood . . . . .

A Kano Doorway . . . . .

Mureji — A Caravan about to cross the Niger

A Steam Canoe on the Niger

The Emir's Band, Bida

My ' Palm ' Cat {Nandinia hinotata)

' Fritz '

Our Start from Bussa for lilo

Repairing the Bussa Residency
Balu (Serval cat)

The Steel Canoe in which we descended the Bussa rapids
The Tennis Court, Bida

The Great Salla

The Prostration .

My Writing Table
The Residency, Bida

FACING
PAGE

76
80
104
104
112
112
124
124

170
170
184
184
190
. 190
. 198
. 198

* Amelia,' a young Giraffe brought home by the late Captain

Phillips, D.S.O. ....... 210

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xiii

FACING
PAGE

* Chuku,' a Native dog, rescued during the Aro-Chuku

Expedition ........ 210

Our energetic D.S.C. training bullocks (Captain Burnside) . 236

Giant Sunflowers at Bussa ...... 236

Our Gardener at Play . . . . , .250

' Jewel * and ' Brown Mouse '..... 250

Mr. Lafone's ' White Mouse '..... 262

Riding Astride — a locally made Skirt ! . . . . 262

One of our Camps ....... 274

The Mail-Cart, Bida ....... 274

\

1 < • >

CHAPTER I

Sierra Leone to Lokoja

On the loth of April, 1902, we left Sierra Leone,
embarking on the Sekondi for Forcados, en route to
Northern Nigeria. We had spent seven months
in Sierra Leone, my husband doing duty with a
company of native gunners, and had grown to heartily
dislike the place. In spite of its undeniable beauty,
it is the possessor of a most unpleasant climate,
and the impossibility of getting horse exercise,
and the necessity of continually ascending or de-
scending steep hills, either on foot, or, worse still, in
a hammock, was most distasteful to us both after
four years of the free and active life of Indian military
stations. So we could not help looking upon our
departure somewhat as a release, and even bidding
good-bye to our many kind friends did not entirely
damp our joy as we steamed out of the harbour and
passed the lighthouse, gleaming white amidst
the luxuriant greenery and bright blue water, and
set our faces and thoughts towards Nigeria, and
the life of a Resident there.

It certainly was a step in the darkest dark ; no

2 •'••A 'RESlBtEN^'S. • WIFE- IN NIGERIA

Englishwoman yet had gone where I meant to go,
or done what I hoped to do : we knew httle or
nothing of the conditions of hfe before us except
that it was ' ro^ugh, very rough ! ' I had met only
one official from Nigeria, and he looked at me
doubtfully and in silence when I announced my
intention of accompanying my husband, much
as one regards a wretched scraggy-looking screw,
sometimes produced by an Irish horse-dealer, with
confident asseverations as to his qualities as a hunter
— and yet, the ' screw ' scrambles along fairly all
right sometimes ! One of my friends in Sierra
Leone — having visited Accra — felt qualified to speak,
and, in endeavouring to dissuade us from this rash
venture, assured me that ' Nigeria was just like
Accra — not a tree, not a blade of grass anywhere ! ! '
(This is quoted with apologies to Accra !) I have
often smiled to myself over that pithy saying, while
marching through magnificent forests, and miles
of open, grassy, park-like country ! Luckily, I still
permitted myself to hope for trees and grass, and
felt that my four years in India, and some experience
of camping in Kashmir, would, at all events, prove
to have been a useful education, and seven months
in Sierra Leone could leave one few surprises in the
shape of an unpleasant climate.

On'' the Sckondi we were fortunate to find an old
friend of Indian days, Captain Ashburnham of the
6oth Rifles, also faring forth to Nigeria for the first

SIERRA LEONE TO LOKOJA 3

time, to serve with the W.A.F.F. or, as it is called
there, the Northern Nigeria Regiment. He was
armed with valuable experience, learnt from the
South African War and life in Uganda, and many
were the talks we had, and the plans we made,
sitting under the awning, on the deck, while the
Sekondi rolled her way south. .

One of our fellow-passengers had already been to
Nigeria, but I think he had outlived his enthusiasms
a little, and possibly thought me an unlikely speci-
men to survive among 'the fittest,' for he responded
but little to my tiresome curiosity, while the ship's
officers were unanimous in headshaking and mourn-
ful prophecies, judging Nigeria generally by their
own cursory stay at Burutu, and cheerfully promising
to convey me home ' next trip ' — if I should be
above ground to be conveyed ! At table I sat next
to a Lagos official, who proved himself a real friend,
and I have never ceased to be grateful to him for
his encouragement and cheerful prognostications,
at a time when I sorely needed them. Mr. Stone's
work at Lagos — that of road construction — lay
entirely amongst the up-country natives, and he
would tell me a thousand anecdotes of their simple
kindly ways, courteous hospitality, and child-like
interest in white people — prophesying that I should
be friends with them at once, and, if anything, get
rather spoilt amongst them-^a forecast which has
been amply fulfilled since.

4 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

The trip was an uneventful one, though not the
pleasantest I have made down the Coast : the sole
occurrence of interest that I can recall was that we
lost one of our boats overboard during the night,
and the following morning, when the loss was dis-
covered, we turned back and sought the open seas
for the derelict — and found it ! A couple of stalwart
Kru-boys were despatched overboard, and swam
to the boat, only to find there were neither oars nor
paddles inside, and they presented a comically help-
less spectacle, sitting in the boat, and frantically
endeavouring to paddle with their hands ! They
had to do another swim, to possess themselves of
the paddles thrown from the ship before they could
bring their prize alongside. And so on — by day,
sunshine, sapphire water, the fringe of low grey
coast-line, which never loses its fascination for me, by
night, glorious stars and an infant moon, and —
night and day alike, the monotonous, infinitely
soothing roll of the ship, as the huge swell swept
shorewards, to break itself in thundering surf,
away by the grey palm-trees and the yellow sand.

We left the Sekondi outside the bar at Forcados,
transhipped ourselves and our belongings to the
' branch boat,' a small steamer of light draft, and
spent four or five weary hot hours crossing the bar
and finding our way up to Burutu. Here we were
most kindly and hospitably received by the Marine
Superintendent, who gave me a most welcome cup

SIERRA LEONE TO LOKOJA 5

of tea, and assisted us to arrange ourselves on the
Karonga^ one of the Government stern-wheelers,
which travel up and down the Niger, carrying mails
and passengers. These little boats consist of an
upper and lower deck, the latter loaded with cargo,
fuel and native passengers, the former reserved
for European travellers, and though, nowadays,
they boast of regular cabins, when I first made the
acquaintance of the Karonga the after part of the deck
was merely divided off into partitions by canvas
screens, an arrangement which I still prefer to a
stuffy cabin ! At Burutu we bought stores, etc.,
for the up-river trip, and as we had brought a couple
of native servants from Sierra Leone, we shook
down quite comfortably.

That evening we dined on board the Jehha, which
was lying at Burutu, and, later, embarked on our
little stern-wheeler, and set out on our river journey,
under a full moon, threading our way along one of
the labyrinths of creeks — a liquid silver path, walled
on each side with straight lines of mangroves, dense
black shadows, and weird, bare white roots and stems
— a scene suggestive of mystery, and full of a strange
beauty of its own.

I enjoyed every day of that trip ; we were a
cheery party, and all prepared to make the best
of life : as we left the Delta behind, the country
became more diversified, little villages appeared on
the banks and we were surrounded by tiny canoes,

6 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

the occupants of which, boys and girls, clamoured
loudly in greeting, and fierce competition ensued
over the empty tins and bottles flung to them,

The second evening we were destined to discover
the weak points of the Karonga ; the rain came down
in torrents, poured through the roof of the deck in
vigorous streams, soaking beds and bedding in five
minutes. We stripped our beds, and sat patiently,
watching the water dripping steadily on the bare
canvas, till, in sheer weariness, we rolled ourselves
up in mackintoshes, rigged waterproof sheets on
top of the mosquito nets, and slept soundly in
spite of wet pillows and the prevailing drippiness !

In the morning, however, hot sunshine turned our
sorrow into joy — every available space was employed
for the drying of wet blankets and clothing, and, with
all our gloom dispersed. Captain Ashburnham and
I mixed the dough, and treated ourselves to hot
scones for breakfast !

We arrived at Lokoja rather late one evening,
and after sleeping that night on the Karonga, the
next morning we were most kindly taken in charge
by Mr. GoUan, then Chief Justice, who was temporarily
filling the place of the last Resident, just invalided
home. Mr. Gollan escorted us to our quarters, a
massively built double-storeyed stone house, known
as the ' Preperanda,' which had previously been
the Mess-house of the N.N. Regiment, but was now
in a very bad state of repair. The rooms below

SIERRA LEONE TO LOKOJA 7

were used as offices, and those above as a dwelling-
house. The verandah was in a ruinous condition,
and most of the glass had vanished from the doors
and windows ; even the shutters had fallen off, so
that, when the tornados came, as they did with
annoying frequency, salvation lay in one direction
only, to collect all one's belongings in frantic haste
in a heap in the centre of the floor, cover them with
waterproof sheets, and sit firmly on them till the
storm had spent itself, when the floor could be mopped
up, and books, pictures, etc., returned to their places.

Still, I have always loved the Preperanda : it was
almost buried in trees, gorgeous scarlet ' flamboyant '
(Puinciana Regia), red and yellow acacias, deliciously
scented frangipani, both white and pink, huge bushes
of rosy oleanders, lime-trees, mangoes, orange-trees
and guavas : leaning over the verandah railing in
the fragrant soft darkness, I then and there took
to heart the lesson which I have tried to practise ever
since — the absolute duty of planting trees every-
where for the benefit of one's successors.

At the Preperanda, I began to study the art of
Nigerian housekeeping, and forthwith engaged a
cook, a most unprepossessing looking individual,
a Kru-boy, rejoicing in the name of Jim Dow ;
he proved an excellent cook, as they go in West
Africa, but a frail vessel where intoxicants were
concerned ; nevertheless, he did us good service
for three years in many places, was untiring on the

8 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

march, and, in the main, sober. The further know-
ledge I acquired on this all-important subject I
have gathered together in a later chapter for the
sake of convenience.

Our lirst month in Lokoja was, in many ways,
a busy one ; my husband had his hands only too full
of official work, we bought a couple of ponies,
and I set to work to organize a stable, realizing sadly
in a day or two that the amenities and conveniences
of Indian life were not to be found here, any more
than inside the house. We made friends, too,
with the small community of white people in the
station, the nursing sisters, N.N.R. officers and
civilian officials, and many were the helping hands
and kindly hints given to us, on all sides, and most
gratefully received.

Lokoja is placed most picturesquely on a strip of
level ground, encircled by hills and the Niger.
Above the native town towers the Patti Hill, a flat-
topped mountain some eight hundred feet high,
on the summit of which, originally, there was a
town and many acres of cultivation. The town
has vanished, but traces of old farms can easily
be seen, and the former occupiers are, even now,
anxious to return to their perch and build a new
village. They seem to have a high opinion of the
soil up there, and we have often wished that the
English community might be able to form a new
station on that breezy hill-top instead of grilling

The PRErERAXDA (p. 7)

Polo at Lokoia (p. g)

{/ace p. 8.

SIERRA LEONE TO LOKOJA 9

down by the river bank. Perhaps it may come
to pass some day, for the present Cantonment is,
most unfortunately, down-stream from the native
town.

I often wonder whether any one who had not
seen the place for ten years or so would be able
to recognize it to-day ! The change, even since
I have known it, has been amazing. When we
landed there, five years ago, the ' Civil Lines '
consisted of a straggling row of bungalows, rejoicing
in the significant appellation of ' Blackwater
Crescent ' ! In front stretched a waste of swampy
ground, thickly covered with coarse, rank grass.

To-day, with its numbers of neat bungalows, well-
tended little gardens, the swamp drained and con-
verted into a recreation ground, containing tennis-
courts, cricket-pitch, etc., good roads, and flowering
trees and hedges, it is as pretty a little cantonment
as one could wish to see, and the view from the
hills behind is extremely beautiful — the two rivers,
Niger and Benue meeting just below the canton-
ment, winding down to the confluence like two
silver ribbons, visible for miles up river.

The 2nd Battalion of the N.N.R. are quartered
in Lokoja, with a com.pany of native gunners,
and we still call their lines * the camp * — a survival
of the days when the soldiers existed in wretched
discomfort, under canvas. Behind the camp is
the polo ground, and, on the farthest ridge, the new

10 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

hospital is prominent, with the Sisters' bungalow,
and medical officers' quarters. Personally, I have
always thought Lokoja a far prettier and pleasanter
place than Zungeru, the new headquarters, but
comparisons are ever ungracious, and lasting impres-
sions of places — to me — depend so much on associa-
tions, that Lokoja has always been more of a
' home ' than a ' headquarters ' to me. I have
always been sorry to leave it, and always glad
and contented to see it again.

CHAPTER II
On Tour

Exactly a month after our arrival, we set forth
on our first tour in the ' bush.' The object of our
journey was the dehmitation of the Northern
Nigeria-Lagos boundary, from Aiede to Owo, and
at the former place we were to meet the Lagos
Travelling Commissioner.

We made our preparations mostly by the light
of our Kashmir camping experience, for, beyond
generalities, none of my friends in Lokoja — with
the best will in the world — could help me very
much, never yet having had such a problem to
tackle ! Indeed, I think, had they advised me
frankly, they would have said, * Don't go ! ' and
they were quite wise and kind enough to refrain
from saying that !

So, on the 28th of May, we rode leisurely out of
Lokoja, about four o'clock, having decided on a
short march for the first day — a very sound pre-
caution, on which we have acted ever since. We
jogged down to the Mimi River, on the far side of
which our camp was arranged, the carriers and

11

12 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

servants having been sent on ahead, so that every-
thing was ready for us in the little ' rest-house '
(a thatched shelter, innocent of walls), hot baths
announced, and dinner preparing.

Things were not exactly ship-shape that night —
they never are at a first halt — and the sandflies and
mosquitos gave us a bad time ; but, all the same, we
were very happy at being out in camp, with a good
six weeks before us, to be crammed with novel
experiences, new flowers, new birds, new butter-
flies to discover, heaps to learn about everything,
and no drawbacks, saving a little physical discom-
fort, a comparatively trifling matter to energetic
inquisitive folks like ourselves.

' A rare holiday ' we said, and so it proved itself,
amply !

The next morning we were off early, and rode
along through lovely park-like country, wide
stretches of grass, picturesquely dotted with clumps
of palms and light bushes, crossed by streams the
courses of which are marked by a broad band of
thick luxuriant foliage — like a dark green ribbon
lying across the sunny plain of grass. I made
delighted acquaintance with the Gloriosa Superba
lily, not the magnificent apricot yellow climbing
variety, but a more delicately regal one, with
glowing crimson petals edged with gold, standing
up among the grass, slender, tall and graceful.
That night we had heavy rain, but our rest-house,

ON TOUR 13

mercifully, was water-tight and very cosy, and we
smiled contentedly, and promised ourselves a cool
march for the morrow. And so we had : — it was
a perfect day full of joyful discoveries, climbing
beside the narrow path, like a sheet of flame, was
Mussaenda Elegans in full bloom, two furry grey
monkeys sitting solemnly on a rock, birds of wonder-
ful blue, crimson and yellow, some scarcely larger
than beetles, a tiny village tucked away at the
foot of a little round hill, and, later, when we climbed
the Shokko-Shokko hill, great clumps of pure white
lilies, the bulbs of which were the size of a man's
head, as I discovered, when, afterwards, I bore
one back in triumph to Lokoja. At Shokko-
Shokko we celebrated my birthday with a dinner-
party of two, and I cannot recall a cheerier or more
light-hearted birthday in my life !

The following day, I had my first view of forest
country : I had listened so often to my husband's
descriptions of the Ashanti forests and their dreary
monotony, and I was ready to cry out to him that
it was, after all, the loveliest thing in the world —
though, later on, I quite came round to his opinion !

It is a rather specially beautiful piece of forest
round Oduapi ; the sunshine filters down pleasantly
through the branches of huge trees and swinging
creepers, on the thick undergrowth of bushes and
ferns ; there are acres and acres of pineapples, the
smell of them rather overpowering, for they are

14 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

such prickly souls that the natives gather only
those which grow close to the path, while the rest
rot in their hundreds ; but the sickening scent
attracts perfectly splendid butterflies — positive coveys
of them, of all shapes, sizes and colours.

We passed a tiny farm, belonging to an ex-
soldier, a Hausa ; he and his family work the little
homestead, and the acres increase year by year, I
am glad to say ! On this first visit he and his wife
came out to greet us, and, with the simplest kindly
hospitality, offered us of their best — kola-nuts and
wild honey, both of which I ate on the spot, to their
great delight. The honey was rather a problem, on a
fidgety pony, with a twig for a fork !

The Chief of Oduapi, a most cheery old gentleman,
with a loud and jovial laugh, came out to meet us,
accompanied by his ' suite,' and I tried hard not to
laugh — the caparisoned steeds were so quaint, and
still more so their riders, picturesque in flowing
gowns, made of velvet, originally of loud gaudy
colours, but softened by time and exposure to
perfectly artistic tones. Oduapi's gown is always
a delight to me, the blue has become the blue of
Gobelin, and the green the softest of sage tints.
Their dignity was sadly impaired by the head-
dress of huge flapping straw Hausa hats, with leather
strings — now perching rakishly, now pressed down,
granny-wise, now flapping wildly half-way down the
rider's back, as his pony plunged and reared.

Kcka' (Baobab) Trees, (p. 14)

A Hausa Beauiv. (p. 19)

{/,ice />. 14.

ON TOUR 15

The rest-house at Oduapi is placed in a clearing
in the forest — a lovely spot, with troops of little
grey monkeys chattering and swinging in the trees,
the undergrowth alive with birds and butterflies, and
an occasional ' ough, ough/ betraying the where-
abouts of the larger dog-faced monkeys, who, how-
ever, did not show themselves, though they seemed
to resent our intrusion.

That night, I woke suddenly, listening intently,
to hear, for the first time, the roar of a lion. It
was a very awe-inspiring sound, echoing again and
again in the depths of the silent forest, followed by
a deep hoarse cough, and made one, for the moment,
consider our thatched shelter somewhat inadequate !
However, we had a fire burning outside, and, remem-
bering the saying that no lion will tackle a mosquito
curtain (and, further, being very sleepy ! ), I merely
took the precaution of lifting Timmie, our Irish
terrier, on to my bed, and slept placidly till dawn.

After a hot march, we reached Kabba, and though
we were most kindly received by the officer com-
manding the detachment there we found the ruinous
tumble-down ' fort ' so uncomfortable that we
were glad to leave again. Afterwards, I saw a good
deal more of Kabba, and learnt to love it, and think
it far the most beautiful spot I have seen in Northern
Nigeria. At Lukpa, where the village nestles away
among the trees, and the rest-house is set on a hill
with magnificent views all round, an incident occurred

i6 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

which is worth describing in detail, for it ' gives
one furiously to think ' !

* The Sahib ' — as, from ineradicable Indian habit
I still commonly call my husband — had gone out
at sunset, after deer, and, during his absence, the
entire population of the village came streaming
up the hill to the rest-house, all talking loudly and
at once, and evidently under the influence of strong
excitement. I was, by that time, well accustomed
to creating a sensation wherever I appeared, no
white woman having been seen previously ; but
these people struck me as having more than saluta-
tions in their minds and on their clamouring tongues.
I had been six weeks in the country, my knowledge
of Hausa was confined to salutations and a few
simple words, so I summoned our interpreter to
help me to entertain my visitors. They chattered,
shouted and gesticulated at ' Paul,' who eventually
explained to me, smilingly, that they had never
seen a white woman before, and were anxious
to offer me a personal welcome. I nodded and
smiled in high gratification, thanked them cordially,
and, when I had exhausted my small stock of
polite salutations, told the interpreter to give
them leave to go home. This they did, somewhat
reluctantly, I thought ; but after describing the
interview with some amusement to the Sahib,
I dismissed the matter from my mind. Six weeks
later we passed through Lukpa again, on our way

ON TOUR 17

back to Lokoja, and found it deserted — not a man,
woman or child, not a goat, not a fowl — all gone,
obviously fled into the bush ! I felt distinctly
hurt at this churlish behaviour on the part of my
late admirers, and learnt, long afterwards, that,
on our first visit, our precious interpreter and others
of our party had seized and killed every goat and fowl
in the village ! The wretched owners had rushed
up to the rest-house to complain and implore pro-
tection, and all they got was : ' Thank you ! Thank
you ! Yes, that's all right ! You can go home
now ! ' I am not ashamed to confess that I cried
when I made that discovery ! The lesson, however,
went home to us both, and drove us to work cease-
lessly at the Hausa language, knowing there could
be no security for ourselves, or justice for the people,
until we could be independent of dishonest inter-
pretation.

At Ekiurin, we pitched our tent under a great
shady tree in the centre of the village, and strolled
about in the cool of the evening, finding large
plantations of scarlet and yellow Cannas, the seeds
of which are pierced and threaded into Mahomedan
rosaries. As a great mark of confidence, I was shown
the interior of the ' Ju-ju house,' and was as dis-
appointed as one usually is at the unravelling of a
mystery ! The shrine consisted of a dark, empty
room, swept very clean, the walls were roughly

coloured red, and on one was drawn an unshapely,

c

i8 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

meaningless figure, executed, apparently, in white
chalk. In the verandah, another reddened wall
was decorated with similar designs, and in a
prominent place was the sacrificial stone, black
and roughly carved. In a niche in the wall stood
a carved wooden figure, some eighteen inches high,
hideous and much blackened with exposure and
nasty gory smears, caused, however, by nothing less
innocent than the blood of an occasional fowl.

And so on to Aiede — the country alternating
between grass-land and forest. I found precious
trophies in the shape of terrestrial orchids, varying
in hue from palest mauve to deepest purple, with
delicate reddish-brown stems, and growing about
three feet high. There were yellow ones and some
were green, all most wonderfully striped, spotted
and splashed with contrasting colours.

Very prominent features of the Nigerian landscape
are the red ant hills, sometimes attaining a great
height, and most fantastic in shape and appearance
They remind me of a story told of a gallant of^cer,
more zealous than comprehending, who was engaged
in quelhng a petty disturbance in West Africa.
This hero, spying one of these queer-looking clay
erections, took it to be a ' heathen fetish,' and,
plunging his sword through and through the
imaginary idol, exclaimed to the astonished villagers
and liis troops : ' Thus does the Great White
Queen destroy the Black Man's Ju-ju ! ' The

ON TOUR 19

villagers, of course, thought him mad, but were too
polite to say so, and the native soldiers must have
smiled !

At one small village I created a painful impression,
apparently ; the headmen, who came to the usual
interview, lay on the ground, their heads wrapped
tightly in their gowns, and groaned aloud, in
abject fear, and no persuasion could induce them
to speak or look up till I retired from the scene !
The scare subsided happily, before we left, and they
recorded their opinion that I had come straight
from Heaven, and besought me not to permit it to
rain for a day or two. I could but hope for the
best, and felt relieved when we got away without a
shower !

The roads, or rather tracks, were terribly bad
going when rain caught us on the march ; we
crossed mountains, stumbling along among masses
of rock, loose boulders and slippery clay, on foot, of
course, riding being out of the question, and our
hearts ached for our plucky little ponies, labouring
and clambering up — the descent in each case being
worse and more dangerous. They were indeed
^ as active as monkeys and as clever as cats.* On
the return journey we tied putties on their knees
to save them in case of a slip, and felt much happier.

Aiede is a straggling, rather dilapidated Yoruba
town ; it looked pretty, as there is any amount of
vegetation, bright sunshine and cool shade, but

20 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

the prevailing smells are atrocious, and the people
most unattractive. They are Yorubas, but appear
to be exceptionally lazy and idle, ignorant and
fetish-ridden. Strictly ' on the quiet/ I was
taken to see the Ju-ju stone, hidden away inside a
circular enclosure : a large rock against which was
propped a roughly carved wooden image, very ugly,
smeared all over with blood, feathers, etc., as w^as
also the ground. I was told that a sacrifice (of a goat
or a fowl) is made there every morning, so that the
image may be ' watered with blood ' ; there were
indications of special oblations having been made —
possibly on our account !

A compound was pointed out to me as the dwelling
of their ^ Ju-ju woman,' described as ' white,' held
by the Aiede folks in great reverence ; many sacrifices
of dogs are made to her, as she has a particular
fancy for eating them ! My Irish terrier ran fear-
lessly in, and, lest he should get his throat cut, I
rushed in after him, and came face to face with the
old lady. She was a loathsome object, an albino
negress, with snow-white hair, skin of a horrible
blanched colour, and a terrible pair of red eyes.
Her astonishment at the sight of me was quite
ludicrous ; she may have considered me as a possible
rival, about to set up in her line of business ! The
Lagos Travelhng Commissioner, who we met at
Aiede, seemed to have grave suspicions of the
people there in the matter of twin-murder and

ON TOUR 21

human sacrifices — they certainly looked capable of
both.

Part of the road from Aiede to Alashigidi was
declared impassable for the ponies, so we sent them
round by a longer road and did the eight miles on
foot. It was rather a pleasant variety, and included
some rough climbing, after which I was made
acquainted with palm wine ; it was icy cold and
quite fresh, and seemed to us delicious, but I suppose
we were very thirsty, for it has never seemed so good,
to me, since.

After leaving Alashigidi, the country was dense
forest, damp, gloomy and utterly monotonous,
only compensated for by the magnificent butter-
flies. We succeeded in capturing a good many,
especially of a kind that was, at that time, new to
me — a truly beautiful person, with glorious colouring,
the wings quite iridescent, appearing in one light,
pale green, in another deep glowing purple, in another
shimmering white, with a general effect of mother-
of-pearl. Along the banks of the Ose River a
rough path was blazed, to mark the boundary line,
and we made an expedition along it on foot. It
was a very interesting experience, penetrating
this silent forest, where no human being had passed
before, and delightful to notice how utterly fearless
were the birds and butterflies, scarcely moving at
our approach. The men who hacked out the path
for us had immense difficulty in inducing a large

22 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

python to ' move on ' — he had to be actually burnt
out before he would remove himself ! The river
itself was very lovely, cool and silent in deepest
shade, winding noiselessly through the forest.
Our objective was Iporo, a little standing camp,
composed of much dilapidated grass huts in a
clearing, on the banks of a stream, really tinkling
and purling exactly like a Scotch burn^ and which
I flew to sketch on the spot !

The following morning we started back on our
long return journey, passing from Alashigidi to
Erun, where we spent what should have been
Coronation Day. On the strength of this, we
decided to hold a durbar of our own, congratulating
ourselves on being far from the crowded streets
of London, and all unconscious of the tragic shadow
then hanging over England, while the King lay
dangerously ill.

A number of Chiefs came in from the surrounding
villages, to pay their respects, all arrayed in their
bravest attire, and a very gaudy crowd they were !
Erun himself was arrayed in a garment composed
of stripes of crimson and gold plush, embroidered
on the breast with gold and sequins ; over this
was worn a long mantle of silver grey plush — it
made my heart ache to see its delicate folds trailing
in the dust ! On his head was a comical high hat,
shaped like a Bishop's mitre, made entirely of
white and coloured beads ; from it, all round, hung

ON TOUR 23

a long, thick fringe of beads, thoroughly concealing
his face. This original costume was completed
by a necklace of coral, huge slippers, also of bead-
work, and a staff completely covered with beads in in-
tricate patterns, surmounted by a bead dicky-bird !

He sat, with immense dignity, under a crimson and
gold State umbrella, with the other Chiefs arranged
in a semicircle, strictly according to precedence,
making a brilliant splash of colour with their robes of
blue, purple and green velvet and brocade.

While my husband explained carefully to them why
the day had a special significance for us all, and
described what we imagined to be going on at
Westminster, I whiled away the time by making a
sketch of the old Chief, and took some photographs,
but found our guests most fidgety folks to get into
a group — at the critical moment some one was sure
to get up and stroll away, or lean across to make
a remark to his neighbour !

In the evening, rather to our dismay, they all
turned up again, singly this time, and gave us a
good deal of useful information. Before each other
they would say nothing, this being a matter of
etiquette, but, in private, were brimful of troubles,
complaints and general talk.

From Erun we made our way back to Kabba,
coming in for quantities of rain, but usually at
night, so we had little real inconvenience from
it, except in the matter of fording swollen streams.

24 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

On one of these occasions^ crawling cautiously into
the river, the ponies suddenly dropped out of their
depth, and were obliged to swim for it. It was
decidedly uncomfortable for ponies and riders, but
the good little souls made a valiant struggle against
the rushing current, and landed us safe, though
wet, on the far side. The worst part of that business
was the struggle to get off my dripping boots !

We were delighted to leave the stuffy forest behind,
and find ourselves back in the fresh air and breezes
of Kabba. It was an uneventful march, my chief
concern the catching of butterflies. We got one or
two fine '*^ Char axes," and greatly exercised ourselves
over the moths that thronged the sweet-scented
blossoms of the paw-paw trees at night.

We got back to Lokoja about the middle of July,
having thoroughly enjoyed our trek^ and, myself,
feeling very pleased with my initiation into the
methods of African travel.

r?.

CHAPTER III
Bida and Egga

We spent the rest of July and August in Lokoja —
my husband, as usual, full of work ; I, very busy
gardening. We watched the building of the bunga-
low destined for us, and, as soon as the actual building
was finished, we set to work, and made our garden,
having the coarse elephant grass dug out, and
turfy ' dhoob ' grass planted instead. Numberless
seedlings and cuttings were put in, dotted over
the grass ; we had scarcely one failure, and my
seedlings are now respectable sized trees !

But trouble overtook us too — our dearly-loved
little Irish terrier sickened and died, as did also
my pony, ' Mouse,' who had carried me so gallantly
over all those miles we had travelled. Both losses, I
imagine, were the result of that ' beautiful forest
country.'

About this time the High Commissioner arrived,
bringing Lady Lugard ; they paid Lokoja a short
visit before going on to Zungeru, and the real Corona-
tion Day was celebrated. In the middle of August
we moved into our new bungalow, and, for me.

2o

26 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

naturally, the days flew until the beginning of
September.

My husband was very anxious to meet and confer
with the Resident of Nupe, who was less able to
leave his headquarters at the time than we were,
and, as we were nothing loth to extend our acquaint-
ance with Nigeria, we packed up, and started for
Bida.

We went up river on one of the stern-wheelers,
as far as Dakmon on the Kaduna River ; there we
found ponies, sent down from Bida to meet us,
and rode in, an easy march of about fourteen miles.
We were struck with the general air of prosperity
and comfort displayed by the flourishing farms
and neat little hamlets, and were rather amused to
come upon a scarecrow, the first I had seen in this
country.

It was a great day for Bida : no white woman
had ever been there, and the Emir and his people
were determined to do honour to the event; so,
as we approached the town, a great concourse of
people began to throng down the hill from the
Residency. At the head of the procession rode
Mr. Goldsmith, the Acting Resident, followed by
the Emir, an immensely tall and stout personage,
gorgeously attired, and having a State umbrella
held over his head as he rode, and ostrich feather
fans waved by attendants on either side. Behind
him followed the members of his family and ' Court

BIDA AND EGGA 27

officials/ and the procession ended in a surging
crowd, on horseback and on foot. They made an
attractive picture, splashes of brilliant colour and
snowy white robes and turbans dashing hither and
thither, pulling up their horses suddenly on their
haunches, with a great display of jingling brass
and gaudy leather trappings, then darting off
again, scattering the crowed like irresponsible butter-
flies ! After the ceremonial greetings we all pro-
ceeded to the Residency, where more greetings
ensued, and, on his dismounting, one could get a
better idea of the vast proportions of the Emir —
a truly huge man.

The city of Bida hes rather in a hollow, surrounded
by low hills ; its wall extends for about nine miles,
and is pierced by a number of large gateways, most
cunningly set, with dark recesses in their depths —
probably with a view to dealing effectually with
unexpected or undesired visitors ! Inside, the streets
are lined with shady trees, which give a delightfully
cool appearance to the thatched huts and market
places. The Emir's palace is a great pile of clay
buildings enclosed within a high wall, and on the
occasion when, accompanied by Mr. Goldsmith,
we went to visit him, we had an opportunity of
inspecting the Nupe style of building and decoration.
The inner apartments were more or less like great
vaults, unlighted save by the doorways, and appeared
to us, at first, to be in pitch-darkness; but, after a

28 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

time, when our eyes became accustomed to the
gloom, we could follow the outhne of the high
vaulted roof and the massive pillars, the surface
of which is plastered and beautifully polished
(I believe with special clay, obtained from the
inside of ant-heaps), resembling black marble.

It was an odd experience, sitting in the warm
scented darkness, our host and his people more
guessed at than seen, great fans softly waving
behind him, and every rustle of every gown wafting
out the heavy perfume of musk, an interpreter
conveyed in a hushed, monotonous murmur endless
salutations, compliments and pious aspirations be-
tween us, the atmosphere was highly soporific,
and we were all relieved when the Emir proposed
a move to the verandah.

I requested, and obtained permission to pay a
visit to the ladies of the harem, and, escorted by an
aged — and presumably privileged — dotard, I passed
through the heavy door and found as great a contrast
to the dim quiet scene I had just left as could
well be imagined ! A crowd of women, some mere
girls, others middle-aged, nearly all carrying babies,
and a swarm of brown toddlers, all laughing, clapping
their hands, calling greetings and salutations inces-
santly. To them it was indeed a ' bolt from the
blue,' and, in their placid lives of seclusion, a marvel-
lous and startling occurrence ; but, though they
were frank enough in their expressions of astonish-

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BIDA AND EiGGA 29

ment and pleasure, their perfect courtesy, that
fine characteristic of the African people, prevailed
to restrain them. There was no mobbing, no
pushing, or crowding. I was invited to seat myself
on a large carved black stool, while the Emir's mother,
a very aged sweet-faced woman, evidently set in
authority above the rest, crouched on the ground
beside me, gently patting and smoothing my skirts
and feet, while she poured forth greetings and
salutations, thanking Allah fervently that ' in her
old age, she had been spared to see this wonderful
sight.'

It was very touching, and, at that time, I little
thought I should ever see her again, though, after-
wards, I had frequent messages from her to say
that she still lived and still remembered, and when
would I come back and visit her again ?

The Emir presented us with an enormous and almost
almost embarrassing ' dash ' or present — oxen, sheep,
fowls and various special Bida products. Fortun-
ately, the custom (which hurts no one's feelings)
is to dispose of the live stock in the market and
present to the donor, in money or cloth, the full
value of his present, so I ' bought in ' eagerly some
of the really beautiful coloured grass mats — there
were seventy-five to choose from ! — and handsome
brass-work, and bore them off with me when, on
the following day, we took leave of our kind host,
and cantered down to the Wonangi Creek, where

30 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

our steel canoe was waiting, and slowly dropped
down stream to Lokoja.

I afterwards sent the Emir of Bida, as a token
of friendship, a Hausa gown, made for me locally,
of white material, much pleated, and heavily embroid-
ered in white in the customary patterns, and this
embroidery I outlined and embellished with gold
thread, producing a very fine rich effect, which was
highly appreciated by my friend.

A few words on the subject of Hausa embroidery
may not be inappropriate here, for it is distinctly
interesting, and, in its way, artistic.

The finest and most elaborate needlework is
found on the Hausa gown or tohCj which, in itself,
deserves a few words of description in detail.
The accompanying drawing gives an accurate idea
of its shape — a surplice-like garment of immense
width, reaching to the ankles. The material is
frequently pleated all over from neck to knees,
where it falls loose, taking on a most up-to-date
flow and expansion ! I have seen as much as
thirty yards of wide English cloth put into one
tobe ; under these circumstances, the weight of
the gown is, of course, very considerable.

These garments are made of every kind of stuff,
according to the length of the wearer's purse ; some-
times they are fashioned of European cotton velvets,
brocades and plush, and, in the districts where the
Lagos trade makes its influence felt, many of these

BIDA AND EGGA 31

gowns are to be seen, made, alas, of shoddy velveteen,
and the beautiful native needlework replaced by
tawdry tinsel and sequins. The vast majority,
however, are composed of country-made cloth,
which is, by necessity of the tiny, primitive looms,
woven in narrow strips, some four inches wide,
and laboriously sewn together. Some of it is dyed
with indigo or magenta, but the best kind remains
a creamy white, resembling a coarse heavy linen,
and forms a most desirable background for elaborate
stitchery. The tobe has a deep pocket on the left
breast, reaching to the knees, and it is on this,
principally, that the embroidery is concentrated :
there is also a single circular design at the back,
high on the left shoulder, which never varies, though
the decoration in front may be amplified and
elaborated at pleasure.

All the designs used in Hausa embroidery are
obviously symbolical, and their significance and
history is a subject of deep interest, but it is most
difficult to acquire reliable information on the point,
as the people themselves are, for the most part,
hopelessly ignorant about it, and merely reproduce
the same designs from generation to generation,
for the excellent — and, to them, conclusive reason
that their fathers and grandfathers did so !

The most frequent designs are the Fuska
(face) and the Almakashi (scissors) ; these I
have always found included in every decorative

32 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

scheme, however intricate and elaborate. The
pattern is drawn in native ink, with a pointed wooden
pen ; it is entirely free-hand, and is rather a go-as-
you-please process, with little regard for symmetry,
though, in the case of the gown I have illustrated,
I think the complicated conventional design is
marvellously accurate for a freehand performance.

The work is carried out in native thread, occasion-
ally dyed with indigo, or to the correct Islamic
shade of brilliant green but usually of the same
creamy tint as the cloth itself. The stitchery is
absolutely simple, being mainly chain-stitch squares
filled in with long stitches, and a curious handsome
effect is produced by a series of tiny eyelets, worked
in buttonhole stitch, giving a rich damask appear-
ance. Couching stitch is also used, and most pat-
terns are outlined with French knots.

There is also another quite distinct kind of
embroidery, universally employed for decorating the
enormously wide trousers worn underneath the tobes.
These voluminous garments terminate in an almost
tightfitting band, some nine inches deep, just above
the ankle, and it is here, and on the outside of the
leg, that this needlework is lavished — a cunning
piece of vanity, as it is well displayed when the
wearer strides about with a sufficient swagger !

The designs, as can be seen from the sketch, are
quite different from those used on the tobes ; some
are distinctly Masonic in character, some are quite

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BIDA AND EGGA 33

ecclesiastical, others suggestive of Persian embroidery.
They are carried out in gaily-coloured wools, pro-
cured from Lagos, — the usual tints being bright
crimson, royal blue, purple, orange, green and
black. The combination I am aware, sounds daring,
to say the least of it, but the result is wonderfully
effective and brilliant, without being in the least
bit gaudy, and it always seems to me a thousand
pities that so much industry and real artistic effec-
tiveness should be thrown away, usually, on the
most wretched materials, cheap cotton cloth from
Manchester very often, and on these inferior wools
which will not bear the ordeal of a single washing.

I have interested myself in collecting these
designs, and have worked them myself on the best
linens with fast-dyed silks and the equally beautiful
modern flax threads, and the result is eminently
satisfactory — the designs, of course, requiring to
be corrected and straightened. Indeed, for tea-
cloths, borders, cushions or doyleys, and for an
endless variety of decorative purposes, I think it
would be difficult to find embroidery of a more
striking or original kind than that peculiar to
Nigeria.

In November, my husband had orders to accom-
pany a patrol on the Northern-Southern Nigeria
frontier, and as friction with some of the natives
was a possible contingency, it was not thought
advisable for me to go too, so I remained in Lokoja

D

34 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

alone, feeling sad and rather lonely, and envying
my better half the opportunity of finding ' pastures
new ' which I was unable to share.

On leaving, the Sahib commended me to the
care of the Sariki and Chiefs of Lokoja, mainly, I
think, as a friendly joke, but they took the charge
quite seriously, dear souls, the whole cavalcade
turning up regularly each morning to make careful
inquiries of the most minute description, and to
ask whether I did not ' feel sad without the Resid-
ent ! ' After a few days they informed me that
' it was quite impossible for them to take proper
care of me while I lived so far away from them —
they had a fine compound swept out, next to the
Sariki's house, in the town — would I not come
and live there, till the Judge's return ? '

It was rather a dilemma, and I had to meet it
by telling them how much I should have enjoyed
visiting them, but that I had my duty too, and I
must look after our house and garden, ponies and
dogs, so as to keep everything in order, and finally
satisfied their kind hearts by promising to send
to them for all and anything that I might want !
Each time a letter arrived from the absentee, I
summoned my friends, read it aloud, translating
each sentence as I went into halting Hausa ; every
single word was repeated and passed round eagerly,
discussed and commented upon, amidst much
chewing of kola-nuts,^provided by the hostess, and

BIDA AND EGGA 35

ponderous messages of an affectionate nature were
impressively given me for transmission in my reply !

The arrival of General and Mrs. Kemball cheered
me greatly, and the week they spent in Lokoja
was a very happy one for me, in Mrs. KembalFs
bright and sympathetic companionship. There was
a cheery dinner-party at the Mess in their honour,
and I said good-bye very regretfully when they
went on their way to Zungeru. Shortly afterwards
we had another glimpse of them as they passed
through on their way down river, and we little
thought then that our next meeting would be at
Trinity Lodge, Cambridge !

One morning, three weeks later, I put on my
riding habit with a very light heart, and rode out,
accompanied by the whole of the Sariki's cavalcade,
to escort our ' judge ' home in triumph. It was
a glorious morning, and perfectly delightful riding
through the crops of guinea-corn, now ripe, and
standing ten feet high, — the leaves splashed and
stained with crimson, purple and gold, like gaudy,
waving ribbons, the heavy plumes of grain swaying
above one's head, brilliant red, or black and white.
Underneath the pony's feet was a veritable carpet
of a tiny lilac blossom which always flourishes
among the guinea-corn at harvest time and hardly
anywhere else. * The little pink flower that grows
in the wheat ' always comes into my mind, but this
one happens to be mauve instead !

36 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

We escorted our lord and master home — a most
rowdy party, the boldest spirits wildly racing their
ponies along the winding track — girths (composed of
widths of ancient cotton cloth !) parting company
continually, and saddle and rider together taking
a flying toss into the grass, amid shrieks of delight
from the rest of the crowd. At each tiny hamlet
the entire party would tumble off their ponies,
greet and salute, salute and greet, drink quantities
of water, climb on again, set the horns and drums
braying their loudest, and gallop off irresponsibly,
like the light-hearted children that they are.

My husband afterwards told me that in the
course of the patrol they passed through a jvalley
where the inhabitants of the rocks and hills above
apparently made their homes in holes and caves ;
one member of the party idly asked what was the
scientific name for cave-dwellers, [it having slipped
his memory for the moment. No one appeared to
be able to supply the word, when the native inter-
preter, plodding along behind, came up, saying :
* Pardon me, sir, don't you mean Troglodytes ? '
The Englishman, amazed, asked where he had ever
heard such a word, and ' George ' replied placidly :
' I was reading a dictionary one day, and I saw it ! '
I cannot imagine myself reading a German or Italian
dictionary for pleasure, and storing in my mind, for
future use, conversationally, a specially unusual
scientific term ; I only wish I could !

BIDA AND EGGA 37

Christmas Day of that year found us at Egga,
a small riverside town on the right bank of the
Niger, sixty miles above Lokoja. Canon Robinson
(in JIausaland ) describes Egga as an island, from
which one may conclude that he only visited the
place in the rainy season ; we have marched overland
to Egga, and walked on dry — very dry — ground
all around it in May, and, three months later, passed
over the same spots, steaming easily in a stern-
wheeler ! It consists really of three or four elevated
tongues of land, with low-lying creeks in between,
which are so flooded by the rise of the river,
that to traverse the town from end to end several
canoe journeys are necessary. On the high ground
the grass-roofed huts are clustered thick as bees,
they perch perilously on the very edge, threatening
to topple into the creek below — perhaps they do,
sometimes, for the banks suffer considerably at
each annual rise in the water. Our domicile was
perched in solitary state on one of the small Ararats,
farthest from the river bank, and that Christmas
morning, creeping from under the low verandah
of the rest-house, I had a glorious and uninterrupted
view of mile upon mile of grass-land, flanked in the
distance by the curious flat-topped hills at Padda.
The distance was marked only by the ' wire road, '
the telegraph line leaving Egga and disappearing
into the pearly iridescent Harmattan mists in an
ever diminishing perspective — the one link with

38 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

civilization, unless one counts, too, the ceaseless
meagre stream of humble traders, in ones and twos,
padding in noiseless procession at the foot of our
little hill, making their way to Ilorin, at that
peculiar half trot, half run, which looks like walking,
but which covers the ground in amazing fashion.

It was rather an event, this Christmas Day, the
first we had spent in Nigeria, and much care and
thought had been expended on the dinner menu.
There was a plump turkey to be roasted in a native
oven, a most uncompromising-looking affair, con-
sisting of a large earthenware pot, half buried in
the ground ; this is heated by the simple process
of stuffing it full of blazing wood, and when the
cook deems the temperature high enough, he will
haul out the fuel, pop in the turkey, plant a flat piece
of tin on the mouth of the oven, piling it up with
much burning wood — and, wonderful to relate, it will
roast the turkey to perfection !

The chef had his work cut out for him that
day, for the feast was to include a most desirable
fat teal, shot the day before, which had to be similarly
cooked in a similar oven also a plum-pudding from
' Home ', round which most pleasurable anticipations
hovered.

When the Christmas presents had been distributed
to the household, the morning spent itself peacefully
in writing and sketching, the Sahib working away,
as the habit of political officers ever is out here.

BIDA AND EGGA 39

in spite of my loud insistence on a whole holiday :
all arrangements had been made for an afternoon
on the river, among the wild duck, and luncheon
had been despatched, when, with housewifely care,
I bethought me of making final arrangements for
dinner, and summoned the cook. He was not
forthcoming, but, after much whispering and sup-
pressed giggling among the small boys of the house-
hold, Momo, our faithful head steward, appeared,
taking generous support from the side of the
doorway, and adorned with a vacant giddy smile that
turned my heart to water !

Very slowly he spoke, and with deadly care ;
speech was very difficult, but he struggled through
manfully, and, though I was bubbling with wrath,
I could not help feeling sincere admiration. ' The
cook was not at all well. . . . Yes, he certainly
had drunk far too much pito (native beer). . . and
he, Momo, had had a little too — for Kismiss ! ' —
smiling vaguely at the floor. ' No, he did not think
Jim Dow would be able to walk till three o'clock,
but ' — with renewed cheerfulness, and a tremendous
pull on himself — 'Cook say he get quite well very
soon, cook dinner proper, Missis go shoot, no fear
at all. ... Jim Dow fit to cook all right very
soon ! . . .'

Well, there was no help for it — I certainly could
not go and find the delinquent in the purlieus of the
town, nor, had I found him, could I have done any-

40 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

thing, so we resigned ourselves, sending the steward
to ' sleep it off/ and reflecting that we might as well
spend the afternoon happily as not, we stepped
warily into the native canoe, determined to banish
all dismal forebodings 'on the very slender chances
of our getting any dinner at all !

The canoe, an ordinary dug-out, about twenty
feet long, contained our two camp chairs, the guns,
four polers, and Ganna.

Ganna is one of my many friends out here ; he
is the younger brother of the Rogun or Chief of
Egga, and has been interpreter to the late Captain
Abadie, and, like all who came in contact with
him, had the liveliest admiration and affection for
him. He is in the latter stages of consumption,
poor soul, and has a thin eager face, a fair command
of English, and a terrible rending cough. He gets
thinner each time I see him, and though he some-
times comes to Lokoja, and attends the native
hospital there, the doctors can never give me any
hope of his recovery. Poor Ganna, I wonder if I
shall ever see him again; the last time was when
we were poling down the river in a steel canoe, and,
in the early morning, as we drifted slowly past a
tiny hamlet, a figure flew down the bank, and the
familiar emaciated face and skinny, almost trans-
parent arms appeared over the side, bearing a fine
leopard skin, while, in a voice saddeningly husky and
laboured, Ganna explained how he had kept the

A Camp ox the Rivkr Bank. (p. 40)

Roofing at Keffi. (p 31)

\ face p. 40.

BIDA AND EGGA 41

skin for us, watched for us many 'days, knowing of
our approach in the weird, mysterious fashion in
which news travels in Africa. ' Yes, he was doing
a Httle work now, but his chest hurt him, and he
would come to Lokoja when his work was finished
... he would go again to the hospital, indeed he
would, and ask the Likitor (Doctor !) for some
more of that good medicine. . . . Good-bye ! . . .
Sai wota rana ! (lit. till another day) . . .' and
the canoe dropped down stream, leaving the sunken
hollow eyes watching us from the bank, and the
painful hacking cough reaching our ears after the
corner was rounded. Poor Ganna, I wonder where
our ' wota rana ' meeting will take place — not in
Africa, I think !

However, this particular Christmas Day was
four years ago, and Ganna was then a stronger man,
and a keen shikari, and had arranged this shoot.
I looked at him with special interest, as he crouched,
smiling, at one end of the canoe, clad in a dazzling
white Hausa gown, heavily embroidered in green —
there seemed to be more of him than usual, and the
hope crossed my mind that he was perhaps gaining
flesh. But, when we had poled down the creek
where the water-lilies are clustered thick, past
the Niger Company's warehouses, and out on
to the great grey river, nearly half a mile wide, and
shrouded in pale Harmattan mists, and were sweep-
ing rapidly down stream in the direction of the duck

42 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

grounds, Ganna dissipated my hopes by cautiously
divesting himself of his white garb, and emerging,
clad in a faultless Norfolk suit of light tweed — a
present from his beloved master, as he explained
proudly.

The water was like oil, greyness was everywhere
as soon as the sun began to drop into the haze, and
a great silence prevailed — the loudest sound being
the crackling of numberless bush fires along the
banks, for at this season of the year the dry grass
is fired, and in all directions there are leaping tongues
of flame and columns of smoke.

Presently, the ' Quack ! Quack ! ' of contented
ducks could be heard, and we crept off our chairs
and crouched in the bottom of our canoe, the polers
squatting motionless at either end, their wet poles
slowly dripping into the greasy-looking water, while
the canoe drifted down to the sand-bank where the
ducks were — in their hundreds, some standing in
the water, preening their feathers, others solemnly
waddling about on the bank — all discoursing cease-
lessly in their gossippy, monotonous language.
The whole bank was dark with them, tall, graceful
' crown-birds ' standing motionless or stalking
thoughtfully about on the sand, plump, sturdy
mallards, and restless little teal, all busy, chatty,
supremely happy, and utterly unconscious of the
danger creeping on them, in the drifting canoe.

We were so absorbed in watching the scene

BIDA AND EGGA 43

that we forgot the object of our expedition, and,
indeed, it seemed nothing short of criminal to disturb
a party so contented and peaceful, but the thousands
of restless little bright eyes spied the glint of a gun
barrel, the alarm was given, there was a rushing whirr,
and the sky over our heads was instantly dark with
beating wings. A couple of shots brought down
some victims, and the canoe wended its way to
another duck-ground, after landing me on a sand-
bank, for the purpose of sketching a picturesque little
hamlet built there by the fisher-folk during the season of
low water, when they spend their time catching and
drying fish ; later, when the water rises, and, each
year, sweeps away the whole colony of frail grass

huts, they return to Egga, and dispose of their season's
catch.

When the canoe, laden with further spoils, picked
me up again, the sun was just setting in the banks
of mist, a gorgeous colour display of sunset had turned
the whole world rose-colour, giving to the water a
strange pale violet hue, and we had a good six
miles to pole against a swift current, so the nose of
the canoe was turned up stream, and we crept along
close under the banks, where the stream is least
strong, and the edge gives some purchase for the
poles.

Our progress seemed incredibly slow, but I could
have sat there for ever, slipping through the still
evening, the silence only broken, away behind us,

44 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

by the faint quacking of disturbed and outraged
ducks, returning cautiously to the feeding-grounds ;
one felt at peace with all the world, and I could not
even bother to give an anxious thought to the
complete uncertainty of our dinner !

Ahead of us was a tiny canoe, with only one
occupant, but fully laden with newly-made earthen-
ware pots, coming to seek a market at Egga ; steadily
the man pulled, watching the sinking sun all the
while ; then, as it finally disappeared, he deliberately
poled into a flat sand-bank, tied the canoe to the pole
fixed in the sand, carefully washed and prepared
himself, then, with his face devoutly raised to the
eastward sky, he commenced his evening devotions.
A picturesque figure with the flaming sunset after-
glow as a background, intent only on his prayer,
unconscious of our approach under the bank, alone
and — to his knowledge — unseen, not a gesture, not
a movement of the hands, not a single word was
omitted or hurried over — a curious blending of
simplicity and solemnity, and, as we left him behind,
I murmured, ' Thy Father which seeth in secret
. . / and the Sahib nodded his head comprehendingly.

It was quite dark when we slid into the Egga
creek, and figures began to move on the bank and
lights flash as we pulled up ; the most prominent
was a short, squat personage, clad in spotless white
drill, white shoes and a jaunty straw hat in his hand,
holding the big lantern and generally directing the

BIDA AND EGGA 45

disembarkation ! Jim Dow, the sinner, restored
to his former greatness, perfectly sober and full of
serene cheerfulness — assuring us genially that he was
' quite well again ' and the dinner progressing most
satisfactorily !

A scramble up to the rest-house, hot baths and a
change — and Jim Dow was quite as good as his
word !

CHAPTER IV

Keffi

Immediately after the New Year we marched north
from Egga to Pateji, where we were to meet the
Resident of Ilorin, and with him accompHsh the
dehmitating of the Ilorin-Kabba boundary. At
one of our halts we were lunching one day, when
the servants ran in, begging us, in some excitement,
to ' come and look ! ' In the dusty roadway were
a couple of donkeys, loaded with potash, a pair of
evil-looking men, and two of the most forlorn,
wretched little mites of children that it has ever
been my misfortune to see. The younger of the
two was certainly not more than four or five years
old, both were crying helplessly, stumbling along
in the dust, limping and exhausted. They had
begged our boys for water, and so, most fortunately,
attracted their attention.

It was the first case of obvious slavery I had ever
seen, and the terrible cruelty of it made one's blood
boil. My husband of course detained the ' caravan,*
the leader of which declared glibly that the children
were not slaves, but his own offspring, and that their

47

48. A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

mother was just coming along behind. The elder
toddler had spirit enough to cry out : * We are not^
we are not ! He bought us, for a horse ... a thin
horse.' . . with a mournful touch of self-pity.
Presently, a young girl came toilmg along the road,
and the caravan leader flung at her a flood of a
language unknown to us, so that, when questioned,
she spiritlessly agreed that they were her children.
She was, herself not more than fourteen or fifteen,
and could not possibly have been the mother of
either child ; her owner, when sternly reminded of
this, hurriedly shifted his ground, saying that this
was not the woman of whom he had spoken, the chil-
dren's mother was still further behind. This was
greeted with loud denials from the mites, who
had already placed themselves definitely under our
protection ! We had the caravan leader removed
when the next dejected figure came slowly in sight,
and the new-comer immediately and frankly
described them all as slaves, confirmed the
children's story, and with pitiful indifference
remarked that they had already covered twelve
miles that day, and were prepared to travel another
six, so as to avoid the observation of the ' White
Judge.'

The men were taken into custody, the donkeys
and loads confiscated, the women elected to attach
themselves to another caravan, travelling back to
their own district, and we took charge of the chil-

KEFFI 49

dren. After a good meal and twelve hours' sleep,
they were different creatures, but their swollen feet
made it almost impossible for them to walk a yard.
I carried the tiny boy on my knee, and, after a
grunt or two of satisfaction, his head dropped back
on my shoulder, and he slept for hours. It was
not exactly a comfortable arrangement in a side-
saddle, and we were much relieved when we reached
Pateji, and could ship our charges down to Lokoja,
where they became two of the liveliest inmates of
the Freed Slaves' Home.

At Pateji, my husband found orders to return at
once to Lokoja, hand over the Province to a new
Resident, then on his way out from England, and
start for Keffi, the headquarters of the Nassarawa
Province, where he was to take temporary charge.
We crossed to Mureji, at the mouth of the Kaduna
River, and returned to Lokoja to make preparations
for our departure. There was excitement and
unrest in the air, events in the North had made the
Kano-Sokoto Expedition an immediate necessity,
the greater part of the Force had already concen-
trated at Zaria, and the Lokoja garrison was rein-
forced by troops from Southern Nigeria, under the
command of Major Moorhouse. Dr. Cargill, the
Resident of Nassarawa, was urgently needed at
Kano, so, after a week spent by my husband in
initiating his successor into the mysteries of the daily
work of a Resident, we started off for Keffi, con-

E

50 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

gratulating ourselves on this opportunity of seeing
a new part of the country.

We left Lokoja one hot day at the end of January,
occupying a steel canoe which was towed alongside
by the steam canoe Black Swan. This latter was
— well, ' occupied ' is not the word — overflowed
by a party of officers and N.C.O.s ; Captain Macarthy
Morrogh and Mr. Steward being on their way to
join the Anglo-German Boundary Commission, Major
Mackenzie and Mr. Carre from Southern Nigeria,
bound for Loko and Nassarawa to recruit carriers.
The two former had, of necessity, a great quantity
of stores and baggage, and the discomfort of that
crowded canoe must have been extreme, intensified
as it was by the heat from their steam pipes : I
should imagine that on parting with four of us at
Loko, the sentiments of the remainder must have
been unmixed relief !

The Benue River struck me as being remarkably
clearer and purer in colour than the Niger, and the
scenery is very lovely. Each evening we ' tied up '
by a convenient sandbank, and the men camped there,
rejoiced, I fancy, to spread themselves out a bit.
One evening the Black Swan contingent gave a
dinner-party, the novel feature of which was that
our menu was to consist of a ' French dinner ' — a most
luxurious invention for travellers, one large box
containing five tins, each representing a course,
with fascinating French names. These only need

KEFFI 51

to be heated in boiling water — and, behold — your
French dinner ! As we were a party of six, two
* dinners ' were requisitioned, and we fared royally
on delicious soup for a start. After that, I fear the
various cooks and boys got hopelessly astray among
the courses, for I found myself eating filleted sole,
with apple charlotte by way of a sauce ! We gave
up all attempt at sequence after that, and simply
ate our way through a list of most excellent dainties,
discovering many new and delectable combinations,
and voted the ' dinners ' an unqualified success !

At Loko the party broke up ; we found ponies
waiting for us, and hastened off as soon as possible,
for it is a most unpleasant mosquito-ridden spot.
The road to Kefii is monotonous and wearisome,
consisting of the path cleared for the construction
of the telegraph line, and it is the dullest process
following that interminable wire, winding in between
the stumps of decapitated trees. The only halt
of any interest on the way was at Nassarawa, a
town which had evidently ' seen better days,' finely
situated on rising ground above a broad river.
Keffi has always had a sinister reputation — firstly
as a famous slave market, and later on as the scene
of Captain Moloney's tragic death. The Keffi people
are queer restless folks, finding their greatest pleasure,
apparently, in munafiki or intrigue of all kinds.
Our native friends in Loko j a shook their heads
dismally, and deplored our being obliged to go among

52 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

these ' bad, hard-hearted people/ I remember, and
were evidently prepared for all kinds of unpleasant
developments !

As we rode in through the South Gate, and up
the long sandy road through the town, it seemed
indeed a desolate spot after the teeming streets of
Lokoja ; nearly all the houses were unroofed (a
precaution against fire in the dry season), many were
ruinous, and scarcely a soul was to be seen. But,
glancing into the narrow low doorways, one was
conscious of lurking forms and inquisitive peeping
eyes ; there were subdued scufflings as, seeing them-
selves observed, the peepers scuttled off into devious
back alleys, like frightened rabbits. The town had
been practically deserted since the trouble of the
previous autumn, when Captain Moloney's death
took place, and the outlook was indeed a depressing
one.

The Resident was occupying the great, mud-built
pile, originally the house of the Magaji, forming one
side of an open square, just opposite it was the
Mosque, and on the left the Sariki's ' palace.*

The Residency was, to say the least of it, a gloomy
spot for a dwelling-house — a very large compound,
surrounded by a thirty foot wall, affording, at best,
a view of the sky alone, the inside occupied by a
labyrinth of houses, some mere circular huts, dark
and low, others well-built, flat-roofed cool houses.
Many of the smaller huts had been pulled down.

KEFFl 53

giving more light and air and improving matters
greatly. It was very quiet, very prison-like, scarcely
a sound penetrated from outside, save the cry of
the Muezzins from the Mosque opposite, and only
terrific smells from the indigo dye-pits reminded
one that there was life and industry beyond the wall.

Dr. Cargill left for Kano almost immediately,
and we settled down to await the arrival of our
relief, Mr. Granville. A detachment of the N.N.R.
had ' barracks ' near the South Gate, and Mr.
Wilcox, in command, was our daily companion when
we went out shooting in the evenings, the country
round Keffi producing plenty of birds, or when we
explored the higher ground behind the town, search-
ing for a suitable site for a new Residency.

On the summit of a high hill, overlooking the
town, was a circular wall, enclosing a solitary grave,
the resting-place of Captain Moloney, and, in the
square, outside the Mosque, stood a tall white wooden
cross, marking the spot where he died. All honour to
those who placed it there — but that cross has always
been a sorrow to m.e : close beside the wall of the
Mosque, it could not fail to be an offence to a Mahom-
edan community, and, being on the way to the
market, each man, woman and child who passed,
must be reminded daily of the tragedy that had
ruined the prosperity of the town, and wrecked so
many innocent, humble homes.

During the short time we were at Keffi, we spared

54 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

no pains in endeavouring to ' re-establish confidence '
walking about the town in every direction, and striv-
ing to make friends with the people. They were,
even then, beginning timidly to return and to come
to the market, and, before we left, we had the satis-
faction of seeing hundreds of nice new thatched roofs
appearing, and the householders coming to their
doors to call greetings and salutations, instead
of making panic-stricken rushes in the opposite
direction !

Our thoughts, while there, were naturally occupied
with the sad events of Captain Moloney^s death,
and we heard the story in detail from the Resident's
clerk, a native called Silva, who was present, and
as his account of it is rather a curious one, I may
mention it here, though, of course, I cannot vouch
for the absolute truth of it, and give it just as it
was told to me. The main facts (I am quoting partly
from the best authority, the High Commissioner's
Annual Report for 1902) are as follows : —

On the day in question. Captain Moloney, being
anxious to * come to an amicable understanding '
with this influential Chief, the Magaji, who had
apparently been giving him much trouble through-
out the Province, slave-raiding and robbing caravans,
and preferring to endeavour by argument and
persuasion to win him over to the side of law and
order, and make of him a useful friend to Govern-
ment, determined on a decisive interview, while

Native Drummers at Keffi. (n. 54)

A Deiachment of the X.X. Reot. (p. 68)

I /nee p. 54.

KEFFI 55

he had a large mihtary force temporarily at Keffi,
to back up his authority if needful. The account
runs thus : —

' Captain Moloney . . . went to the king's house,
and the Magaji was summoned to attend. He
declined to do so, and Mr. Webster, Assistant
Resident, was sent to fetch him. Misled by the
Government native agent, to whose intrigue and
false representations it now appears probable that
the deplorable results which followed were directly
due, Mr. Webster entered the private quarters —
probably the harem — of the Magaji. That Chief
was surrounded by armed retainers, who immedi-
ately set upon Mr. Webster. He very narrowly
escaped with his life, and was eventually seized
and literally thrown out. Captain Moloney then
sent him to call up a detachment of troops. The
Magaji, seeing his arrest was imminent, rushed out
of his house, and killed Captain Moloney and the
agent, Awudu, before the soldiers could reach the
spot. He and his followers then fled, but sent
messages that they would presently return and
finish their work.'

Now, this clerk, Silva, had been a hospital dresser,
and the task of preparing Captain Moloney's body
for burial, fell to him. He declared earnestly and
emphatically that there was no wound on the body
whatsoever, except an arrow wound in the neck
which had pierced the carotid artery, and caused

56 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

almost immediate death. He further described
how the Magaji was armed with a ' gun * only^ he
did not touch Captain Moloney, but rode straight
at Awudu, the native agent, who, as described by
the High Commissioner, was the cause of the whole
trouble, and, crying out, ' You have done this !
It is your fault ! ' — shot him dead, as he ran, in
terror, towards the barracks. The whole crowd
of the Magaji's followers, rushing out like a swarm
of angry bees, of course fired off a cloud of arrows,
more or less at random, and, from this man's earnestly
told story, it seems fairly certain that it was one
of these which killed Captain Moloney. The old
Sariki of Keffi, who was standing close by, endea-
voured to support the wounded man, but received
an arrow himself, in the foot — a slight wound,
however, from which he recovered.

These differing facts do not, however, in the least
remove from the Magaji's shoulders the indirect
guilt of murder, although his hand may not have
given the actual death-blow ; he was said to have
been killed at Burmi, among the army of the
Ex-Sultan of Sokoto, in the following July.

We beguiled some of the long hot hours by making
an effort to learn Arabic ; we did not progress very
far or very fast, but, indeed, I think circumstances
were rather against us ! Our teacher spoke Arabic
and Hausa — no English, of course — we spoke
Hausa, much English, and, in moments of excite-

KEFFI 57

ment, as our habit is — voluble Hindustani ! Our
text-book and dictionary were Arabic-French ! Some-
thing like a miniature Tower of Babel ensued, and
we decided to postpone our studies till a more favour-
able opportunity presented itself ! I also amused
myself by decorating the white-washed walls of
our house with sketches, which completely depleted
my paint-box, but entertained me mightily — I
believe they are still to be seen there !

We had bought a very handsome pony in Keffi,
and one day, to our distress, he developed violent
colic, and appeared to be dying. Every available
remedy was applied, and for the whole afternoon
he was fomented with hot blankets, but he lay
helpless, swollen, limp and moaning. We then
resigned him, at our boy's earnest request, into the
hands of a native horse-doctor, a wizened old
individual, who stood and looked, then, remarking
laconically, ' He will recover ! ' proceeded, with great
difficulty, of course, to get the pony on to his feet.
He then passed his hands five or six times down the
pony's flanks, murmuring to himself the while, finally
taking the muzzle in both hands, he looked very
hard into the pony's eyes, recited a string of rapid
Arabic sentences and, stooping low, blew into
each nostril three times. I stood by watching and
wondering, then, in amazement, realized that a cure
had been effected I The ' doctor ' stood aside, and
announced as placidly as ever : ' He has recovered ! '

58 \A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

directing that a bran mash should be given at once ;
this ' Kim ' ate eagerly^ and never showed another
symptom of pain or illness ! I cannot explain this
cure in any way ; I can only say that I saw it done,
and done in less than ten minutes, and that the
wizard stoutly declined to give me his prescription
or to share the secret !

Shortly afterwards, Mr. Granville arrived and
took over, and we rode out of Keffi, feeling distinctly
light-hearted, as we had ' Leave ' and ' Home '
before us. But the impression of gloom and sad-
ness left on my mind by KefB was deepened later,
for we never saw Mr. Wilcox again, as he died at
Bauchi a few months later. Mr. Carre, one of our
cheery party on the Benue River, also died, Mr.
Granville was invalided Home later, dangerously Jill,
and Major Marsh, whose kind genial face was the
last we saw on leaving Lokoja, was killed in July
at Burmi, to our sorrow.

We started for England at the end of March, and
had a most comfortable trip on the Jebba — one of
the few voyages I have ever enjoyed ; we were
fortunate in our weather, our fellow-travellers, and
in most of the amenities of boardship life, and I
* lazed * on deck, feeling very well satisfied with
my first year in Northern Nigeria. I had ridden
over three thousand miles, learnt a new language,
made thousands of new friends in the animal and
flower world, as well as valued human ones, I

KEFFI 59

felt as if I had ' enlarged my borders ' mentally, and
had certainly begun to know and love Africa with
a deep affection that, I think, is never lost by those
who once acquire it.

My husband was elected to the Hausa Scholarship
at Cambridge, and we spent a truly deUghtful May
Term there, which passed only too quickly in the
cordial friendship of charming cultured people,
and among the lovely surroundings of the University.

CHAPTER V

Trekkine North

o

The following September we turned our faces again
towards Nigeria. The ' Home ' climate had some-
what disgusted us, exemplified as it was by weeks of
hopeless, unceasing, soaking rain in Scotland, and,
but for the horrible wrench of parting again with
our nearest and dearest, we prepared for our return
in the most cheerful spirits.

My husband had been appointed to a new Pro-
vince, eastward from Kano, named Katagum, one
which had come inside the scope of the Administra-
tion as a result of the Sokoto Expedition, and hitherto
had not been * administered ' at all. The prospect
of absolutely new ground, the North country, people
of a high-class Mahomedan type, all appealed
strongly to us both, especially as our way lay through
Kano, of which we had all heard so much during the
last six months.

To our responsibilities we added an irresistible

little fox-terrier, acquiring him absurdly cheap from

a dealer, on account of what the latter called a

marble ' in his eye — a sort of discoloured patch.

61

62 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

which, although, of course, a blemish, did not
appear to affect his sight, and was almost certainly
the result of a blow. This fact we were able to
deduce from subsequent events. Long before we
reached Africa, we discovered that Binkie had
an undying hatred for any one who had the temerity
to wear blue trousers !

He commenced to act on this principle at once,
by attempting to bite the guard of the train, made
unfriendly overtures to the hall-porters at the hotel
in Liverpool, although on the most affectionate
terms with every one except the wearers of these
obnoxious garments ; on the landing-stage, in the
intervals of caressing, and being caressed by a
little girl, he made purposeful grabs at one and
all of the blue-clothed porters, and reached the
zenith of his reputation by biting two quarter-
masters on board ! It was a tiresome, and, inci-
dentally, expensive habit, as we had no muzzle
for him, and I only breathed freely on landing in
Lokoja, where the majority of the inhabitants are
guiltless of blue trousers. To do him credit, I
must say he never touched a native, but I had to
scan the garments of my callers anxiously, and
warn Binkie accordingly !

On the way down the Coast we were given a ten
days old bull terrier pup, a very highly-bred little
person, who, having had the audacity to be born
with a fawn-coloured patch, had thoroughly dis-

TREKKING NORTH 63

graced himself in his owner's eyes. We had
a difficult time rearing him^ and nights in bed
became ' things hoped for, not seen ! '

On arrival in Lokoja we found Mr. Wallace there,
just starting up river to Zungeru, and he gave us
a cordial invitation to visit him there, when we
had made the necessary preparations in Lokoja
collecting ' the office furniture ' for Katagum, and
engaging carriers. While there we were burgled
in a fashion so characteristic that it may be worth
describing.

My husband was known — evidently — to have a
large sum of money in silver ; this he deposited,
naturally, in the largest, heaviest, and therefore
least removable of our boxes, but the enterprising
burglar evidently thought that a tin uniform case
(which happened to be padlocked) looked promising,
and, during a tornado at night, carried it off !

We discovered our loss early next morning, and
I was utterly dismayed, as its contents were mainly
a new photographic outfit, chemicals, paper, etc.
We ' communicated with the police,' but, meantime,
some thirty carriers came to be enrolled, and, guided
by previous experience, my husband informed
them of the loss, expressed an opinion that the box
was not far off, and, telling them to search the
' bush,' offered a reward of five shillings to the finder.
The grass all round was over the men's heads,
and drenchingly wet, but they plunged gaily in,

64 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

shouting and hunting, and in less than half an hour
emerged triumphant, with the box and its contents,
the latter practically ruined, having been scattered
far and wide in the frantic but unavailing search
for money. It must have been a ' horrid sell '
for the thief ; his only prize — at least, the only article
missing — was the clockwork engine of a toy train,
which I had brought out as a present for a small
black friend ! He had, luckily, quite overlooked
a large envelope, containing stamps to the value
of ;{25, the nucleus of a Katagum post-office !

We left Lokoja, a large party of twelve or fourteen
people, with various destinations, rather tightly
packed on the Sarota, and, during a tornado,
trying to shut a cabin window, my husband had a
nasty accident, absolutely tearing the nail right out
of one finger. It was not an auspicious moment
for even a ' partial disablement,' and gave him
a bad time at first, but healed splendidly, and, in
spite of many gloomy prognostications, he succeeded
in growing a new nail eventually !

We made our way up the Kaduna in a steel canoe,
slept one night under a corrugated iron shed at
Barijuko, and the next morning started ' by train '
for Zungeru. It was an experience quite amusing
for the first time ; safely embarked in a roofed-in
truck we rattled, bumped and swayed along the
tiny line, with much shouting and vociferation ;
various passers-by, walking to Zungeru, placidly

TREKKING NORTH 65

crossed the line in absent-minded fashion, under
the nose of the crazy Httle engine, and had terrific
abuse and chunks of coal hurled at them by the
native engine driver. The dirt was choking, and
the noise made speech impossible, so I clutched
my bull-pup tightly, and watched with interest
the flowers along the line — glowing yellow coreopsis,
tall and slender, away down below were patches
of vernonia purpurea, like a copper-coloured ' button '
chrysanthemum, while the grass was thickly dotted
with a tiny rose-coloured flower, one which grows
in uttermost profusion there and in the North, but
which I have never seen farther South.

Some days later we had an opportunity of really
appreciating the tram-line, when we made an
expedition to Wushishi on a pump trolley, and found
it a really exhilarating and delightful method of
travelling !

We got a warm welcome from Mr. Wallace, and
spent a few days with him, enjoying his cordial
hospitality and kindness while we made our final
preparations for our start. Government House is,
indeed, an ' oasis in the desert ' to the weary traveller,
luxuriously furnished with costly English furniture,
soft carpets, bright chintzes and silk curtains, and
fitted with electric light ; it is all very charming,
though, perhaps, not the very best preparation for
thirty days in the bush !

My husband had brought out from Home a

66 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

couple of mono-wheel carts, his own invention,
and now had them put together preparatory to
our long trek.

The cart, briefly, consisted of a single wheel, about
three feet high, which revolved in the centre of a
platform six feet by four, with ordinary wheel-
barrow handles at either end. The platform was
fixed below the wheel axle, and thus lowered the
centre of gravity as much as possible, and lessened
the inclination to fall over. While in England
two ordinary carpenters in the workshop where
the carts were built, had taken one with a load
of about seven hundred pounds up and down streets
with ease, and we were therefore delighted, and
hoped that Nigerian transport would receive a help-
ing hand thereby. Alas ! we had not reckoned with
the carrier, who, we fondly imagined, would prefer
the lesser effort of trundling to carrying. He
would have none of it ! While the man behind
had to raise the handles and start, the one in
front, whose duty was only to pull and assist
the balance, would also endeavour to lift ! This,
naturally, threw much more weight on the back
handles, with the result that every few yards
the whole thing would tumble over and have to
be reloaded. Even placing a man on either side
to prevent this happening made no appreciable
difference, and, in desperation, we were finally
obliged to engage extra carriers for the contents of

TREKKING NORTH 67

the carts, and eventually marched into Zaria, the
carts being triumphantly carried on the heads of
two men !

At that time the path on leaving Zungeru, was
simply villainous, beset with huge stones which even
the one wheel could not avoid with the cleverest
of steering, and this increased the local prejudice
immensely. I really think that, had Fate decreed
for us an ordinary, fairly level and well-patted down
bush path, some nine inches wide, miles of which
are to be found in some districts, and had our
men been able to get accustomed to the novelty
under such circumstances, the invention would
certainly have proved a success and a great con-
venience at distant stations, where, at present,
a tin of kerosene oil, for example, adds ten shillings
or more to its original cost by the time it arrives,
on account of the carrier's pay. Later on, while
we were detained at Kano, we tried to make a single
cart out of the two, using both wheels, but with a very
narrow track, about two feet wide, and this worked
excellently until the dry wind of the Harmattan
and the fierce sun heat through the day so ruined
the wood-work that the wheels came to pieces,
all the spokes falling out. Upon this we sorrow-
fully resigned the idea until a more favourable
opportunity, and endured the daily irritation of
seeing loads damaged by being rubbed off at each
convenient tree by pack animals !

68 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

But this digression has taken me far ahead of my
story, which must be resumed at Zungeru, where,
one hot afternoon, on the 29th of October, we
said good-bye to Mr. Wallace, and finally departed,
while the bull-terrier pup shrieked aloud at being
immured in a basket and treated as a ' load * ;
we walked down to the river crossing, and were
ferried over in a crazy canoe half full of water,
which started my new riding-boots on their down-
ward path ! We afterwards discovered that one box
had been planted comfortably in the same water,
and, on opening it some days later, a sad scene
of literal ' blue ruin ' greeted our eyes — books,
writing-paper, photographs, clothing, all hopelessly
destroyed and mildewed — such is African travel !

We slept at Ganan Gabbas, a dirty stuffy little
hamlet, and a sharp contrast to our quarters of the
night before, but, happily, we were not in the least
disposed to feel depressed over the absence of arm-
chairs and soft carpets !

I was interested in watching the young wife of
one of the native police among the escort, bathing
her tiny baby (three months old) in the chill morning
air before sunrise, the cold water being well smeared
all over the little brown body, while the poor mite
— naturally — yelled lustily ! The bath finished, no
drying operations being included, the mother scooped
up a handful of water, closed her hand with the
thumb pointing downwards, and, using the latter

TREKKING NORTH 69

as a kind of spout, directed a stream of water into
the baby's mouth, slowly and steadily, totally
disregarding loud gurgles, chokes and struggles
of protest : meantime she was feeling and pressing the
rapidly expanding little stomach, until convinced,
I suppose, that its limit of capacity was reached.
This treatment is meted out to all the babies, and
is considered to be a great strengthening agent !
This Spartan parent, having strapped the baby
tightly to her back, and made ready for the start,
stooped to lift a towering load of calabashes and
other household goods, and doing so, put her shoulder
out. She appeared to suffer a good deal of pain, but
took it quite quietly, turning meekly to her husband,
who, with one bare foot planted under the injured
arm, gave a mighty pull, and with a snap the joint
returned to its place. She thanked him prettily,
adjusted the load on her head, and started off
happily on her day's march !

The march proved an interesting one, though
very hot ; the autumn is almost the best time of
the year to ' see the country ' ; in the farms the
guinea-corn was just beginning to ripen and droop
its massive plumes of grain, underfoot was a terribly
stony path, but much of the road lay over hills,
and we got magnificent views of miles upon miles
of wooded hill and plain, unrolling themselves into
the dim blue distance.

At Zaria we pitched our tent on the wide plain

70 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

outside the great pile of mud buildings then used
as the Residency. Every one was most kind to
us, giving us every sort of assistance. Major Hasler,
then commanding the Mounted Infantry at Zaria,
specially delighted me by a present of a huge bunch
of the most splendid zinnias I have ever seen — grown
in the tiny garden round his quarters. He and a
brother officer, I remember, ' spread a banquet '
for us, as they expressed it, and a very merry party
it was. Some anxiety was experienced during the
afternoon as to the probable behaviour of a very
special feature of the feast — a claret jelly —
and diligent search was made for the coolest and
breeziest spot in which to ' set ' it. Our minds were
relieved, however, by the triumphant announcement
that it had ' jelled ' admirably in plenty of time
for dinner. We had quite beautiful table decorations
of a lovely rose-coloured shrub, cunningly set in
discarded cigarette tins, and one of our hosts, in
his determination to do honour to the very first
' Ladies' dinner ' in Zaria, decided on most daring
flights in his costume. But, alas ! difficulties inter-
vened, and after a little delay, he appeared — full
of apologies — magnificent in regulation English
evening dress, with a peerless glossy shirt-front, a
tie tied to perfection — but no collar ! This item
was * lost, stolen or strayed,' but our intrepid soldier
friend did not for a moment allow such an obstacle
to defeat his original plan, I am glad to say !

TREKKING NORTH 71

The road northward from Zaria was interesting,
a regular market garden, miles upon miles of cultiva-
tion and farms ; the grass was quite fine and short,
utterly unlike the luxuriant growth down south,
and tinged with a warm brownish red shade, which
made a delicious ' colour scheme,' stretching away
under great spreading trees into the far pearly blue
haze.

We found Bebe j i most interesting. On approaching
it, the scene seemed familiar, and we felt convinced
that we had seen it before, until we recollected
the delicately executed pencil drawings illustrating
Earth's travels : here were the very same isolated
tall palm trees, the flat-roofed massive buildings,
high clay walls, and only the shortest and most
meagre of herbage. We were given quarters in a
couple of excellent cool lofty rooms, with a vaulted
roof, beamed with wood and decorated high up
with gaudy coloured earthenware plates of the
commonest description, but much appreciated for
this kind of mural decoration. We were destined
to see them very often afterwards, and in any
dwelling which has been hastily quitted by the
occupants during war or under the influence of
panic, almost invariably the plates are torn from
the walls and carried off.

CHAPTER VI
Kano

I SUPPOSE no one can approach Kano, even to-day,
without a certain thrill of excitement and interest.
One's thoughts involuntarily turn back to the days
when it was all but inaccessible to white men, and
yet the mere name of it was a kind of lodestar,
irresistibly attracting travellers in the face of almost
insuperable difficulties. One thinks of Clapperton,
Lander and Barth journeying hither, and rather
specially^ perhaps, of Richard Oudney, who died
within a few days' march of the goal.

I believe that every member of our party, down
to the most irresponsible ' small boy,' had something
to express in the way of satisfaction and excitement
when the long red wall began to appear above the
horizon, and we approached the very place of all
others which we too had so longed to reach and see
for ourselves.

Outside the gate, the Resident, Dr. Cargill, met
us and escorted us through the city. Our way did
not lie through the markets and busiest thorough-
fares, and, looking back, I think my first impression

73

74 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

was the surprising area of open ground inside the
wallSj the vast stretches of cultivation and flourish-
ing farms. This is intentional, and has been done
for all time, so that in the event of a long siege, the
inhabitants would be well supplied with food-stuffs,
and practically independent of the farms outside
the walls.

It took us an hour to pass through the city, and
I fear I carried away only a misty impression of
my first ride through Kano — blurred through my
very eagerness to see, to absorb, to miss nothing,
added to my delight at being there, and anxiety
to make the most of my very special privilege in
being the first white woman to enter there ! I
can only recall breathless heat, glaring sunshine
on pink walls and white dusty ground, in sudden
contrast to the warm, dark purple shadows, an
endless stream of passers-by thronging to and from
the various markets — hundreds of different types,
diversely clothed, speaking different languages, but
all ready with courteous salutations and friendly
greetings — it made one's eyes ache and brain
whirl, and it was something of a relief to pass
through the gloomy depths of the Nassarawa Gate,
and ride up the grassy mile leading to the Resi-
dency, formerly the Emir's summer palace. Later
on I had opportunities of learning to know the
great city better, but, living as we did, outside the
city, and quite four miles from the markets and

KANO 75

busy streets, each visit was somewhat of an expedi-
tion, and it was hard to get more than cursory
ghmpses of the Hfe that was Kved there, and the
immense volume of trade going on daily.

In the year 1824 Clapperton recorded, in the
simple, naive fashion that characterizes the whole
of his narrative, how, on approaching Kano, he
attired himself in all the bravery of his naval uniform
and rode into the town, and not a soul in the crowded
markets turned a head to look at him, but, ' all,
intent on their own business, allowed me to pass
without remark ! '

So is Kano to-day ; to the casual sight-seer or
the curio-hunter it has little or nothing to offer,
no beauties of architecture, no minarets, no palaces
— the smallest Indian bazaar displays more gay
colours, more material for the globe-trotter's satis-
faction. Kano is a centre of strenuous trade,
there is no dallying and chattering and laughter,
no sign of the ubiquitous hawker of trifling curios,
who haunts an Indian bungalow, and even squats
below the verandah of a Lokoja house to-day. The
wares that have been brought across the Great
Desert amid perils and hazards innumerable are
not to be lightly disposed of, and the fierce-eyed
swaggering Arabs do most of their bartering privately
within the square, dark, low buildings, over much
coffee and many cigarettes.

The great pulse of commerce, here, is as well

76 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

concealed as is the throbbing heart in a motionless
body, and gives as little sign of its presence to the
casual passer-by, unless he looks keenly enough
at the silent hurrying throng all intent on trading
for a livelihood, not sauntering, idling, gossiping,
like the denizens of an Eastern city. The stern-
ness of the Desert influences the whole place and
the people of it. Patient seeking in the various
markets reveals an almost incredible collection and
variety of wares : Turkish coffee, green tea, French
sugar, delicious rare tobacco, silks and cloth, all
can be bought at a price — an enormous price, too,
be it said !

But it is Kano itself as a city, rather than as a
commercial centre, which stands out in my memory
distinct, unique, with a charm all its own, like
nothing else in the world. Almost all those who
saw the city for the first time that year, when it
became the youngest-born of the Mother Govern-
ment, expressed great disappointment with its
appearance ; I have heard it contemptuously stig-
matized as a 'glorified mud-heap,' and it is often
complained that the actually inhabited portions
occupy so small a space inside the huge area of those
massive walls. This, to my mind, constitutes one
of the city's greatest fascinations. There is such
infinite breadth and restfulness about those vast
stretches of short, crisp turf, surrounding the streets
and alleys and humming markets ; such a wonderful

A Kano Street Scene, d 75)

<-<

A Kano Mounted Messenger, (p. 81)

ly^rce A 7^-

KANO 77

peace and dignity about those two astonishing,
jagged, flat-topped hills, ' Kazauri ' and ' Dala/
standing up abruptly in the middle of the plain,
like tireless mighty sentinels, watching ever, in
every direction, over the distant line of serrated
pinkish wall.

This wall itself is an object lesson to any one
who grumbles at the quality of Kano's architecture.
It is fifteen miles in circumference, forty feet high,
and wide enough to drive a motor-car round the
inside terrace, without much danger to life or limb :
at the base it is not much less than eighty feet wide.
There are two deep ditches set moat-like outside
the wall ; from these all the material for the huge
fortification has been taken. How many weary
days of ceaseless patient labour, how many pairs
of industrious hands have gathered that incredible
mass of clay, handful by handful, carried it in
miserable little grass baskets and calabashes, piled
up the walls and gates inch by inch, till Kano became
the impregnable fortress of the Western Soudan
— why, the very thought is stupendous !

Remember, these simple folks have no tools,
save one roughly fashioned implement, shaped
like a pickaxe, that can do no more than loosen
the soil — beyond this, nothing but ten slim, brown
fingers, and that magnificent disregard for time
which pervades Africa and makes such marvels
possible. As an achievement, I think this plain,

78 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

loop-holed clay wall compares favourably with
any of the glorious monuments and fairy palaces
of Indian fame.

The gates — thirteen in number — are on the same
scale, massive solid square towers, with a narrow
passage and various shadowy recesses. The slaves
of Kano in the early days must have been as the
sand of the sea, for, inside the city, the buildings
are on the same plan and of the same material.
In Africa, it is only to the white man that Nature
shows a brazen pitiless face ; to the child of the
soil she is tenderly, munificently bountiful. The
clay for building Kano was under their feet ; they
dug it out, and set up enormous dwellings, almost
fortresses, masses of cool dark halls, windowless
except for slits high up near the vault of the roof,
where the temperature never varies by ten degrees
all the year round. And if by doing so they did
leave great deep pits everywhere, which, in the
rainy season, are filled with water, and even through
the six months of deadly drought remain stagnant
and smelling horribly — well, of course these are
fearful evils from a sanitary point of view, and
undeniably odoriferous, but that they add an addi-
tional charm can hardly be disputed, the foul
surfaces hidden by a carpet of clustering water-
lilies, and the softly sloping edges clothed with
velvety green grass. There is one in particular,
so large that it forms a fair-sized lakelet, once a

KANO 79

place of grisly association, for it was formerly the
custom to execute criminals on its banks : but
now the utterly placid surface reflects, like a mirror,
its surroundings — houses, palm-trees, the splendid,
branching-horned cattle, sheep and goats cropping
the smooth greensward around the brink, and the
ceaseless va et vient of the passers-by. Slender,
straight-featured Fulani girls come to fill their
water-pots, balancing them on their heads with
inimitable grace ; the whole scene is faintly veiled
and shrouded in the milky haze of the Harmattan,
and the slow-rising aromatic smoke. Yes — it may
spell malaria and miasma to some, but if any one
can pass the ' Jakko ' as it is called without drawing
rein, I am sorry for him, for he has missed one of
those special moments that come to us all, perhaps
only once in a lifetime.

One particular evening, just before; sunset, as we
rode slowly across one of the great levels, sounds
of trumpets and drums, mingled with occasional
explosions of gunpowder, came drifting along to
us, and presently his High and Mightiness, the
Emir, came forth for his evening ride, having duly
notified his intention beforehand to the Resident
— a piece of deferential courtesy never omitted.

He was a fine specimen of the handsome Fulani,
regular in features, full of keen intelligence, and
extremely dignified. He wore tobe upon tobe,
gowns ample in material, gorgeous in colouring,

8o A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

lavishly striped with crimson, gold and blue — French
silks which have travelled from Tripoli, and decorated
with silver Turkish embroidery. His ' fulah ' or
turban was immense and snowy-white^ the folds
drawn over his nose and chin, a necessary pre-
caution against dust. He sat with ease and majesty
on a proud-stepping camel, head and shoulders
above the surging crowd, caparisoned and orna-
mented with leather, coloured red, blue, green and
yellow — a thoroughly regal figure.

Six hundred horsemen or thereabouts accom-
panied this almost daily ride, all rushing, galloping,
saluting, waving arms and shouting, horses rearing
and flinging bloodstained foam around, maddened
by the cruel iron bit, sharp spurs, and metal, shovel-
shaped stirrups, dashing off into the great cloud
of dust which followed them, enveloping the throng
streaming after on foot, banging drums, blowing
shrill blasts on trumpets six or eight feet long, and
firing off fusilades from ancient flint-locks and
muzzle-loaders ! It was a curious spectacle, widely
apart from the world of to-day, and one that might
have stepped out of the Arabian Nights or the
stirring days of Shah Jehan.

We watched them on their way, and rode slowly
about the city, finding something new and fascinating
at every turn, till the scarlet sun dropped behind
the far-off wall, and the rugged side of Kazauri
and Dala turned rosy-red, indeed the whole city

KANO 8i

glowed suddenly pink, and the heavy smoke
wreaths twined in sapphire blue curves in the rapidly
cooling atmosphere. It was obviousty time to
go home ; the Emir was back in his palace, and
only a few straggling horsemen and a cloud of dust
marked where he had passed ; the mu'ezzins were
already calling in all directions from the summit
of the Mosques, * Allahu akbar ! Allahu akbar ! '
and the faithful were wending their way to evening
prayer. Reluctantly we turned our horses' heads,
passed through the Nassarawa Gate, gloomy and
dark in the fading light, cantered up the wide
sandy road to the Residency, in the swiftly falling
darkness of the African night, and were suddenly
jerked back into civilization and modernity, to the
dusty parade-ground, English voices, and joyful
leaping fox-terriers !

The Residency itself, our home for the time
being, consisted of a very large compound, sur-
rounded by a high wall and entered by the usual
recessed gatehouse. Inside the courtyard were
several massive buildings, one the first two-storeyed
native houses I had seen. They were great vaulted
apartments, cool and dim, eminently suited to
African royalty, but as dwellings for EngHsh folk,
more than a trifle gloomy. However, we found
our spacious mansion (extremely like a crypt !)
was speedily and easily brightened by the intro-
duction of clean matting, a few cheerful-tinted

82 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

cloths, and quantities of sketches and pictures on
the sombre brown walls. The upper storey was
reached by a solid staircase of clay, and comprised
a fine large room with plenty of light and air,
commanding a splendid view over the imprisoning
compound wall.

Outside were the hospital buildings, the barracks
where the detachment of the N.N.R. was quartered,
and, beyond, the Mounted Infantry Lines and
officers' quarters, all forming a sort of semi-circle
round the parade-ground, where I used to sit and
watch many an exciting game of polo, rendered
more eventful by sundry rather alarming obstacles
on the ground itself, in the shape of holes and tree-
stumps. There was, in particular, a cotton tree,
in the buttresses of which the ball lodged itself with
malignant and unerring precision ; the process of
hooking it out looked so extraordinary to an
observer, that one might almost wonder ' what
the game was ! '

I tried, as usual, to make a garden, but it was
up-hill work — every scrap of earth had to be carried
in from outside the compound, sheep and donkeys
from the caravans regularly smashed the frail
fence, and trampled on the beds, hordes of lizards
nipped the head off each seedling as it appeared,
and, the month being December, the middle of
the dry season, my efforts were utterly defeated.

I suppose there was not ' much to do * as a matter

KANO S3

of fact, but the daily stream of caravans, pausing
to pay their toll, were an unfailing interest ; we were
a fairly large community, amongst whom were
some old friends of Indian days, the cool hours
were filled with polo, and the horses of the Mounted
Infantry proved a continual point of attraction
for an evening stroll, every one was sociably inclined,
and we all gave dinner-parties according to our
several abilities. We had even a patient in hospital
to concern ourselves about — he gave us plenty of
food for thought for a time, but, I am glad to say,
recovered absolutely, and has probably completely
forgotten the many evenings when he lay, weak
and helpless, in the dropping twilight, watching
the flying figures in the dust outside, and listening
to the cheerful shouts as the last ' chukker ' came to
an end. I hope he has, for they must have been
long weary hours.

We were very happy at Kano, and sincerely
sorry when the time came for us to pack up again
and start on the last stage of our journey North.

CHAPTER VII

Katagum and Hadeija, and Back

On December, 15 we actually left Kano. Trials
and tribulations had already been our share in
more than generous measure, over the collection
of animals for transport, to replace the carriers
who had brought our belongings so far. The
donkeys were difficult to obtain and wretchedly
small, and the problem of tying up miscellaneous
luggage into ' loads ' was the hardest we had yet
encountered.

It sounds so simple, but I have never met any
single traveller in this country who, having once
endured the ordeal — I can call it nothing else — of
' animal transport,' ever willingly repeated the
experience ! And indeed it is, or should be, appar-
ent to the least observant that the caravan transport
is one thing, and an Englishman's luggage is another.
I have watched hundreds of times the arrival of
caravans at their camp for the night : the weight
of the loads (salt, potash, kolas, cloth, etc.) is regu-
lated to an ounce, each one is packed in exact simi-
larity to its feUow in size and shape, so that the

86

86 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

two form a perfectly equally balanced burden,
which never slips, falls, nor worries the donkey ;
moreover, once packed, so they remain, the tre-
mendous web of string, knotted and turned, twisted
and knotted again, holds good for the entire journey.
On arrival, the two loads are simply lifted off the
donkey's back, deposited on the ground and the
leferu on which they rest, laid beside them. In
the morning, the pillow is replaced, and the same
loads laid on it — the whole process taking less than
five minutes.

Now observe the unfortunate European traveller !
He will naturally look round, as far as he can, for
loads of an equal size, and, with luck, will discover
a couple of similar uniform cases. But who can
guarantee that the contents of each weigh exactly
the same amount ? Indeed, are there any two
boxes among his ' kit ' that do ? With muscular
carriers, six or even ten pounds more or less make
little difference ; here, it means that the heavier
box over-balances the other, drags the pillow, and
incites the donkey to quietly scrape against the
nearest tree, relieving himself of the whole thing —
small blame to him ! — and the crash of falling loads
is a sound only too familiar to any one who has
travelled in this way.

The wayfarer next hunts round among his posses-
sions, and wonders how he is to unite any two of a
folding bath, a camp chair, a Lord's lantern, a

KATAGUM AND HADEIJA, AND BACK ^7

tent and an open box of cooking pots, into equal-
sized and shaped loads. The answer may, and
should be, arrived at without any of the mental
strain usually devoted to it, for it is quite simple —
it cannot be done I

The wretched little animals are small and weakly
at the best, and, since even in the caravans, with
short marches and the ' perfect ' load, they acquire
terrible sore backs, the employment of them with
ill-balanced odd-shaped burdens is simply gross
cruelty. I shudder now when I remember our
donkeys' backs, washed, dressed and cared for as
they were, with the utmost tenderness. Another
serious drawback is that they travel far more
slowly than carriers ; indeed, the caravans hardly
ever do more than eight or ten miles a day, and
the ' trek ox ' proceeds even more leisurely ! Unless
each animal has it is own driver, the accidents are
incessant, and the delay maddening, for what can
be done by the driver of ^ve^ when one donkey
casts its loads and skips off into the bush ? Is
he to leave the remainder of his charge, knowing
as he does, for a certainty, that those he leaves will
immediately do likewise ? Having captured the
runaway, how is he, unaided, to get two awkward
sixty-pound loads into their former position ? It
means that the traveller, his servants, escort and
staff are all compelled to crawl at the rate of two-
and-a-half miles an hour, with probably twenty

88 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

miles to cover before water can be reached. Many
and many a grilling half-hour have we both spent
in this agreeable occupation ; personally I pre-
ferred catching the donkeys, in spite of the heat, to
adjusting my battered belongings on their shrinking
backs ! I can safely say we had more of our posses-
sions lost and destroyed during our journey to
Katagum and back, than we have lost in the whole
of our five years out in Africa !

On the return journey the pack oxen were our
greatest trial ; they had an inveterate habit of
lying down, loads and all, in any shallow river
they crossed, and once a pack ox lies down ' all
the king's horses and all the king's men ' will not
move him an inch until he has recovered from, his
fatigue. One of our largest and best defeated us
in this fashion in a village, and no method we could
devise, including the whole strength of the village,
and even, in despair, a flicker of fire just under
his nose, had the slightest effect, the latter device
merely producing a faint smell of scorch, so hor-
rible in its suggestion that we flew to stamp it out,
and hurriedly sold the delinquent to the villagers,
who, seeing us at a distinct disadvantage in the matter,
made an uncommonly good bargain for themselves !

By ten o'clock on December 15 we had begun
to get an inkling of what lay before us ; the whole
of the donkeys had straggled out of the com-
pound, we said our last good-byes and followed

KATAGUM AND HADEIJA, AND BACK 89

them — only to find most of the loads scattered on
the road, not fifty yards away, and the donkeys
careering gladly back to their happy homes !
Patience, patience, and yet more patience ! There
is really nothing else for it — fury only exhausts
one, and does not catch the donkeys !

Eventually we got off, and were fairly started
on the long white road, trending south-east, winding
in and out on a dead level, among miles of farms
and hamlets. Barth has remarked that ' the
Province of Kano may truly be called the garden
of Central Africa,' and to us it appeared marvel-
lously fertile, especially at that season of the year,
when every river-bed was dry, and the whole
land waterless, save for an occasional well.

One evening we had rather an interesting experi-
ence : among our party we numbered a ' political
agent,' Ganna by name, and a strict Mahomedan,
an interpreter called Daniel, a Christian convert
with more zeal than tact or knowledge, and a
Senegalese soldier, Braima, who had become a
fast friend of mine, marching always beside my
pony, and giving me his opinions on things in
general, in his queerly pronounced French, while
he contentedly munched away at my kola-nuts
which I scrupulously shared with him. He had
served with the French troops in Dahomey, and
his stories of their proceedings were most amusing,
if slightly startling ! His affection for us became

90 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

SO strong that, before we severed our connexion,
he cheerfully offered to desert from the N.N.R.
for my benefit, on condition that I would install
him as ' head boy,' and was quite mournful when
shown the impracticability of his suggestion !

In an idle moment, these three men had embarked
on a theological discussion, and, like their enlightened
and highly civilized white brethren in England,
got so heated and furious in their argument that
Ganna only averted bloodshed by a happy suggestion
that they should all come to us and let us arbitrate.

Daniel had first say. He commenced by a sweep-
ing denunciation of all Mahomedans, and, inciden-
tally, such dogs of heathen as Senegalese and such
like. Their hearts and consciences were of the black-
est, he informed us ; and drew vivid pictures of their
final fate and destination. On being sharply pulled
up, and told to confine himself to his own creed,
he unctuously explained as follows : ' Well, God
is a kind of a scorpion. When man do bad, he turn
up him_ tail — so — and bite him proper I If man
do good, then God just lef (leave) him ! ' Ganna's
creed was too well known to us to require explaining
at length, and the soldier added little to the dis-
cussion except furious mdignation against Daniel
for having stigmatized him as a dog and a heathen.
His own ' views ' were ill-defined, I fancy, except
for a strong sense of personal loyalty and affection,
and a fatal passion for a row of any kind !

KATAGUM AND HADEIJA, AND BACK 91

We then set to work to place before them all
Christianity pure and simple, untainted by creed
or dogma, the plain doctrine of one God and Father
of all, Christian and Mahomedan, black and
white, and every living creature, whether known
as ' Allah ', ' God,' or ' Le Bon Dieu/ They seemed
curiously astonished at such a pronouncement,
Ganna receiving it with deep-voiced ' Gaskia ne !
Gaskia ne ! Mahad Allah ! ' (True, true, thank
God !) Braima, staring into the fire and grunting,
' C'est 9a ! ' at intervals ; while Daniel sniffed sus-
piciously and with some contempt. He retired
finally with his smug complacency quite imshaken,
evidently considering our doctrines milk-and-
water affairs compared with his own fiery ultima-
tums !

This little episode reminded my husband of
another, which took place some years ago in Accra,
when his ' boy ', a Christian, having learned to read
at school, delighted to read Bible stories aloud to
the orderly, and on this occasion selected ' Jonah
and the Whale ' for his instruction. The orderly
listened with round eyes and growing incredulity,
and at the conclusion remarked emphatically :
' That be dam lie ! ' ' Dam lie ? You say that ?
Dis be Bible — if you say Bible be lie, you go hell
one time ! ' ' Don't care ! ' said the orderly doggedly,
' P'raps I go hell, I don't know, but I no fit to believe
that story — dam lie ! '

92 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

The outraged little reader trotted off with his
Bible under his arm, and wrath in his heart !

After a few days' marching through rather uninter-
esting country, level, sandy and treeless, we climbed
on to a sandy ridge which looked exactly as if it
must have the sea behind it, and continued our
way along the top for nine or ten miles, in deep
sand, most fatiguing to men and ponies alike :

Toiling in immeasurable sand
O'er a weary, sultry land,
Far beneath a blazing vault.

There was a wonderful view on either side, miles
and miles of plain, all sand, low bushes and scanty
grass — a veritable sea of grey-green fading into
pale blue in the far distance. When the eye became
accustomed to the vast sweep of green, one discovered
innumerable tiny hamlets and farms, all neatly
fenced, and growing healthy crops of cotton and
cassava, apparently in pure sand. It was a remark-
able sight, and seemed to be the very edge of the
Desert. I could image it being brilliantly beautiful
in the rainy season, but in December, with every-
thing enveloped in a dismal hot grey-drab mist,
the scene was depressing and gloomy to a degree.
Far apart were isolated wells, some presenting
quite a Biblical appearance, with the waiting herds
and flocks, and white-robed figures.

As we entered the Katagum Province, the country

KATAGUM AND HADEIJA, AND BACK 93

changed to light woodland, a great relief, and pleasant
,to march through, had it not been for the truly
terrible thorns. The trees were mostly mimosa
and camel-thorn in full blossom, the sickly-sweet
scent of which is most unpleasant and powerful.
The last march into Katagum was like entering a
new country, as rich and fertile as the last had
been barren and dreary.

We arrived on Christmas Eve, and felt great
satisfaction at not being obliged to spend Christmas
Day on the road. The Acting Resident was waiting
to welcome us, and we took possession of a ' house '
of grass matting, built round an immense Kuka
tree, the trunk of which formed one entire side.
It was very spacious and really exceedingly com-
fortable but for the presence of some highly objec-
tionable large black ants, the smell of which, should
they be disturbed or crushed accidentally, was so
truly awful as to drive us all — dogs included —
out into the open air to recover ! We had some
really cold nights, when the temperature dropped
to 54°, and regularly, each morning, a strong
chilly wind would spring up about seven, and
last till ten o'clock, when it sank away quite sud-
denly, and usually some extremely hot hours
followed.

From our doorway we could look for miles around,
over a plain of waving grass, dotted with palm
trees, mainly the Egyptian Doum palm with its

94 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

curious bifurcations. The town was about a mile
from our settlement, and the river wound away
to the south-west, bordered with brilliant green
patches of wheat and onions. Game of all kinds
was very plentiful at that time ; we could always
see the deer roaming fearlessly about, and, evening
after evening, we used to ride out in different direc-
tions, and had capital sport.

My own small occupations were of quite a different
nature from my usual hobbies ; gardening at this
season of the year was, of course, out of the ques-
tion, but we had succeeded in conveying a few Black
Minorca fowls from England, and they behaved
splendidly, laying well all the time — even on the
march, every day, we found one or two eggs in the
basket ! The care of a farm-yard was quite a
novelty to me. I found it a fascinating occupation
— one that grows upon one, too. We also revelled
in rich milk, and every morning I amused myself
by making butter in a small plunge churn, which
I had brought with me. It was very excellent
butter, and I was equally proud of my cream cheeses !
But my efforts to manage cows, calves, and herdsmen
after the manner of an English dairy, were a dismal
failure, and I gave them up, submitting meekly,
but much against my will, to the * custom of the
country ! '

The Katagum people were specially pleasant to
deal with : half Fulani, half Beri-beri, — a combina-

KATAGUM AND HADEIJA, AND BACK 95

tion which seems to make for unusual intelHgence,
coupled with admirable spirit and innate courtesy.
They made friends at once, and the Sariki and his
immediate followers were my almost daily visitors.
On one of these visits, with a sort of shy reproach
he touched the skirt of my coloured linen frock,
and asked gently why, when I came to his house
to see him, I did not wear pretty clothes like that
— his people only saw me in a black gown (my
habit !) After that I had to sacrifice comfort to
friendship, and be careful to ride into the town in
my lightest muslin !

On another occasion, the Sariki explained to me
that, as I had evidently been * sent ' to them as a
special mark of favour, it was quite necessary for
them to know my name; — what should they call
me ? ' A man's name,' I remarked, * is given to
him by his friends. Give me a name yourselves.'
After cogitating in whispers, the old man said,
smiling, that they would in future know me as
* Uwamu ' (Our Mother), and so I received my
' country ' name, one that has stuck to me ever
since, and by which I am known to all my dark-
skinned friends throughout Nigeria. I am always
proud of it, for though, at the time, I felt inclined
to smile at being so addressed by men old enough
to be my father, the title is recognized to be the
highest expression of respect and affection that
the African man can offer to a woman.

96 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

We were presented with a pair of tame marabouts,
but their tameness was a doubtful quantity ; and
though it was amusing enough to see them dancing
and playing about in the sunshine, their temper
was not of the best, and they attacked every one
who approached the house, snapping their formidable
beaks angrily. The poor dogs were in absolute
terror of them, and would warily wait their oppor-
tunity outside, till the marabouts' attention was
distracted, when a white streak of fox-terrier
would fly in, only just escaping the furious beating
of wings and clapping of beaks ! They were so
tiresome that we parted with them, and replaced
them by a baby ostrich, which we bought for a
sovereign : a most attractive little person, about
the size of a duck, a mere ball of soft, mouse-coloured
fluff, with beautiful velvety black eyes, and long
eyelashes ! It had never occurred to me before,
that ostriches had eyelashes ! His diet consisted
mainly of chopped-up onions and bran, though
he fulfilled the traditions of his race — and alarmed
me horribly — by swallowing all kinds of weird things.
I have seen him devour with relish all the pieces
of a broken glass bangle ; and any odd bits of china,
stone, or metal appeared to be equally tasty morsels.
He became very tame at once, and would wander
about freely, and sometimes stand beside me for
an hour at a time, gently nipping at my sleeve or
slippers.

KATAGUM AND HADEIJA. AND BACK 97

Life in this rural retreat, however, did not last
long, and the end of January found us under orders
to return to Zungeru, and, very sadly, packing
once more. We started, after infinite difficulty,
as usual over transport, which delayed us so long
eventually that the sun was uncomfortably high
before we said our farewells and rode away from
Katagum. We had a guide to set us on the road
to Murmur, a different route from that by which we
had reached Katagum, and he either misled us,
or was ignorant himself, for, after his last assevera-
tion of * Oh ! it is quite near now ! ' and subsequent
departure, we marched for hours, losing the almost
imperceptible path, finding it again, after collecting
our straggling party — a matter of some difficulty
— all thirsty, tired and grumbling, calling down
Heaven's vengeance on the perfidious guide, and
eventually reached Murmur after sunset.

It was a curious coincidence that we found our-
selves on the spot where Richard Oudney died,
exactly eighty years before (January, 1824), striving,
in spite of desperate illness, to reach Kano, in com-
pany with Clapperton. The latter describes the
sad events — Oudney's determination to make a
further effort, insisting on resuming the journey,
for which he was quite unfit, ministering to the needs
of the natives with what was absolutely his last
flicker of strength, then reluctantly giving up the
impossible, ' retiring into his tent ' and lying down

H

98 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

to die. There, Clapperton buried his beloved
friend, and we were deeply interested in the site
of his resting-place. The village people were quite
touchingly surprised and delighted when we repeated
the story to them ; it was obviously a familiar one.
The Sariki's father had been a boy at the time, but
such a remarkable event was not likely to be for-
gotten, and they started, as one man, to conduct
us to the grave. It may be remembered that
Clapperton gives minute details of its position, which
accorded exactly with the spot to which we were
led, leaving no possible doubt of its accuracy. The
' great tree ' had fallen, and the tomb, originally
a massive erection of clay, had been worn down by
rain to an insignificant mound, round which we
planted a circle of seeds of the fragrant white acacia,
or marengOj in the earnest hope that they might
grow and stand, for many years, a memorial to the
honour of that brave unselfish soul.

At Murmur, a grave difficulty presented itself.
The people told us we were off the main road alto-
gether, the wells were almost dry, and we could
not hope to find enough water for our party and
animals between there and Kano, save on the regular
caravan road, joining which necessitated our turning
north and marching to Hadeija, a large town twenty
miles north of Katagum. It was not a matter to
be lightly decided, adding even twenty-five miles
to a march as long as ours ; yet, the responsibility

KATAGUM AND HADEIJA. AND BACK 99

of taking a large party of men and animals through
a waterless district was one from which most people
would shrink^ so we assembled the whole party,
explained the situation, and frankly consulted them.
They unanimously voted for the extra march to
Hadeija, knowing, I suppose, better than we did,
the utter impossibility of obtaining sufficient food
and water anywhere ' off the line ; ' and probably
influenced by the fact that the carriers from Katagum
bolted in the night, giving as their reason for so
doing their determination not to ' die of thirst.'

The decision relieved us of an immense anxiety,
and we started cheerfully for Hadeija, sleeping
that night at a tiny hamlet, where we were met and
welcomed by the Emir's messengers.

The following morning we reached Hadeija, and
the scene, on our approach to the town, was one
that I shall never forget. There was the vast
extent of rose-red wall, swarming with dark figures,
the river flowing between us and the town, and, on
the far bank, — a space of nearly half a mile — a
dense mass of people watching with intense interest
and expectancy. They stood, an absolutely silent,
swaying crowd, as we picked our way down the
steep bank, crossed the shallow river, and scrambled
our ponies up the other side. There we saw a path-
way in the crowd kept by troops — ^positively cavalry,
four or five hundred of them, — drawn up in two
double lines, rigid and motionless in their saddles,

100 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

the horses loaded with jingHng brass armour, heavy
breast-plates and head-pieces, neighing, squealing
and kicking, but forced to stand comparatively
still, merely pawing the ground and tossing foam
from their tortured mouths ; stirrup touching
stirrup with a military precision that would not
have disgraced any regiment of British cavalry.
The soldiers were fine big men, splendidly
turned out, and sat like living statues, but for the
bright, restless black eyes, between the folds
of white cloth litham, following our every move-
ment. I doubt, though, whether any one there
could have been half as much interested in us,
as I was myself at seeing this spectacle of truly
barbaric African splendour, riding behind my hus-
band, feeling very small, travel-stained and dusty,
amid so much brilliance and colour ! It seemed to
take one back centuries in the world's civilization,
and, with a gasp, came the realization that we had
stepped into a world where time had stood still,
and the ages passed over without leaving a
mark !

At the end of the long line of horsemen was a
little group of the chief office-holders, surrounding
their Emir, who, as we dismounted, approached
to greet us. He was a large, powerfully-built
man, with the kindliest of faces, and the gentlest
voice I have ever heard ; his quiet tones, almost
a whisper, veiling an authority, the response to

« » >
> 1 )

J 1 I ^

KATAGUM AND HADEIJA, AND BACK loi

which, in its instant obedience and child-like
submission, was quite startling.

His voluminous garments of brilliant green and
white, and towering white rawani, or turban, were
surmounted by a burnous of white cloth, the hood
of which, edged with silk fringe, drawn over the
tall head-dress and falling round his face, gave him
a positively patriarchal expression of benevolence
and kindhness. The courteous, dignified cordiality
of our welcome was perfect, and, the ceremonial
greetings over, we were escorted to the rest-camp
prepared for us outside the city. Here, a regular
little colony of grass houses had been built, large
enough to accommodate a party twice the size of
ours : water, wood and provisions were ready ;
not a comfort was lacking, not a detail had been
overlooked. My friend, the Senegalese soldier,
having, as he frankly said, no experience of such
friendly visits while he served in the French army,
harboured suspicions of an ambush and treachery,
and displayed, at first, a fierce determination not
to let us out of his sight ; — suspicions which, how-
ever, were completely dissipated when he discovered
the unbounded, lavish hospitality offered to him
and his companions !

In the cool of the evening, we walked into the city,
and were amazed at the solidity and immense size
of the wall, the area inferior to Kano, but, in point
of height and condition, greatly superior. The gate-

102 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

ways were huge, and so cunningly arranged with
rectangular approaches that no armed force could
possibly rush them, — indeed, no more than three
or four men at a time could cross the narrow bridges,
and, were any attempt at defence being made inside
these would probably not cross them alive. The
gates themselves had been removed, in obedience
to an order issued by my husband, while we were at
Katagum, and Hadeija, the impregnable, the un-
conquered, stood friendly, smiling, open to all
approach, — surely a happy omen for the future
for increased prosperity and uninterrupted pro-
gress, we thought, — a hope, alas! not destined to
be fulfilled.

Inside the gate by which we entered was an exten-
sive space of open ground and level turf, where the
cattle were quietly grazing, and the people passing
up and down ; far away in the distance were the
buildings, flushed in the sunset, overtopped by
towering trees and clusters of feathery palms. It
was a sore disappointment to have to turn away
without exploring that unknown city, to turn
my back on Hadeija, a mere passing traveller,
knowing that the chances of my seeing it again
were infinitesimal, — to me, it has always been
the most poignant regret of these five years spent
in Nigeria. I am thankful not to have known then,
that so soon those peaceful streets would echo
with war-cries, and bloodshed and death be dealt

KATAGUM AND HADEIJA, AND BACK lo

J

out with a just, though unsparing hand, for the sake
of civilization and progress. I had just time to
try to make a hurried pencil-sketch of the scene
before me, and the gate. This, however, was ren-
dered almost impossible by the friendly surging
crowd, by that time assembled, — all longing to
know what in the world I was doing, chattering,
peeping, pressing forward — not mobbing, though —
that delicate attention is reserved for highly civilized
countries ; in Africa it is ' not done ! ' So I gave
up the attempt in amused despair, showed my
pictures to as many of my new friends as I could
reach, and shut up my sketch-book to take a last
look at one of the most fascinating places of its
kind that I have ever seen.

The next morning we were up early, teeth
chattering, and shivering in the bitter chill of the
winter dawn, in spite of a huge wood fire. The
Emir had announced his intention of escorting
us on our way, to a point seven miles from Hadeija,
adding with emphasis, that, when the Sariki-n-
Mussulmi passed through, he only accompanied
him five miles ! He clattered off, surrounded by
his army of horsemen and an apparently unlimited
crowd on foot, leaving us to digest the compli-
ment, and drink our morning coffee over the
fire.

We found them all assembled under a group
of trees. As we dismounted, the horsemen formed

104 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

up into a gigantic double circle, ourselves, the Emir,
his head men, and a few of our own people in the
centre. When the last farewells had been said,
my husband asked that the Limam might offer
prayers for our safe journey, and — perhaps — another
meeting some day, a suggestion which evoked a
deep murmur of satisfaction. The ' cavalry ' dis-
mounted and stood beside their horses, the Limam
stood up, his towering white head-dress and earnest
dark face turned to the morning sun, his solemn clear
voice pouring out the prayer in sonorous Arabic,
every word distinct in the great silence ; thousands
of heads and hands around followed every gesture,
our own included, for, at that strange moment
creeds seemed very far away, and the one Father of
us all, to whom such earnest words were being
addressed on our behalf, the sole reality. It was
a sight, I suppose, such as few people have ever
witnessed, and it made a very deep and lasting
impression on us. I had a lump in my throat
when, as I turned to mount my pony, the stately
old Emir laid his slender brown hand, with a beautiful
amber rosary twined among the fingers, on my arm,
and said gently : ' You will come back to us ; surely
God will send you back.' And perhaps not the least
remarkable incident was, when, as we turned our
horses' heads, our escort, those who had been most
suspicious, most incredulous of our host's good
intentions, asked leave, to a man, to fall out and

Bringing in Fire-wood. fp. 103)

A Kaxo Doouwav. (p. ic;)

l_^ce /> 104.

KATAGUM AND HADEIJA, AND BACK 105

obtain the Limam's blessing, kneeling humbly at
his stirrup !

The whole circumstances of our visit to Hadeija,
compared with the stormy events which took place
there two years later, are illustrative of a point,
we have frequently noticed, on hearing accounts
of the peaceful journeys of missionaries and sports-
men, and of the perfect hospitality and friendliness
they have found ever3rwhere : that it is one thing
to travel independently through the unknown
parts of Africa, and quite another to administrate
them successfully, introducing, of necessity, un-
popular measures, and restraining undesirable
existing customs. One acquaintance of ours,
travelling about in search of sport, has wandered all
through the Munshi country, where the natives
have proved themselves aggressive and inimical
to a degree towards any effort to establish law and
order. This is a fact, I think, commonly overlooked
by those who, with insufficient knowledge of the
immense difficulties confronting a Government in
territories such as these, are inclined to condemn
wholesale and belittle the necessity of punitive
expeditions and display of force.

From Hadeija our march was perfectly ^ plain
sailing.' The Emir's messenger went before us and
smoothed away every possible difficulty, only leaving
us on the border of the Kano Province.

One incident of the road which stands out in my

io6 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

memory was the ludicrous struggles of our old cook,
Jim Dow, to become an expert horseman, and to
fully enjoy the privilege of having a horse to ride.
He had bought an extremely tall horse, attracted
more by its utter mildness of disposition than by
any other remarkable point of suitability. Having
saddled up his depressed-looking steed, he, being
a dumpy little individual, under five feet in height,
could not possibly mount without assistance. This
he indignantly spurned, and would solemnly lead
the horse, till he discovered a likely-looking tree.
The horse was placed conveniently under it, and
the little man clumsily and slowly climbed into the
lower branches, from which he hoped to drop grace-
fully into the saddle. But the sad steed invariably
strolled off in an absent-minded fashion at the
critical moment, leaving poor Jim Dow hanging pain-
fully from a branch, and using blistering language
in ' Kru ' ! I have seen this manoeuvre repeated
four or five times on a march, and he was a never-
failing source of amusement to the whole party !

We reached Kano on Sunday, the 7th of February,
having decided to sleep the night before at a tiny
village a few miles out, as one of our ponies had
broken loose and could not be re-captured until
late in the afternoon. This small mishap was
extremely fortunate for us, as a matter of fact,
as we afterwards heard that at the very hour when,
had we not been delayed, we should have ridden

KATAGUM and HADEIJA, and back 107

up to the Residency gate at Kano, a curious and
unpleasant scene was taking place there.

A native soldier had been confined in the guard-
room on account of insolence and insubordination.
While there, he coolly possessed himself of a rifle
and a pouch full of ammunition, and darted out
of the guard-room, the bewildering suddenness of
his action apparently paralysing the guard for the
moment. He rushed out on to the parade ground,
shrieking vengeance on all ' Batures ' (Englishmen),
calling to them to come and be shot, brandishing
his rifle, — evidently quite insane and ' running
amok.* Taking careful aim, he shot dead five horses
tethered in the shade, belonging to his officers, and
his shooting was so straight that most natural
reluctance was displayed by his comrades in the
matter of his re-capture. He actually sent a bullet
through the doorway of the hospital hut, possibly
seeing some one moving there. Finally the unfor-
tunate lunatic was shot down, having been success-
fully ' stalked ' from behind trees and other cover.
It was a nasty occurrence, and much relief was
expressed at our non-appearance at such an awkward
moment.

On arrival we found every one very sad and
anxious about Captain Abadie, who was lying very
ill. He did not improve during the two days we
spent there, and, shortly after leaving, we heard,
to our sorrow, of his death,— a loss to Nigeria

io8 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

and his friends which could never be over-esti-
mated.

At Zaria we met many old friends, but stayed
one night only, as we were anxious to lose no time
in getting down country. It was wretched there
then, in a tent, with a strong Harmattan blowing
clouds of sand into our eyes, filling every crevice,
and covering our food before we had time to eat it,
even with the greatest expediency !

At Karshi we had the good fortune to meet Captain
Robinson and Major Porter, going North. We had
tea with them at their camp, outside the town, and
in the evening they came and dined with us, only
stipulating that they should be allowed to contribute
to the feast ; and I shall always remember the pro-
cession that preceded the arrival of our guests, —
' boys ' carrying chairs, lanterns, Lager beer in
buckets of cold water, roast guinea-fowls, and a
box of chocolates ! We had a most cheery dinner,
and sat talking into the small hours, and even
managed to breakfast all together the next morning
before going our several ways. It is one of the
pleasantest of my many pleasant memories in this
country, — the spontaneous friendly kindness of
two complete strangers, as they were then, coming
at a time when most needed, for our spirits were
almost as low as our provisions, and the bull-terrier
pup had distemper ! I do not suppose the two
people concerned realized then, or do now, what

k

KATAGUM AND HADEIJA. AND BACK 109

a difference they made in our outlook on life at
that time, — if not, I make them a present of the
information now !

On the 28th of February, we found ourselves

once more in Zungeru. A vacant bungalow was

lent to us, and we spent a few days there very

comfortably, in spite of the excessive heat. We

heard with dismay of the terrible disaster in the

Bassa country, where Captain O'Riordan and Mr.

Burney lost their lives. My husband received

orders to take over the Kabba Province once again,

and we started on the last stage of our long journey.

The noisy little train rattled us back to Barijuko ;

we embarked in a steel canoe, and commenced

to paddle and drift down the Kaduna. The river

was very low, and we stuck continually on the

sandbanks, when the polers all turned out into

the water, not more than seven or eight inches deep,

and literally dug out the canoe till she was once

more afloat. We were overtaken the next day by

a second canoe, containing Captain Wright (who

had won a V.C. in the Kano Expedition) invalided,

home, and three others. Each evening we ' tied

up ' in company, and had cheerful ' sand-bank '

dinner-parties. It was very placid and delightful

travelling ; I suppose we were both rather tired,

and, for the first time in my life, I found huge

enjoyment in doing absolutely nothing, beyond

watching the river banks and sunlit water.

no A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

At Mureji there was quite a gathering; and — a
thing unknown — a collection of five ladies ! Dr. and
Mrs, Thompstone were there, on their way to
Zungeru, and three Nursing Sisters, travelling
up and down. We met some old friends, and were
quite a gay party, but it was a sad day for me, —
my beloved baby ostrich was suddenly taken ill,
wandering about as usual, on the bank, and, in
spite of the greatest kindness shown me by Dr.
Miller of the C.M.S., who was on board, the poor
little bird died in a few hours. It seemed piteous
indeed, when he had travelled so far without a
single mishap, and I was bitterly grieved at the loss.

It was, however, a great delight, under any cir-
cumstances, to see the Niger again ; as the Corona
sped down stream, every bush and rock seemed
familiar, and to be welcoming us ' home ' to Lokoja.
We settled down in our former bungalow, and, in
a few weeks, I could hardly believe that we had
travelled all those hundreds of miles in the past
six months. The much-talked-of North country
had considerably disappointed us in its appearance ;
and, with the exception of Kano and Hadeija, I
think I can safely say that neither of us has the
least desire to see any part of it again.

CHAPTER VIII
Kabba, Semolika and Patti Abaja

It was not until the end of July that I found myself
* touring ' once again, when we started for Kabba.
It was interesting and pleasant going over the same
ground that we had covered two years before ; and
characteristic of the country that there w^as not a
single change to be noticed on the road : the little
Hausa farm, somewhat expanded, perhaps ; Oduapi
as loud and genial as ever, with the blue and green
gown apparently standing the test of time and
wear most satisfactorily !

At Kabba things were altered for the better.
The old quarters had been pulled down and new ones
built ; police barracks had sprung into existence ;
and a general air of progress and prosperity was there.
We stayed a few weeks, and the place took such a
hold on our affections, that, at the risk of appearing
sentimental, I will give some description of it here.
My enthusiasm is the more excusable when I recall
that the High Commissioner himself expressed
unqualified admiration for Kabba, even after his

in

112 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

long tour, during which he had visited nearly every
part of the Protectorate.

It is, in itself a small and insignificant town in the
centre of the Province, it is not on the way to any-
where in particular — anywhere, that is, that draws
the stream of Europeans so ceaselessly passing up
and down the highways of the Protectorate ; it has
no great political importance to drag it into promin-
ence, no Emirate, with all the pomp and circumstance
attending a powerful native ruler ; it has none of the
halo of mystery and attraction which hovers over
Kano, Sokoto and the North generally ; nor is it on
the path of the immense caravans which throng the
Northern routes. These either end their journey
at Ilorin, and return North, laden with fresh merchan-
dise, or else, passing down through Nassarawa,
divide themselves into small canoe-loads, when they
meet the Niger at Loko. Kabba only sees those
humble traders, who, in twos and threes, are carry-
ing native-made cloth to Lokoja, or returning with
loads of potash ; in fact, the little place just sits
there, a tiny mouse-coloured town, snugly tucked
away on the slopes of a thickly wooded hill-side, in
one of the very quietest backwaters of all the world's
rushing and scurrying tide.

Picture to yourself a green — truly emerald green —
plain, holding an area of, roughly, ten square miles,
dotted with palm-trees {Elaeis guineensis), their tall
slender stems crowned with crests of graceful droop-

MuREji — A Caravax about to oi'Oss Till-: XicvAi. (p. no)

A Steam Caxoe ox the Xkjek. (p ii6)

\faccf>. 1 12.

KABBA, SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 113

ing plumes, and bearing a respectable fortune in the
palm-oil contained in the closely clustering bunches
of nuts on each tree. Hundreds of acres are under
cultivation, mainly yams, cotton and capsicums,
the last-named glowing like little tongues of flame
among the glossy winding trails of the yams, which,
at a distance, resemble smilax on a magnificent scale.
Away, beyond, rise the blue hills, in a huge circle,
jealously shutting in this little green paradise from
the tiresome world of restless white folks, who would
take count of time, make roads, try to introduce
sanitation, and otherwise employ themselves in
fruitless and unnecessary works to the dire discom-
fort of the peaceful denizens of peaceful places !
The ancient wall stretches away across the plain,
enclosing an area of which Kabba town to-day
occupies possibly one-hundredth part. A second
inner boundary wall surrounds the town proper,
excluding the steep little hill crowned by the Fort,
which is now in as bad a state of repair as the aged
walls themselves, but which, three years ago, was
nevertheless the abiding-place of a small military
detachment, and a handful of native police, in fact,
the English Quarter of Kabba, whence might be
heard any morning ringing words of command in
English, bugle-calls all day long, and at evening -
time the native sentry challenging all and sundry
with ' Holl !-who-go-thaire ! ' in his most awe-
inspiring tone. This * Enghsh Quarter ' was the

I

114 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

only aspect of Kabba that had the power of damping
my spirits, beside the Hteral and visible damping of
our belongings which took place pretty regularly.
Our quarters were a rambling, ill-constructed clay
building, measuring a good sixty feet from end to
end ; the crumbling mud walls and ant-eaten,
collapsing wooden supports surmounted by a pain-
fully inadequate thatched roof. This house, incred-
ible as it may seem, was designed by an Englishman,
whose desire for spaciousness and magnificence of
proportion evidently outweighed his knowledge of
elementary architecture, and blinded his foresight.
How the native labourers must have smiled, and
patiently shrugged their shoulders, as they piled up
the ridiculous structure under his imperious orders !
Meantime, the tornadoes swept up over the hills to
the South and West, tearing like a white wall across
the plain, and wreaking their fury on this ill-fated
hill-top in a most thorough-going fashion. At such
a time it made one giddy to look up at the roof, while
it creaked and swayed horribly in the hurricane, each
gust seeming to bring the inevitable collapse nearer.
We had spent rainy seasons in Africa before, so we
took no needless risks, and in the places most essen-
tial for our comfort, we rigged up tents and ground-
sheets, thus securing to ourselves and a percentage
of our belongings islands of comparative safety and
dryness ; but, for the rest . . . ! I never could
help smiling at the sight of the Sahib, manfully

KABBA, SEMOTJKA AND PATTT ABAJA T15

getting through his day's work, interviewing the chiefs
and head-men of various neighbouring villages, with
the rain pouring through the roof, and an umbrella
held over his head, while his guests squatted around
him, placidly enduring the ceaseless streams of water
pattering on their persons, and displaying as much
polite cheerfulness as the circumstances would permit.
Kabba itself is much the same as any of the smaller
towns in the Protectorate in appearance ; a collec-
tion of clay-built thatched houses, clustered closely
together, seeming to cling affectionately to the rocky
hill-side above — the Ju-ju Hill, deeply reverenced,
dearly loved, and jealously guarded by all. There is
the usual crowded market, with low, dark booths or
shelters lining the streets, where the ladies of com-
mercial pursuits display the invariable collection of
coloured cotton cloths, beads, miscellaneous food-
stuffs, spices and capsicums. They are some of the
most light-hearted and spirited women I have met,
those at Kabba. As I rode through the busy market
heads would be popped out, and white teeth -flash in
smiles, calling merry greetings to ' Uwamu,' and
vociferating warnings to the fat brown toddlers, rapt
in wonder, and straying perilously near my horse's
hoofs. They are dear, simple souls, untouched by
civilization, happy and unspoilt as little children,
yet self-reliant and independent withal. A scene
illustrative of this was enacted before me daily while
at Kabba : the open space in front of our quarters

ii6 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

bathed in warm sunlight ; above, blue sky and wheel-
ing kites; below, the valley, stretching away into
purple distance. Little groups of people, humble
folk, trading in a small way between Lagos and the
Hausa States, carrying country-made cloth, palm-
oil, salt and kola-nuts, turned in here daily to dis-
burse, with cheerful reluctance, the small percentage
then levied on each load as a caravan tax. Those
moving in the same direction were, of course, travel-
ling acquaintances. Many were women, and the
babble of laughter and chatter in various tongues was
incessant. The tender-hearted philanthropist would
have to seek far and long in this merry crowd for
the ' down-trodden women of Africa ' and the
* black sister in slavery ', of whom one seems to have
heard. There is not much that indicates subjection
or fear about these ladies, sitting at graceful ease
among their loads, or strolling about in the hot
sunshine, polished mahogany shoulders gleaming,
white teeth flashing in laughter, while the slender
perfectly-shaped hands gesticulate dramatically, illus-
trating the incident of absorbing interest, which is
being related in musical sing-song Nupe, almost like
a Gregorian chant in its slow cadences. The outer
garment, consisting of a gaily-tinted country-made
cloth, wrapped tightly round the body, just below
the arms, is adjusted, tightened, tucked in with
lightning rapidity, and precision. The ^' black sister ''
has a word, a joke, a stream of courteous greetings

KABBA, SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 117

for every individual there. As each new arrival
appears upon the scene^ a chorus of salutations in
Hausa, Nupe and Yoruba meets him ; a dozen kindly
hands are stretched out to help him down with his
heavy load ; endless inquiries are pressed upon him
as to his health, the comfort of his journey, the state
of the road, etc. ; and he becomes at once an honoured
guest in the cheerful coterie. Every departing
traveller has the same circle of willing friends, eager
to help him to adjust his sixty or eighty pounds of
merchandise, and start him off on a fresh stage of his
journey with a shower of valedictions, good wishes
and pious ejaculations and prayers for his safety, —
his replies borne faintly up to us on the warm air,
as he drops down the steep path into the valley
below.

Of course, it may be called merely superficial
friendliness and courtesy, and it is quite possible
that, while the latest arrival absents himself for ten
minutes or so, discoursing to the Resident, the
speckled chicken which erstwhile dangled by one leg
and a piece of string from his load may not be there
when he returned, and may be adorning the baggage
of the astute trader, who has just left with some
alacrity ; but, even so, for myself, I would gladly take
the chance of having my pocket picked, if, on one of
the many occasions when I have entered a crowded
omnibus in London, one of the row of cold, critical
unfriendly faces opposite would break into a smile,

ii8 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

and say what I heard all round me at Kabba, in
sonorous Yoruba : ' Akwabo ! Akwabo ! ' (You
are welcome, very welcome !) Indeed, I can never
conquer that curious feeling of chilly depression that
overtakes me each time I return to England, and
feel that, except for the tiny minority of my own
friends, I am alone in the crowd; infinitely more alone
in Bond Street, where almost every brick and stone is
familiar, than I could ever be in the busy streets
of Kano, or any other city of Nigeria, which I might
enter even for the first time, where I should find
two hands and one willing tongue all inadequate for
the due return of the ceaseless shower of smiling
salutations and greetings that would be poured upon
me from every side. And this is by no means a
tribute to any persona] charms of mine. Any travel-
ler, black-skinned or white, receives the same treat-
ment as a matter of course.

It is, however, a ' far cry ' from Bond Street to
Kabba, and I very much doubt whether moralizing
is permissible in so small and simple a record as this.
It must have been — as usual — the fault of those
chattering ladies !

Outside the town, there is a little stretch of forest
belt, and, as no one has ever disputed its possession
with me, I am pleased to consider it exclusively my
own property ! The path is of the very narrowest,
not more than three feet anywhere, giving barely
room enough for me and my pony. On either side

KABBA, SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 119

rises a wall of greenery, full of climbing plants
innumerable. Hanging from the branches of great
trees, twenty and thirty feet above my head, them-
selves loaded with ferns and parasites, are gracefully
twining creepers, swaying tantalizingly and rather
contemptuously, it seems, just out of reach of my
farthest stretch. Two months before, it was a
flaming mass of glorious scarlet Mussaenda elegans.
Now, in July, that has passed, and the mode for the
month is a flower I dearly love, but which, owing to
a miserable ignorance of botany, I cannot address
by its proper name. I think it would strike the lay
mind as a species of mimosa. The stem is thorny ;
the leaves, which are minutely pinnate, close modestly
at sunset. The flower smells of a thousand sweet
things, and consists of a collection of tiny florets
massed together, forming one infinitely delicate
ball of slender, silvery-white threads tipped with
golden pollen. It is everywhere, clasping the tree-
trunks, foaming over the bushes, and shrouding the
deep cool recesses, where the shining dark ferns lie
hidden away, scenting the whole air, and proving
itself an irresistible fascination to the butterflies —
busy gossips that they are — flashing purple and
velvety black, gleaming yellow and palest blue.

One of the huge ' Kuka ' trees is clothed to a
height of fifteen or twenty feet in a gorgeous mantle
of Gloriosa superba, each vivid green leaf ending in a
long tendril which clings desperately to all it meets.

120 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

The blossoms, when first opened, are of a dehcate
pale golden colour, daily developing crimson splashes
at the base of each petal, and later becoming entirely
an exquisite deep apricot shade — a perfect feast of
daintily varying hues.

Added to these treasures, my ' Kingdom ' is the
happy home of troops of gay restless monkeys, seldom
visible, but everlastingly on the move behind the
green curtain, swinging, leaping and chattering, ever
disturbing flights of tiny green parrots and demure
little grey doves.

Skirting the crumbling wall, one follows a narrow
footpath towards a rocky eminence a quarter of a
mile away, and, dismounting, explores it on foot. It
is a tiny hill of great steepness, composed for the
most part of piles of massive boulders, from which
nearly all the soil has been washed away by the
rain of many seasons. An almost invisible track
guides one up the precipitous side to the summit,
an area of, possibly, fifty feet square, occupied
entirely by great rocks, shady niches and coarse
creepers.

The place has a history and a reputation of its
own ; it is called the ' Look-out Hill,' and was greatly
used — so runs the tradition — in the times of Fulani
slave-raiding expeditions from Bida. Once arrived
at the top, the full significance of the name is grasped.
Far and wide, in all directions, one can view the
surrounding country, and command every road lead-

KABBA, SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 121

ing to Kabba, without being visible from below.
How vividly one can picture the anxious watcher,
crouching motionless among the rocks, scanning
with straining eyes the paths winding like white
ribbons among the peaceful yam-fields and waving
grass, on the alert to detect the first signs of the
advancing Fulah army, and then flying breathless
along the scented forest ways, back to the town, his
poor heart thumping on his ribs, to carry the dread
news that sounded the knell of slavery for himself,
his wives and children.

The Kabba folk are of the Bunu tribe ; whence their
origin I cannot venture to say. At all events, they
speak a remarkably unpronounceable language of
their own, to the utter confounding of any unfortun-
ate interpreter who does not happen to have been
born within fifty miles of the place. Bunu language
is not precisely musical, but I have observed with
mild astonishment that these natives rather like
talking it ! My friend, the Balogun, likes to chat
easily with his retinue in this tongue, which appears
to have no vowels except odd sounds evolved from
somewhere in the region of the collar-bones, and which
seems to demand some special development about
the nose and chest, just as Yoruba and Kru require
peculiarly shaped mouths for their correct enuncia-
tion. I think the Balogun likes to feel that he is
making an impression on ' the Judge ' in a small way,
by this exhibition of jaw-breaking phraseology He,

122 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

by the way, is a man of property, and, as befits the
' second chief ', is a leader of society in Kabba, dress-
ing recklessly in a gorgeous black and white velvet
robe. He knows, too, what is due to a lady, even
an English one. Once, when I showed him some
elaborate embroidery on which I was working, he
rose manfully to the occasion, and, making use of his
one piece of colloquial English, rather startled me by
ejaculating pleasantly : ' My God ! *

Fetish has a firm hold in Kabba, but to which
' school ' the people belong, I have never been able,
nor indeed have I tried, to find out, as I have some
belief in treating any man's religion with as much
reverence and reticence as he does himself. Before
describing what I do know of Bunu ceremonies, I
would like to repeat here Mary Kingsley's admirable
definition of * Fetish ' : ' the religion of the natives
of the western coast of Africa, where they have not
been influenced either by Christianity or Mahome-
danism ' : a fairer and truer view than that usually
taken, as ' rank heathenism.' However, the whole
subject of Fetish is so well and exhaustively treated
both by Miss Kingsley and Major Mockler-Ferryman
in their respective works on West Africa, that it would
be as futile as unbecoming for me to attempt to
stumble and halt over the ground they covered so
royally and so completely ; therefore I will content
myself with describing the Bunu funeral ceremonies
as carried out in Kabba^ as these happened to come

KABBA, SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 123

under my notice and seemed to me rather unique
and interesting.

In the first place, the corpse is wrapped in the
family burying-cloth, which is an intrinsic feature
of every Bunu household. It is a large cloth quilt,
sewn and embroidered with yarns of every imagin-
able hue — the wealthier the family, the more elabor-
ate and gorgeous the burying sheet, the value fre-
quently running up to several pounds. As soon as
one is devoted to its special purpose, the bereaved
relations immediately set to work to provide another
according to their means, against a future death.
Nature appears to be very much the same all the
world over, and feeling in Kabba, on the subject of a
proper burying-sheet, runs just as high as it does in
the Mile End Road over the momentous question of
coaches and plumes !

When thus suitably arrayed, the corpse is kept in
the house for three days, while four maidens of tender
years are selected, and, being placed in strictest
seclusion in a house set apart, are not permitted to
speak a single word during these days. As soon as
the lying-in-state is accomplished, a great number
of people from the neighbouring villages arrive, in
obedience to the Sariki's summons ; not necessarily
out of friendship for the dead man, but merely as
a matter of religious ceremonial. Each guest brings
a certain proportion of gifts in cloth, food-stuffs
and cowries — especially the last-named. The whole

124 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

party having assembled, they start forth for the
Ju-ju Hill, the corpse borne in the midst, drums
beating, horns hooting, women uttering mournful
cries, and general excitement prevailing. The grave
has been previously dug in a chosen spot on the
hill-side (which is practically one large and over-
crowded cemetery), and is of a curious shape. After
the ordinary grave has been prepared to a depth of
four feet or thereabouts, a tunnel is dug at one end
of it, and continued into the earth for a distance of
about twelve feet, the passage being wide enough
to admit a man, creeping on hands and knees.

The party at the foot of the hill seat themselves
in a wide circle, and the four silent girls, coming
forward, and raising the body, bear it away up the
hill. It is lowered by them into the grave, and
carefully pushed up the tunnel, the idea being that
no earth shall fall on it. Then, in solemn silence,
they return and collect the various offerings of food,
cloth, and cowries from the assemblage, and deposit
them beside and around the corpse ; finally, the outer
grave is filled in. I have been told that several
pounds' worth of cowries are thus buried at each
funeral. Meantime, the folks below are holding high
revel, dancing, singing, capering, banging tom-toms,
and shouting a most enthusiastic send-off to their
departed fellow-countryman, while he sleeps, all
unconscious of the fun he is missing, lying just where
he would choose to lie, on the slopes of his beloved

The Emir's Band. Bida. (p. 124)

My ' Pai.m' Cat. (p. 137)

( S andinia hinotata.)

[/nee fr. 124.

KABBA, SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 125

Ju-ju Hill. Is it very different from an Irish wake ?
And is it really much more ' heathenish ? '

Local funerals remind me of another Kabba story,
which, though startling, I know to be absolutely
true. It is as follows — An English Police Officer,
while conducting an inquiry there, had a number of
witnesses brought before him (natives), amongst them
a woman, with, as usual, a child strapped to her back.
While the inquiry was proceeding, the Police Officer
became conscious of a horrible smell, and, when he
could endure it no longer, inquired the cause among
his interpreters and the people collected around him.
All sniffed incredulously, and declared that, to their
consciousness, there was no smell whatever. They
could detect nothing, and evidently put it down, in
their own minds, as one more of the imbecile fads
that Englishmen are prone to ! The day was warm,
the court-house crowded, the flies seemed more
numerous and more maddening in their buzzing than
usual, and, the terrible odour becoming intolerable,
the Police Officer, feeling slightly sick, called for
brandy and soda, and, springing up, declared his
intention of discovering the cause. One turn round
the court-house decided him that the horror was in
the neighbourhood of the female witness. He peered
closer, and saw at once that the baby on her back
was dead ! He announced his discovery in horrified
amazement, and was informed quite tranquilly, and
as a matter of course, that the child had been dead

126 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

for ' many days/ but that, as the mother had come
from a distant village to give evidence, she must, of
course, wait till her return before she could give the
body burial ! There are many minor ceremonies
and festivals, connected with matters agricultural,
the ultimate success of the crops, the coming of the
new yams, etc., but there is little variety in the
proceedings, the main point being, apparently,
the making of a * cheerful noise ' and the sac-
rifice of nothing more dreadful than a few
fowls !

Some distance to the south of Kabba there exists
a tiny town of the name of Semolika, curiously
situated on the summit of a steep hill, below which
runs the winding bush path — the traveller's high-
way. The Semolikas are not nice characters ;
most of their time is spent in squatting on the rocks,
watching the road below, till they can spy a string
of traders, or a small caravan, when they swoop
down like hawks, robbing and murdering these
unfortunate passers-by ! At other times they amuse
themselves and * keep their hands in ' by attacking
their neighbours, who hold them in the lowest
estimation, describing them as having ' hearts of
stone,' which means, roughly, that they are insensible
to sentiments of friendship, honour, family ties and
common humanity. No Semolika youth can claim
to be considered a man, until he is the proud possessor
of a drinking-cup, consisting of a human skull,

KABBA, SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 127

taken with his own hand from some poor wretch
he himself has murdered !

These amiable people cherished undying resent-
ment against the ^ white man ' in general ; they
claimed— rightly or wrongly — to have been unfairly
treated by him, and, having sw^orn to kill the very
next Englishman who entered their stronghold,
they fiercely attacked a small military patrol, under
a young officer, who, on hearing continuous com-
plaints of the Semolikas and their behaviour from
the neighbours all round, decided, with pardonable
imprudence, to march through the place as an object
lesson of superior force. The Semolikas did enough
damage to the party to necessitate reprisals, and in
October of that year an expedition left Lokoja
to avenge the insult, accompanied by my husband.
The force was entirely successful in breaking up the
culprits' fastness, and as the operations were speci-
ally interesting owing to the peculiar situation of
the place, I will quote from the Resident's official
report of the attack.

* . . . On Sunday, the i6th, we marched into
Igarra, which is curiously situated, being on the
opposite side of a narrow valley to Semolika ; the
inhabitants of both places are therefore always in
view of each other from the summits of their respec-
tive hilltops, and sit by the hour watching each others'
movements — the distance being about three thou-
sand yards. The people of these two places have

128 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

never been friends, the Semolikas, owing to their hill
being the more difficult of the two to climb, fre-
quently raiding the Igarra farms, and, in addition
to the farm produce, as often as not carrying away
women and children. As they are known to practise
human sacrifices, the Igarras are kept in constant
dread of these raids, and, on markets being held at
places in the neighbourhood, large parties arrange
to pass along the road together, and are always
armed.

' On climbing to the summit of the Igarra hill,
1,750 feet, it could be seen what a very awkward
place Semolika hill must be to ascend. The local
formation of boulder-like smooth-topped rocks ap-
pears to have been rather concentrated in this parti-
cular mountain, and they rose, one after another, in
constant succession, at gradients varying from
almost the perpendicular, the thin silvery strip of
colouring over the surface of these slabs showing the
direction of the ascending path. The Igarras helped
us tremendously, but still, when it came to asking
for information about other ways of getting up to
Semolika, the ignorance was too general to be cred-
ited, and I think that even then they were not too
sure that the ''white man" would win, and were he
not to they might expect a bad time for long years
to come from their old enemy ! So, although much
reconnoitring was undertaken, no better path could
be seen. On reconnoitring parties approaching

KABBA, SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 129

within earshot of the many observing points the
Semohkas were continuously guarding, they would
be received with shouts of defiance and derision,
the question being always asked : '' Why don't you

come and try ? " etc The Semolikas were

kept busy now, and could be seen improving
sangars, or endeavouring to make difficult places
still worse.

* Finally, it was decided to advance on the morn-
ing of Tuesday, the i8th, and on the night before,
at 8.30 p.m., the gun detachment carried out their
gun, in order to commence the ascent of the Igarra
hill, from where it had been decided to cover the
advance. Although this hill is not so difficult as
Semolika itself, still, no ordinary leather sole and
heel could ever hope to reach its summit, and it was
with wonder and admiration that I watched the
manner in which the Igarra people turned out in
their hundreds on this cold and drizzling night, to
help to get the gun to its destination. At places
they, accustomed as their toes have apparently
become to cling to smooth surfaces, suffered severely,
and at two points in particular one could only des-
cribe their manner of handling by comparing the
gun to a heavy beetle being carried off by a vast
company of ants ! It was at one of these places
that Captain Phillips, who was commanding the
detachment, had, with admirable foresight, arranged

for drag-ropes, hold-fasts and corresponding para-

K

130 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

phernalia, but our eager allies would brook no delay,
and, literally falling on the gun and its mounting,
ran the heavy loads up the sides of this precipice
by sheer force of keen desire. After three hours*
hard climb, at each resting interval of which the
streamingly hot volunteers were most affectionately
patted on the shoulders by gunners and permanent
gun carriers alike, with many '' Sanu's ! " to denote
their admiration of the herculean task, the selected
ledge of rock was safely reached, and the gun duly
mounted. Heavy rain set in about 2 a.m. and with-
out bedding or shelter of any kind, the conditions
were not pleasant.

' The main body was supposed to leave camp at
3.30 a.m. which would enable them to arrive at the
foot of the Semolika hill at dawn. One of the
worst places where it was thought opposition might
prove most effective against our side was about
one-third of the way up, and was marked by three
palm trees. Some strong sangars had been built^
and the natural features of the place certainly pre-
sented the most fearsome difficulties. It was hoped,
therefore, that the gun would succeed in clearing this
trap, and facilitate the advance for the attackers ;
from about 4.30 a.m., therefore, every effort was
made either to distinguish our own men commencing
their climb, or the enemy concealed in the heavy
undergrowth which was interspersed among the
rocks. Unfortunately, there was a thick mist

KABBA, SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 131

after the night's wet weather, and this handicapped
the gunners to a very great extent. At 6 a.m. the
first Dane gun boomed out, reverberating among
the rocks and hillside, and almost immediately
after a break occurred in the veil of mist, showing
some hundreds of the enemy, scampering, veritably
like monkeys, from ledge to ledge, from boulder to
boulder, making their way to their various points of
vantage, in order to assist in the defence of their
virgin stronghold. A very well-judged shrapnel
was fired at this moment, and, I think, must have
checked the enthusiasm of some at least of the
defenders, who could be seen hurriedly scuttling
back. Could this have been repeated, the attackers
would have been much less opposed, except, of
course, by the natural existing difficulties which
beset the path, the chief of which, was, I believe,
regarded by the Semolikas as their piece de resist-
ance, which was most thoroughly emphasized per-
sonally, in my case, as it was while clinging to an
eight foot ledge, struggling in vain to get a foothold,
that a Dane gun was fired from most uncomfortable
proximity ! A long pointed boulder, impossible to
climb, terminated at the so-called path, which, at
this place, consisted of a narrow ledge close to, and
under the point of, the boulder. The defenders had
ingeniously built up from this ledge, and thus most
effectually shut an apparently natural entrance gate
to the hill-side. At short distances away were stone

I

132 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

sangars in well-selected positions and, had they been
occupied by a more modernly armed enemy, I fear
our casualities would have been very heavy. The
drop to the right from the ledge was considerable,
but a small, loaf-shaped foothold happened to be
protruding some feet down, and this was the only
means of proceeding onward. A hurried one-legged
balance had to be made upon its surface when the
ledge beyond had to be smartly clutched. On part-
ing with the perch, it was occupied by a native, who,
by pushing upwards, succeeded in precipitating the
climber, on his face, on to the higher level, once
again in comparative safety, and thus every one had
to take his turn !

* The higher level was a vast sheet of smooth rock,
100 to 150 yards in length, sloping at a very steep
gradient, and offering another deadly opportunity to
the modern firearm. But the Semolikas, at this
place, were content with stones only, and were not,
apparently, good shots with these missiles, for
though many were more or less hurt, only one man
was struck in the face. After this, the defenders
retired, firing continuously, until the king's quarter
was reached, where a further determined stand was
made — and where Lieutenant Galloway received a
wound. This was their last combined effort, and
for the remainder of the day only desultory firing
took place by people hidden here and there in caves
and behind rocks. A zareba was formed in the best

KABBA, SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 133

place available ... an attack being expected during
the night, but nothing happened, the rain possibly
damping the enemy's ardour, as well as his ammuni-
tion ! For the next few days every endeavour was
made to discover the whereabouts of the fugitive
Semolikas, but without success, although acting on
supposed reliable news which was frequently brought
in, the hills for miles around were diligently searched
by our troops. . . .'

Meantime, knowing what I knew of the Semolikas
and their rocky fortress, I spent an anxious and miser-
able time in Lokoja, waiting for news of the result ;
I also said good-bye, with much regret, to Mr. and
Mrs. Wilmot, of the Bank of Nigeria, who left for
England. For two whole years Mrs. Wilmot had
remained in Lokoja, with only a few days' change,
occupying the smallest and most uncomfortable
quarters, making acquaintance with most forms of
discomfort, but ever cheery, energetic and plucky,
an object lesson to us all, and though I knew I should
miss my friends greatly, one could not help rejoicing
to see their well-earned holiday come at last.

My husband hurried back to Lokoja a day ahead
of ' the Army ' and delighted me with a few curios
he had secured for me at Semolika. One special
treasure is w^orth describing in detail ; it was, I
believe, the Chief's own stool, and consists of a
solid block of mahogany, black and polished from
long use. The base is solid, and the seat upheld by

134 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

roughly carved kneeling figures, while the centre
portion is a pillar, having four doors which actually
open and shut, turning in clever little sockets, and
revealing recesses inside, the whole thing being, as I
have said, one solid block of wood, without a join or
addition anywhere. The cutting of those little
doors is a great delight to me, and I have never seen
among the many stools I have collected, another at
all like it ; indeed, the servants were so impressed
with the odd arrangement that nothing would
induce them to open the doors, suspecting Ju-ju,
and they greatly disapproved of my doing so !

For the next few weeks life drifted quietly along,
the monotony relieved by a passing visit from General
Kemball, and very sadly, later on, by the death of
' Binkie,' our dearly-loved little fox-terrier. His
devotion and faithfulness to the last was very touch-
ing ; when he was too ill to walk, he would painfully
and slowly drag himself down the steps, across the
gravel, and lie, exhausted, at the gate, his head
between his paws, watching the Resident's office
with wistful eyes for the return of his beloved master.
Over and over again I carried him back to his basket,
only to see him persistently make his way out again.

I remember finding in the Spectator some lines
headed, ' Modie, a fox-terrier,' and with the name
altered to ' Binkie,' I have kept them tucked away
in my mind ever since. I will make no further
apology for quoting them here, beyond the hope that

X

KABBA. SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 135

the author, * G.W.F.G/, will accept as a tribute the
comfort they gave to a heavy heart ; any dog-lover
who has not seen them before will love them as I do,
and the unfortunate person who is not a dog-lover
will simply — skip them !

Not strange, perhaps, that, on her beat,
Nature should hush, by one wide law,

The patter of four fitful feet.
The scrape of a persistent paw.

And yet the house is changed and still,

Waiting to echo as before
Hot bursts of purpose hard to chill.

And indignation at the door.

No friendly task he left unplied,

To speed the hour or while the days,

The grief that mourned him when he died
Spelt out his little meed of praise.

They say he only thought in dreams.

What matter ! Lay the silken head
Throbbing with half a world of schemes

Under the silent flowers instead.

The Spring winds in the lilacs play,
Beside the old wall where he lies :

The ivies murmur night and day
Their tiny lisping lullabies.

Then ask not if he wakes again :

He meddled not in things too deep ;
And Nature, after joy or pain

Gives nothing half so kind as sleep.

In the beginning of December we spent a fort-
night on a short tour, in the course of which we
discovered Patti Abaja, a quaint little spot just

136 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

North of Lokoja, and not. more than fifteen miles
from cantonments. The path winds among rather
thick bush to the foot of an abruptly-rising lofty
hill, thickly clothed with trees. Here we dismounted
and sent the ponies round to make the ascent by a
longer but easier path, and after a really stiff climb
over rocks and boulders for about an hour, we arrived
at the summit, breathless but triumphant, and were
confronted by miles of an absolutely flat plain, partly
cultivated, but covered mainly with fine short grass.
It looked exactly as if some playful giant had shaved
the top clean off the mountain ! A further walk
along the level brought us to the little hamlet of
Patti Abaja, and here was still further room for
wonderment, for, close beside it, the same playful
giant had evidently been to work again, and had
scooped out a dozen or so huge handfuls of the centre
of the hill, then tired of his joke, and wandered off to
seek new occupation elsewhere ! There was a com-
pletely circular basin almost under our feet, the sides
precipitous and rocky, covered with thick greenery ;
down below a carpet of farms flourished, and a few
figures moving about looked like ants from our lofty
perch. At a point just below the viflage a stream,
issuing from the rock itself, tumbled and foamed
away down into the vafley, and meandered off among
ferns, water plants and grasses, supplying delicious
cold water to the community above. The air was
perfectly glorious in its invigorating freshness, with

KABBA, SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 137

the most delightful ' nip ' at sunset and dawn. While
there we had a pair of very fascinating little animals
brought to us ; they were, I think, what are called
' palm-cats ' (Nandinia hinotata) ; at that time they
were very tiny, and, when full grown, only slightly
larger than a ferret, extremely pretty, with soft dark
grey fur, marked with black spots and rings. They
were very young and helpless, and required a good
deal of hand-feeding before they got lively and
independent, but they travelled round with us in
a covered basket quite safely, and, once settled in
Lokoja, they were quite at home, perfectly tame and
delightfully playful. One, alas! was killed by
accident, but the other grew and flourished for some
months, till one sad day, when he caught and ate a
large locust, and from that time he refused food,
drooped and died. I was sorely disappointed and
grieved at the loss of my tiny pet, who, at a call,
would come flying out from any corner, scamper up
to me, run up my skirt, and sit on my shoulder, with
his little wise eyes twinkling, and tiny paw^s up-held.
We made a shooting camp at Patti Abaja, and
spent Christmas there, in company with Captain
Phillips, of the Gunners, whose tastes were similar to
ours, and though the sport, as far as big game was
concerned, was a failure, we were all happy pottering
about after guinea-fowl, etc., and thoroughly enjoyed
the difference in the temperature. It was practically
impossible to get near big game, although there was

138 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

plenty about, for the ground was as hard as iron, and
the steps of a booted foot, or of a pony, rang as though
on a pavement, and must have been audible to the
animals at a great distance. We wound our way
down the hill a few days later, feeling that, even if
our spoils had not been many, our Christmas camp
had, at all events, been a pleasant ending to a pleas-
ant year.

About the middle of January we fared forth again,
with the object of, at last, accomplishing the delimita-
tion of the Kabba-Ilorin boundary, interrupted two
years before, and went up the river to Egga, where
we were to meet the Resident of Ilorin, Dr. Dwyer,
and from where the boundary line would start. I
had some misgivings, for travelling and camping in
company is not always conducive to peace and har-
mony ; but directly we all started off my anxieties
were laid to rest, and we spent a delightful three
weeks together. If the roads were of the worst, the
camps were of the best, all the arrangements worked
smoothly, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves
sitting cosily round huge wood fires in the chilly
evenings, chatting and exchanging reminiscences.
I made some new acquaintances in the flower world :
the Mexican poppy {Argemone mexicana) made me
wonder how it got there ; Strophanthus was in full
bloom — queer uncanny blossoms, each pinkish cream
petal lengthening out into a streamer four or five
inches long, resembling a flower less than some

KABBA, SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 139

curious butterfly or sea anemone. The natives are
terrified of it ; beside its poisonous qualities, they
beheve that the juice produces instant bhndness,
and I could not persuade any one to break off a
spray for me to sketch, and was obliged to do it
myself, amidst much alarm and disapproval ! In the
forest was bright red Bryophyllum and another small
shrub, loaded with glowing flame-coloured flowers ;
Dr. Dwyer discovered a specimen of Isochelis for me,
and my last ' find ' was Kigelia Africana^ a large
tree with truly splendid blossoms of deep crimson,
hanging on pendant stems like glowing lamps set in
the brilliant green foliage.

The middle of February found us back in Lokoja,
with plenty of work in the office to be ' wound up '
before we went on leave, which kept by husband
busy until the High Commissioner arrived in March,
desiring to inspect Kabba with a view to its becom-
ing the headquarters of the Province. A flying visit
was paid there while I packed up, the Sahib hurry-
ing back to catch the next mail-boat, and as — to use
an Indian expression — we had ' laid a dak ' at vari-
ous points on the road, he managed to cover the fifty
odd miles in eight hours ! My bull-terrier had just
then burst a blood-vessel, and had to be destroyed,
to my grief, and on March 23 we set our faces down
river and towards home, with no more impedimenta
than a parrot, a first-rate talker, who, by the way,
distinguished himself, after a few^ days in the neigh-

140 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

bourhood of the galley, by exclaiming, while I was
displaying him to a friend, ' Who the hell are you ? '
After that I was allowed to keep him in my own
charge !

We had a very pleasant trip, and found a special
interest in the persons of two Arab merchants, who,
trading between Tripoli and Kano, had had the
suggestion made to them at the latter place, that,
instead of the long and perilous Desert journey back,
occupying seven months at least, it would be far
cheaper and more convenient for them to convey
themselves and their merchandise (ostrich feathers)
to the Coast, and return to Tripoli by sea — a most
excellent plan, and one that should, and would, be
universally adopted, but for deep-rooted conserva-
tism and distrust of new ways. As these two men
consented to make the experiment, every assistance
was given them by Government to reach Lagos, and
Sir Alfred Jones gave them and their loads free
transport to Liverpool — for they were, on this occa-
sion, to come to London, instead of transhipping at
the Canaries, so as to test the London market for
their feathers. They were most highly intelligent
men ; one, ' Nassuf,' was the son of an extremely
wealthy Tripoli merchant, the other was a travelling
acquaintance, who, having been robbed of all his
possessions in the Desert, was, with characteristic
kindliness, being taken charge of and seen safely
home by Nassuf. They were in quite prosperous

KABBA, SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 141

circumstances, and had plenty of money, but found
themselves sorely handicapped, oncq^ they left Africa,
by speaking nothing but Arabic and Hausa. There-
fore, our assistance as interpreters was requisitioned,
and we visited them daily on board, enjoying many
long talks about Tripoli, Kano and the Desert, so
that they came to look on us as their natural pro-
tectors and friends, and, on learning that we, of
course, intended leaving the ship at Plymouth, their
dismay and alarm was so deep and sincere, that we
decided to go round to Liverpool with them, and,
at least, see them safely ashore with their valuable
merchandise, valued by Nassuf at £60,000 !

On arrival, we were met by Sir Alfred Jones, who,
with his usual enterprise, took a keen interest in the
experiment, and, at his earnest request, we consented
to take charge of Nassuf and his companion while
they were in England, and bore them off to the
North-Western Hotel. There they nautrally attracted
a good deal of attention in their picturesque flow-
ing white robes, but their manner of receiving it
was perfection in its well-bred unconsciousness;
indeed, their simple, quiet dignity was in marked
contrast to the behaviour of the gaping crowed which
followed us everywhere, and also, alas ! to that of
well-dressed strangers who thought them fair game
for rude impertinence. Given a pot of coffee and a
box of cigarettes, our ' lambs,' as we called them,
were perfectly happy, and would sit for hours in the

142 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

big hall, utterly unmoved by the novelty of the scene
of continuous bustle of arrival and departure, but
watching it all with their bright intelligent eyes, and
asking numberless shrewd questions in low-toned
rapid Hausa.

We then conveyed our charges to Euston, and, on
the road, Nassuf confided to us that he much disliked
being mobbed and stared at, therefore he wished,
immediately on arrival in London, to exchange his
Arab dress for orthodox English garments, and, much
as we regretted the change, we could only sympathize
with the feeling that prompted him, and promised
to ' make an Englishman ' of him without delay.
At Euston we packed our ' lambs ' into a cab, and
before getting into another ourselves, explained the
situation to the cabman, requesting him to drive to
the first general outfitter he could find in the Totten-
ham Court Road. Just as we were starting, he pulled
up, climbed off his box, and, putting a perturbed and
puzzled face through the window, inquired in an
anxious and somewhat embarrassed whisper : * Beg
parding, sir, but might they be males or females ? '
With heroic efforts to preserve our gravity, we gave
the necessary information, and were unfeignedly
thankful at having escaped being driven up to a
' ladies' shop,' and the consequent explanations !
■ Arrived at the outfitter's, Nassuf, treading noise-
lessly, and smilingly serene, walked up to the counter,
and asked us to convey to the salesman his desire to be

KABBA, SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 143

dressed from head to foot — ' just like him/ indicating
my husband — ' one of everything — good things/ he
added, * I have plenty of money ! ' and, to the bewil-
derment of the onlookers, he untied endless knots in
a mysterious hidden, white sash, and poured forty
sovereigns out on the counter ! A kindly assistant
took charge of him, and we waited patiently, much
amused at the fragments of Arabic and English,
struggles with refractory and novel garments, and sup-
pressed chuckles that proceeded from the little dress-
ing-room, until Nassuf emerged radiant and complete
from his shiny boots to the gloves he so proudly
carried, all his picturesque grace vanished, alas ! but
quite secure from unwelcome attention, and, to his
amazement, his outfit cost him rather less than £6 !
I greatly suspect that the wily young merchant
retailed that costume to great advantage when he
reached Tripoli ; meantime he adopted quite an air
of indulgent amusement over the appearance of his
friend, who, either from conservatism or from a
chivalrous desire to spare his benefactor's purse,
firmly declined to alter his costume !

We spent several mornings in a great feather ware-
house in the City, with a view to finding a market for
Nassuf's wares, but his hopes were rather dashed at
the sight of masses of splendid plumes from South
Africa, and the price offered for his feathers was, he
declared, not half what he could obtain in Tripoli.
Even allowing for Eastern methods of striking a bar-

144 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

gain, he was obviously telling the truth, for, had it
been at all to his advantage, nothing would have
been easier than for him to have disposed of all his
feathers then and there. I am inclined to think the
reason is that the Tripoli market, not being supplied
with the really beautiful South African feathers,
possibly values more highly the inferior sort from
Nigeria — and they are very inferior, possibly because
the birds are not farmed, and are plucked at any
season of the year, and in a most thorough and cruel
fashion. Poor Nassuf was mournfully puzzled to see
his enormous ox-hides, in which the feathers were
packed, valued at five shillings each ! In Tripoli,
he explained, they are eagerly bought for a high price,
being in great request for Arab tents !

So, after every kindness and courtesy had been
showered on the young merchant — and nothing
could have exceeded his grateful acknowledgment
of it — the decision was arrived at to repack his
feathers, and speed him on his journey to Tripoli,
and, after a visit to the Colonial Office (when we
persuaded him to resume his national dress), we con-
veyed our charges down to the Docks, much encum-
bered with packages of apples, razors, cheese and a
gold-topped umbrella, and saw them safely established
on the Gulf of Suez, en route for Malta and Tripoli.
It was quite a sad parting, the two men were child-
like in their grief and affection, and we could only
console them by promising, whenever the opportunity

KABBA, SEMOLIKA AND PATTI ABAJA 145

occurred, to visit Tripoli as the guests of Nassuf's
father, and, meantime, to bear them in mind, and
send them news of ourselves.

A couple of hours later we were watching a play,
our leave had really begun, and the Gulf of Suez,
preparing to slip down the Thames, carrying off our
' lambs,' seemed already part of a passed fantastic
dream.

CHAPTER IX

Borgu

Outside the Bar at Forcados an October tornado
was in full swing, huge green seas swept past, the
wind howled and the rain fell in torrents, almost
hiding from view the little black ' branch boat '
tossing uneasily half a mile away. We stood on
the streaming deck, watching our belongings being
transferred, with the greatest difficulty, from the
mail-boat to the other, each boat-load apparently
faring worse than the last as the hurricane increased
in violence, and it seemed an absolutely foolhardy
risk for us, and four other passengers for Nigeria,
to attempt to reach the Dodo in an open boat. It
was an impasse, for the tides did not suit, and,
with every desire to assist us, our Captain was
not justified in incurring the danger of trying to
cross the Bar : waiting was out of the question,
even for twenty-four hours, as these tornadoes some-
times last for days together, therefore we had to
make the best of an unpleasant situation and
' face the music ' ! So the Dodo steamed round us

147

148 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

and anchored on our lee side — at what seemed a
very long distance — so as to give us, at least for the
start, a certain amount of protection, and enabling
the ladder to be let down, a great consideration,
which avoids the dangerous process of being deposited
in a heaving, rocking boat by means of a ' mammy
chair * or a bucket.

Our baggage safely (more or less !) transferred,
kind friends lent us oilskins, and we six unfortu-
nate wayfarers cautiously crept down the ladder,
established ourselves in the boat, waved farewells
to the line of anxious faces at the rail above, and
set forth, benefiting for a few minutes by the shelter
afforded by the ship, but only too soon finding
ourselves very much at the mercy of wind and
waves.

Most fortunately, however, it is provided that,
in the face of real and present danger, the smallest-
spirited of us has no sense of fear, but rather one of
exhilaration — it is no new discovery of mine, I
know, but it is an immense comfort at the moment,
and, though the chances of our being swamped
at any moment were enormous, I had the satisfaction,
while I hugged ' Diana ' (our latest acquisition, a
beautiful setter-spaniel), of deciding that if this was
the end of the chapter, it was nice to finish in such
good company ! I think I had just arrived at this
philosophic reflection when our boat was whirled
and sucked in under the stern of the Dodo, where

BORGU 149

the propeller was revolving, and the heaving sea
threatened to throw us up and crush us like egg-
shells. There was just a moment while we all
stared upwards at the black stern and held our
breaths, then the wave passed and a mighty pull
brought us round, just in time, and a few minutes
later we were all standing on the Dodo's dripping
deck, congratulating each other on having succeeded
in getting there ! It was quite the nastiest experience
I have yet had, and I know that all my companions
would agree that I have by no means exaggerated
the seriousness of it. This transhipping from
* intermediate ' boats is a most unpleasant, and also
dangerous business, ruining baggage and risking
lives ; it is not too much to say that no one should
be called upon to take such a risk, and I believe that
every official in Northern Nigeria would rather
sacrifice a week's leave than do so.

We returned our borrowed oilskins by the boat-
men's hands, and groped our way, in the driving
rain, to our luggage, only to find that the particular
box we sought had been forced open and rifled, and
our new three-guinea mackintoshes had vanished !
This was getting on towards ' the last straw,' but
the kindly skipper, after much hunting, found a
large native cloth, which I could wrap over my
soaking muslin blouse, and, when some tea had been
made, and one of us had produced an immense
plum-cake, we began to forget our sorrows, and

150 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

steamed up to Burutu just as the darkness was
falling, much comforted to see the smiling black
face of ' Momo/ our faithful head steward, come
down to meet us.

The next morning, as the 'Empire fussed and
paddled up the familiar creeks, and the sunshine
was bright again, we opened the boxes that seemed
to have suffered most from sea-water. My own
clothes had fared badly, and it was a little saddening
to cast overboard stained sodden masses (including
my best evening frock !) which had been dainty
muslins and chiffons. Destruction to nearly all
one's possessions is all in the day's work in Nigeria,
but it was rather saddening to see the destructive
process well begun even before arrival !

We had a coop full of English fowls. Buff Orping-
tons and Black Minorcas, and they, poor things,
had very narrowly escaped drowning, and had been
so terribly knocked about that they could hardly
stand for many days ; indeed, I think we were lucky in
losing only two hens as a result of their experiences.

We arrived in Lokoja on the 14th of October,
and found many familiar, kind faces to welcome
us ; one dear friend of mine had even delayed her
leave a few weeks so as not to miss us — a really
heroic proof of friendship, and one greatly valued !
Almost immediately my husband was ordered to
take charge of Borgu, the Northernmost Province
on the right bank of the Niger, and we were jubilant

BORGU 151

at the prospect of seeing some new country, especially
as Borgu possessed a great reputation for good
shooting ; but our departure was delayed unavoidably
for nearly three months, involving a state of restless
uncertainty and suspense, a thing abhorrent to us
both, and which has, oddly enough, been our portion
almost continuously for the last ten years !

There came to Lokoja at this time a quaint and
unusual visitor in the person of ' Fritz. ' ' Fritz ' was a
young hippopotamus, I can hardly call him a baby
on account of his size (about that of a very large
pig), though he was only a few months old, brought
down the Benue by Captain Stieber, the Resident
of German Bornu, on his way to Berlin. He (Fritz,
I mean !) was the oddest thing in pets, for he was
perfectly tame, and could scarcely be called sharp,
or even lively, but there was distinct individuality
in his wide, rather satirical smile and tiny twinkling
eye which commanded respect, though he did not
lend himself to petting. For fear of losing this
valuable little person he was usually tied up when
taken down to bathe, for which purpose he wore an
elegant and original collar, made of a cask hoop ; he
seemed perfectly happy and contented, wandering
among the grass at the Preparanda, consuming untold
quantities of tinned milk, and rolling in awkward
ecstasies in the warm sand. I believe Captain
Stieber was perfectly successful in landing his pet
safe and well at the Berlin Zoo.

152 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

In December we got our ' marching orders/
packed up, and — on Christmas Day ! — started on
our long river journey to Bussa, our new head-
quarters. When our last friend had waved ' Good-
bye ' at Mureji, and the little white stern- wheeler
swept round the bend, and swung out into the
great silent, gleaming river, where the distance
was all opalescent Harmattan mist, the water
like glass and the heavy air laden with soft aromatic
scents, floating lazily out from the walls of tropical
verdure on either hand, we felt that the ' onward
and outward craving which so deeply possesses
us both was in a fair way to be gratified.

After the hurry and stress of departure from the
busy station down river, and the final disgorging
of passengers, mails and cargo at Mureji, it was
infinitely peaceful to lie out on the now deserted
deck and absorb and drink in the matchless beauty
of it all, a beauty which seems to seize and hold
one, making the blood race and pulses throb. The
marvellous colouring, the masses of vegetation
hanging over motionless reflections, clear and detailed
as their originals, in the olive-hued water ; the solemn
fish-eagles, sharply silhouetted against the pale
sky, immovably still and ceaselessly peering into
the silent pools below ; those mysterious little
creeks creeping inwards where the branches hang
low giving glimpses of flecked sunshine and shade,
gloom and gold, bringing to mind that strange

r.
r.

S.

<^

u-)

s:

BORGU 153

indefinable world that is neither dream-land nor
fairy-land, but which very surely exists, and is
sometimes momentarily revealed to most of us.

A tangible part of the universal placidity was our
pilot : he would sit crouching on the deck, hour
after hour, wrapped in a white blanket, for the
morning air was very keen, his wise old face tire-
lessly watching the water. They steer by sight,
of necessity, as the channels shift and change con-
tinually ; not a word passed, but the slightest
wave or quiver of his slender brown hand conveyed
his meaning to the stolid sailor at the wheel, and the
little boat crossed and recrossed, dodged and curved
in perfect obedience to the silent watcher, closely
noting every ripple and swirl with his far-seeing
dreamy eyes.

At Jebba the scene changed abruptly from low-
lying grassy marsh land and warm sand-banks,
where the wild duck and geese were wont to gather,
to great beetling cliffs and walls of rock, which
rose sheer from the still water, seemingly shutting
in the river altogether, and giving the impression
of one end of a Highland loch. Jebba struck me
as rather a dreary spot, in spite of its undoubted
beauty, having been formerly the head-quarters
of the Government and now utterly deserted, save
for the Niger Company's Store, which gives it an
air of some life and briskness. I climbed the hill
by the old zig-zag path, now scarcely discernible,

154 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

and wandered round the remnants of ruined bunga-
lows ; of some, nothing remained but the flight of
cement steps, standing forlorn where all else had
vanished ; others were the crumbling ruins of native-
built mud houses — everywhere was desolation and
decay. There is something essentially saddening
about an abandoned station, and the island at
Jebba, with its traces of ' white ' occupation, added
to the impression of melancholy desertion : the
cemetery was there, a lasting and tragic record
of duty doggedly done, in the teeth of all difficulties,
quiet heroism, and true British persistence, under
the inspiration of an indomitable leader — to the end.
However, there was little time for cheerless
reflection ; our evening was spent strenuously —
the Sahib struggling with fever — in shifting our
belongings from the security of the Kapelli which
now had to turn round and steam down river again,
to carry the mails and passengers from Mureji
to Lokoja, to the narrow quarters of a steel canoe ;
and, in the chilly grey dawn of the following morning,
with endless unnecessary buzzing, chatter, and running
to and fro, the little paddle-wheel began to revolve,
and we were away on the next stage of our journey.
The fussing and churning of our tiny boat seemed
utterly impertinent in the face of the gigantic
frowning cliffs, the 'Ju-ju Rock ' towering grim and
bare save for a thick undergrowth, at the base, of
the unsightly euphorbia, greatly dreaded by the

BORGU 155

natives, who declare that Uke strophanthus, it
will cause instant blindness to all who touch it.
The sun rose on scenery resembling a mighty salmon
river, the water swirling past smooth grey rocks,
sheer cliffs and overhanging verdure ; this stretch
of the Niger immediately above Jebba had almost
the appearance of a stone gate-way, for, later, the
swift current spread itself out again, wide and placid,
to level green lowlands far away on either bank,
until Badjibo was reached, and we were once more
among rocks and rising ground.

Here a halt of two days occurred, perforce, as
our small craft could go no higher, a further transfer
of our possessions into native canoes being necessary,
and we had to wait until the ' Etsu ' of Badjibo
could procure the said canoes from some mysterious
direction indicated by a vague wave of his hand.
Meanwhile, we were most comfortably installed
in an excellent rest-house — excellent, that is, to
African travellers' eyes — the square compound,
encircled by a mud wall, containing four native-
built huts, might not appeal very strongly to
fastidious tastes, but, to us, it spelt something
like luxury, plenty of room, a dim, cool, clean
dwelling, built solidly and well as the Nupe custom
is, and a real relief after the terribly cramped accom-
modation and blistering heat of a steel canoe. Here,
too, a new diversion awaited us in the shape of the
undesirable activities of an angry swarm of bees, whose

156 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

advent made our household generally move faster
than I had ever seen them do — I can imagine
nothing more effective than swarming bees for
making slow folks bustle !

Outside our compound were two immense trees,
one covered with creamy-white pendant blossoms,
the other bearing bright yellow berries in almost
incredible profusion. It was one of our chief
pleasures to watch these trees, and find delight in
the ever-varying throng of brilliant-hued birds who
came, chirped, ate and fought all the morning long.
Great plump green pigeons, with their exquisite
plumage, deep yellow breast and wings shaded
mauve, green and grey, others which we called
the ' black fidgets ' from their incessant twittering
and flying, flashing, as they went, a deep metallic
blue ; there were smaller birds too, one almost
entirely canary-coloured, another tiny wren-like
thing, all crimson and soft brown, hundreds of tiny
atoms of bird-life, hopping and darting so quickly
that a clear view of them was almost impossible,
except in the case of the exquisite little ' honey-
birds ' who, caring nothing for the luscious berries,
frequented the other tree, and delicately sipped
the honey out of the drooping flowers, their backs
gleaming brilliant green, and breasts glowing copper
— their whole persons smaller than a cockroach !
They were a busy, merry crew, children of the sun-
shine, happily untouched by want or fear.

BORGU 157

We fished the next day, without much science or
skill on my part, and, to our immense surprise, our
efforts were rewarded by the landing of a most
uncanny-looking fish ; indeed, as it whirled out
of the water, I believed for a monent that we had
inadvertently hooked the corpse of a green pigeon !
Its length was about ten inches, the head blunt and the
body very round, gaily striped with brilliant yellow
and green, the breast a paler yellow, and protruding
like a pouter pigeon. He was quite a stranger to
me, and to this day I have never discovered his name —
I trust it may be one befitting his truly gorgeous
appearance ! At all events, the immediate circle
of admirers of our prowess unanimously cried
* A — a ! ' (No, no !) and assured us that our catch
was bitter and uneatable ; and when an African
native pronounces any living thing uneatable, it
must be uneatable indeed, so we took their word
for it, and having suffiiciently admired his somewhat
grotesque beauty, we carefully unhooked him and
put him back.

Early next morning we left Badjibo, heading a
procession of native canoes, and a most adventurous
journey we had ! The river hereabouts is split up
into various channels by islands and rocks, and we
found ourselves in true Highland scenery, brown
water rushing and creaming in its fall round and
over huge boulders, the river fringed on either
side by an immense growth of trees and bushes

158 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

hanging above the stream, and making it a matter
of great difficulty for the canoe-men to make any
headway against the strong current, owing to the
almost impossibility of finding ground for their
long palm-wood poles. They could only seize
branches and twigs, and so endeavour to haul the
canoe up-stream, which method was, naturally,
productive of a rich crop of misadventures, such as
the sudden crashing down of the rotten branch to
which the muscular brown arms were clinging, and
the consequent rush down-stream of the canoe — our
heads being banged and swept by branches and
creepers, until it could be brought again under
control by the whole party hanging desperately on to
the nearest tree, and the strenuous effort, swirling
and rocking, had to be commenced again, till we could
crawl back to the same point, and beyond, perhaps,
into smoother water, till the next rapid appeared, and
the same difficulty — and, incidentally, danger — had to
be encountered once more. I can vouch for it that
we had not a ' dull moment ' from start to finish,
and one could hardly be reproached for harbouring
a slight feeling of insecurity, especially as the
water continuously bubbled in through a very
inadequate mend in the bottom of the canoe, just
under my eye, and vigorous baling went on ' amid-
ships ' all the time ! Anything less like the lower
reaches of the Niger could hardly be imagined ;
in the narrow channels where the trees meet over-

BORGU 159

head and the water tumbles, loud-voiced, over
rocks and snags, it is hard to recognize it as
the same river, and only in the open reaches
do the crimson and white quisqualis and purple
convolvulus remind me that I have met and
loved them some three hundred miles nearer the
coast.

At the worst points, where the whole face of the
river appeared to be barred with a rush of falling
waters, and no smallest passage was visible amidst
the tumbling foam, the canoes were hauled under
the steep bank, and their entire contents bundled
out thereon, we, the passengers, clambering, by the
aid of roots and branches, to a place of some security,
where we sat on the warm sand and watched the
manoeuvres down below. The majority of the canoe-
men, divesting themselves of their clothing, took
boldly to the stream, where, with the rushing water
up to their shoulders, struggling against the current
and slipping on the stones, they deftly and manfully
dragged the absurd little crafts through the rapids
by means of rope hauling, vigorous pushing, swim-
ming, and attempts at poling. They are practically
amphibious, these men, and it was a fine sight, the
active figures swimming and wading, dark, wet
skins gleaming, white teeth flashing, while the air
was full of shouts and cries, not to mention the
chorus of advice and directions from the bank, and
pious ejaculations of thanksgiving as each canoe

i6o A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

reached a place of safety. Once arrived in more
placid waters, the re-embarkation would take place,
and the journey be resumed.

Our river trip ended at Leaba, a small village
above which is the Wuru rapid, about the worst
on the river ; the natives have driven great tree
trunks vertically into the rocky bed of the stream,
and attached to them a stout rope by which the
unfortunate traveller must drag himself and his
canoe through the seething torrent. There is a
saddening loss of life here, and death by drowning
is so frequent that the riverside folks are perfectly
stolid and unmoved by it, as we noticed when a
man lost his life that very afternoon, trying to cross
the river at this spot. The water is also infested
with alligators of considerable size ; possibly they
come up at high water, and are unable to get back
until the next wet season — one is told that the body
of a man upset from a canoe in the rapids is seldom
or never recovered.

At Leaba we found ponies awaiting us, and did
the remaining few marches on horseback, leaving
the baggage to make its way slowly up-stream, and
on the gth of January we reached Bussa, where
the Assistant Resident, Mr, Dwyer, gave us a cordial
welcome. Bussa town is a mere hamlet, or, rather,
collection of hamlets, straggling along the river
bank ; a place of no importance whatever, where
there is not even the mildest attempt at a market.

BORGU i6i

where trade is nil, and existence about as stagnant
as the mind can picture it.

At that time, however, we had no opportunity of
making close acquaintance with the place, as,
about ten days after our arrival, we were obliged
to hurry off to Illo, as work of much urgency awaited
my husband there. Anticipating long marches and
great heat, I decided to travel in an improvised
hammock, but the paths were so bad, and the
bearers so unskilful, that, after the first day, I gladly
mounted my pony, leaving Diana in sole possession
of the hammock ! It was a hot, weary journey,
the dust and glare very unpleasant ; each halting-
place seemed a dirtier and more unsavoury hamlet
than the last, till we reached the large walled town
of Kaoji, where our spirits, which had rather drooped
at the apparently hopeless poverty and desolation
of our new province, revived a little at the sight of
brisk, intelligent Fulanis, replacing the apathetic,
ignorant, dull Borgus.

We had scarcely unpacked at Illo, when, to our
intense dismay, Diana, who, with her sweet dis-
position and high intelligence had made herself
very, very dear to us both, began to flag and display
the usual dread symptoms, and ten days later we
miserably buried her under a great shady tree. I
do not think we have ever cared to go out shooting
since.

That very day came the disquieting news of the

M

i62 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

disaster at Satiru near Sokoto, involving the deaths
of Mr. Hilary, Mr. Scott and Mr. Blackwood, while
endeavouring to effect the arrest of the ringleaders
of a small faction of malcontents, who had been
spreading disaffection. Such an event as anything
resembling a native rising naturally called for
prompt action, and troops were hurriedly moved
north, the Illo detachment was ordered away at
once, and, as my husband's work called us to Yelwa,
we also prepared for departure, and, less than six
hours after the telegram had arrived, the busy
' lines ' and fort stood empty, silent and deserted,
while a procession of canoes was rapidly descending
the river.

Illo is not actually on the Niger, and at Giris, the
small village where we embarked, we noticed a
quaint local custom which I do not remember to
have seen elsewhere. Some of the round huts had
bunches of short, dry bamboo twigs hanging from the
apex of the thatch, rattling cheerfully in the evening
breeze, and, on inquiry, we were told that any young
man who desired to marry hung out this signal, so
that all match-making parents of daughters might
take a note of his intentions, and presently parade
their most attractive daughters for his benefit !
A vision crossed my mind of this simple system
adopted in more civilized circles, and harassed
mothers anxiously scanning the surrounding chimney-
pots from a top window in Grosvenor Square !

BORGU 163

A few days later we were back at Bussa, and a
time of considerable discomfort arrived for all of
us. March and April are always the hottest and
most unpleasant months in Nigeria, but Bussa
seemed to me to be much hotter and more unpleasant
than any other spot I know^ This was partly due
to our wretched houses — badly built, ill-thatched
mud dwellings, which afforded little protection
from the heat, the inside temperature reaching
103° and 104° every afternoon. The nights were
oppressively hot. We used to move our beds all over
the compound in order to catch the least particle
of breeze, and were out each morning at five o'clock
to get an hour's ride in the cool — for by half-past
six no one would care to be out in the sun. Perhaps
the worst feature of these months was the ' dry
tornadoes,' violent dust-storms, when the clouds
would roll up with most hopeful rapidity and inky
blackness, and a hurricane of wind would tear through
the house for an hour or so, laden with dust, dirt and
sand, almost instantly covering every thing with a
deep layer, at the same time usually removing a
good deal of the flimsy thatch. One could only
sit and endure, protecting eyes, mouth and hair
from the flying grit by means of a motor veil, and
longing for rain till the hurricane passed and died
away, leaving us very miserable and uncomfortable-
and as dry as before !

However, the 30th of April brought the first rain^

i64 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

and we thankfully put the ' hot weather ' behind
us for the rest of the year. At the end of May we
started on a visit to Ilesha, a customs station in
the south of the province, to inquire into a serious
theft of Government money which had occurred
there. It was infinitely pleasanter marching than
our last journey northward, and the paths were
good enough to allow of our cantering a great part
of our long marches. From Bussa we were escorted
to the Meni River, some three miles, by the Sariki
and all his myrmidons on horseback, and, as we
had a march of twenty-two miles before us, and a
good road, we drove the whole party in front of us
at a sharp canter. It is curious and amusing to
notice how utterly uncongenial to the native and
his horse is a steady canter — they simply cannot
do it, their horsemanship consisting entirely of furious
sprinting and a dancing sort of walk, varied by
plunges into the high grass, and rushes back on to the
road. We had the greatest difficulty in keeping
our escort going, and, to our surprise, men and
horses were quite blown when we reached the
river bank. Here we said our farewells, crossed
the river in canoes — the ponies swimming — mounted
again and rode off.

We had a capital sandy track through shady
forest country, the young green grass seemed
absolutely made to be a background for primroses
and bluebells — instead it was thickly sprinkled with

BORGU 165

delicate mauve terrestrial orchids, and the deeper
purple iris-like flowers of ' ground ginger,' while
feathery asparagus fern climbed and trailed every-
where. We crossed two deep rocky rivers with
some difficulty, lunched and rested awhile on the
shady bank of the second, and late in the afternoon
reached our first halt, a town named Wa-wa. One
incident of that day's march which comes back
to me was my dismounting to lead my pony across
an awkward deep cleft in the road ; he jumped
very wide, dragging the rein from my hand, broke
away and cantered gaily off up the path towards
Wa-wa, leaving me to contemplate ruefully the
joys of a five-mile walk to complete a long march !
Nevertheless, recollecting an insatiable greediness
to be one of the culprit's chief characteristics, I
set off along the path at a leisurely w^alk, and, as I
expected, very soon discovered him, grazing to his
heart's content, and so pleased with his surroundings
that he submitted most placidly to be captured
and mounted.

Wa-wa is a large town of rather unusual appearance,
consisting of groups of tiny hamlets separated by
wide green spaces, at this season of the year covered
with delightful short turf. Narrow red gravel paths
connecting these clusters of houses gave quite a
cultivated air, and the spacious green stretches
were very pleasant to look at. The trees, too, were
unusually large, and each hamlet rejoiced in spreading

i66 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

' shedia ' and ' durmi ' trees. We had a roomy
and comfortable rest-house, which unhickily admitted
a fair share of the torrential rain which fell during
the night !

The following day we found the rivers much
swollen, and crossing them by means of fallen
trees and rickety native bridges savoured some-
what of Blondin's feats. Between Kali and Vera
we had quite a special piece of good fortune ;
cantering through the cool shady woodland, we
both pulled up suddenly, noticing two large animals
moving among the trees and high grass. We had
barely exchanged a whisper when, as they bounded
across an open gi'assy space, we discovered, to our
delight, that we were watching two large lions!
There was no possibility of doubt, the ground
was quite open and the animals were distinctly
in view, in brilliant sunshine — and the tail of a lion
is quite unmistakable, with its odd little bunch
of hair at the end ! The road itself was crossed
and re-crossed with numberless tracks of deer, so,
no doubt, the lions found it a profitable hunting-
ground. We watched the bush intently on the
chance of getting another glimpse of the splendid
creatures, but the few stragglers who had come
up did not apparently sympathize with our desire,
and displayed unusual activity about reaching the
camp !

As we approached Kaiama, the old Sariki came

BORGU 167

out with all his people, and the usual accompani-
ment of beating drums and blowing horns, and
escorted us to the confines of the town, where we
turned off, and, after following a path in the bush
for about a mile, came upon a clearing, some eight
or ten acres in extent, in the centre of which stood,
bare and solitary, a double storeyed brick bungalow
— the Residency ! Formerly Kaiama was the pro-
vincial headquarters, and the staff inhabited a
clay-walled enclosure in the town, containing a
few wretched huts, originally a French fort. Here,
the site was low and unhealthy, and a change was
decided on ; the brick bungalow was built, but was
never finished or permanently occupied, as a further
decision was arrived at to move the headquarters
altogether to Bussa ! It is regrettable that the
bungalow could not have been removed too ! It
was very comfortable, of course, to find oneself
on a wooden floor, and under a watertight roof,
but the situation was so ill-chosen, so utterly lonely
and desolate, that it was depressing to a degree.
Absolutely nothing was in sight but the monotonous
endless bush, not a sound, not a single habitation,
not even a breath of rising smoke, for the town
was distant and invisible. Scarcely a soul ever
came or went, for the path to the town was said to
be infested by leopards and hyaenas, and was
sedulously avoided, even before sunset.

We visited the grave of Mr. Ward-Simpson, a

i68 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

young police officer who died there three years ago ;
it was a very peaceful spot^ in the deep shade of a
spreading tree, and we satisfied ourselves that
it was well-cared for, and neatly fenced in.

The Sariki of Kaiama is a highly intelhgent old
gentleman, though he bears a distinctly bad
character among all his neighbours for high-handed
bullying and dishonesty. We found it very inter-
esting listening to his stories of past years, which
he delighted to tell with a considerable sense of
humour, while he turned the leaves of the Spectator
with a great air of interest and appreciation. He
had rather a special connexion with the late High
Commissioner, Sir Frederick Lugard, having, years
ago, when the latter was travelling through Borgu,
making treaties, saved his life by warning him of an
ambush prepared for him. He has always been very
loyal to the Government, and it is a pity that he is
held in such detestation by his own people, though,
perhaps, only natural that, with native cunning, he
should have used his boasted friendship with the
High Commissioner as an universal threat to all whom
he wished to intimidate. He goes in terror of
death by witchcraft or ' medicine ' (i.e. poison) and
solemnly assured us that quite lately he had had a
wonderful escape — a woman in the town having
actually kept an iguana, and, of course, everybody
knows that to touch an iguana with any article
belonging to the Sariki would cause the latter's

BORGU 169

instant death ! This well-known fact was warmly
upheld by many of our own following, so it evidently
behoves one to choose one's pets carefully in Kaiama !
The Sariki had, however, soothed his shattered
nerves by relieving the conspirator of every bit
of ' real estate ' that she possessed !

A few days ' marching through the cool green
woods, lavishly decorated with what the florists
call ' stove plants,' white and crimson striped
lilies, and the earliest Gloriosas, unfolding their
delicate crimson, gold-edged petals — for, in June,
the ' mauve ' season is over, and the ' scarlet-and-
gold ' time coming, brought us to Bodebere, a pretty
little hamlet where we camped under a huge shady
tree, and had the benefit of a truly magnificent view
of miles of wooded country, sloping away to the
south, where some blue peaks were faintly visible.
We were much struck with the quantity of young
life around us — beside the human babies, there
were lambs, kids, ducklings and chickens scuttling
about under our feet. The sheep and goats in this
country are extremely small, for the most part,
and their babies are the most fascinating, absurd
little furry bundles imaginable, about nine inches
high, and needing only a green painted stand to
make them perfect toyshop treasures !

On the road into Ilesha we noticed that almost
every third bush was a custard apple, loaded with
fruit. We gathered them as we passed, and

170 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

thoroughly enjoyed their deHcious creamy golden-
hued pulp. The people call them ' Gwando-n-
daji ' (wild paw-paw), and, judging by the hundreds
of skins and stones scattered on the road, they
greatly appreciate them also. The custard apple
is almost the only wild fruit in the country which
is really palatable, except, perhaps, the tamarind,
which, though very refreshing, is terribly acid
when eaten raw.

We found Ilesha a wretched ruinous-looking
town, dirty and unattractive ; there was no rest-
house on the high ground where the police
detachment is quartered, so we descended, rather
disgustedly, into the town, quite fifty feet lower, and,
after winding amongst grubby little lanes and evil-
smelling narrow byways, emerged upon an open
space beside the market, where a fair-sized native
house was got ready for us.

There was a general air of disturbance, quite
contrary to custom no one had come to welcome
us, the markets were deserted, hardly an individual
was to be seen — obviously there was trouble in the
air ! Presently a string of most forlorn-looking,
decrepit old men limped, crawled and hobbled
up, and, when they had, with immense difficulty,
doubled up their rheumatic limbs into a sitting
posture before us, they poured forth their tale
of woe. A misfortune unprecedented, unheard-
of, beyond the experience of even the most aged

Repairing the Bussa Residency, (p. 170)

Balu. (p. 180)

(SERVAL CAT.)

[/ace p. 170.

BORGU 171

of them, had occurred in the night — the old Sariki
had died ! ' Full of years ' he must have been —
our toothless, palsied visitors mumbled that he was
much older than any of them, and one amongst
them was actually the heir !

Their sorrow and dismay was truly pathetic,
as they lamented that ^ all the people were bewildered
. . . they could do nothing . . . they knew not
what to think. . . . ' We offered our condolences
and sympathy, and when they had asked and
received permission to carry out the funeral cere-
monies exactly as if we were not there, they departed
somewhat cheered and comforted.

The three next days were rather a trial — the
drumming day and night, the incessant wailing
and shrieking of the women, the entire cessation
of business of all kinds, and the consequent difficulty
of obtaining supplies, made me watch the digging
of the huge grave with rather a personal interest.
It was done in a manner exactly similar to the
Kabba custom which I have already described in
detail. By the evening of the third day all the
people from the surrounding villages had arrived,
the last comer being the special person entrusted
with the duty of actually laying the dead man in
his grave, a duty which might be performed only by
one who had never seen the Sariki's face in life.
The funeral was accompanied by much firing of
Dane guns, a terribly noisy performance, and we

172 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

felt sincerely thankful to hear before long that the
ammunition had given out. But the drums and
horns lasted all night, and were used with untiring
vigour !

The curious custom ordains that the women of
the establishment must ' wail ' in idleness for three
months, and, further, that no head of a household
may sleep inside his own house for the same period.
Therefore, immediately the burying was accomplished,
a large camp of little grass huts sprang up all round
the grave, outside the ' royal ' compound. It seemed
to me very touching, the absolutely conscientious
way these simple souls obeyed the ' custom ' at
what must have been the greatest inconvenience
and discomfort to themselves, many of them infirm
old men, bent and crippled with rheumatism,
sleeping for many weeks in miserable little grass
shelters, in the torrential rains just then commencing.

Some days were spent in endeavouring to get
light upon the robbery of money from the toll-clerk's
house, but with little or no success. It was rather
defeating, at the outset, to be gravely assured by
the clerk himself, an intelligent, educated native,
that ' the robbery was undoubtedly effected through
the wicked machinations of these evil-minded
Borgus — they having placed ju-ju or medicine in his
dwelling, so that he — and the police guard ! — should
so soundly sleep that the unprincipled thieves were
enabled to pass over his prostrate body, and remove

BORGU 173

the box ! ' This perfectly lucid and apparently
satisfactory explanation was borne out by the
production of the said ju-ju, consisting of little
balls of grass containing horrible mixtures of various
ingredients, which had been found stuffed into the
thatch of his house. Such overwhelming reasons
for successful burglary had, in every one's opinion,
rendered all inquiry useless, and the thief had had
plenty of time to carry his prize out of Northern
Nigeria altogether, which made the investigation
rather a hopeless task. Not a clue of any kind could
be obtained, and all examination produced nothing
but the wearying reiteration of the bewitchment
story.

On our way back to Bussa we spent two days at
Kaiama, and while there a terrific tornado came up
one afternoon, and we were very thankful for the
solid protection of the bungalow there. We stood
on the verandah, watching the magnificent light-
ning, as the storm passed away over the town, and,
simultaneously with a blinding flash, came a report
like a Howitzer, which made us both wonder if
anything had been ' struck.' Early the next morn-
ing arrived the Sariki himself, and with an air of
mystery and some trouble, informed us that ' a
stone from God ' had fallen during the storm, burn-
ing and wrecking a hut — happily unoccupied at the
time — and had buried itself at some depths in the
ground. His people were scared and worried, and

174 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

were already ' making ju-ju ' and preparing offerings
of blood and oil on the spot where the ' demon '
lay buried. They seemed, in a dim sort of way,
to connect the event with our visit, and when we
suggested digging up the stone, they obeyed with
the greatest alacrity, and the ' devil ' was accordingly
exhumed and handed to us, while we, in return, made
a present of money to remove unpleasant impres-
sions by means of a little feast.

The find appeared to be an aerolite of most
singular appearance, and I cannot describe it better
than by quoting a letter written by my husband
to the Spectator on the subject : —

' It is shaped like an axe-head, or like a slightly
flattened egg^ with the broad end sawn off and
filed to an edge. It is four inches in length, and
two and a quarter inches wide at its widest end,
gradually narrowing to a blunt point. At its
greatest depth, about three and a quarter inches
from its point, it measures an inch and a half ;
from this point its curves to both ends are beautiful.
It has a smooth mottled surface, is non-magnetic,
and weighs a little over half a pound.' *

We bore this treasure off in high delight at acquir-
ing so unusual a curiosity, and found ourselves
back at Bussa by the end of the month. By that

^ This * aerolite ' has subsequently been examined by the
Royal Meteorological Society, and pronounced to be^ * a very
good specimen of a Celt,'

BORGU 175

time the rains were in full swing, and the surround-
ing country had become a marsh, rendering walking
impossible, and riding dangerous and unpleasant.
It was, however, a good opportunity for closer
study of the primitive Bussa folks, and their town —
the scene of Mungo Park's tragic death. I spent
much time endeavouring to elicit details on this
latter subject, which might have more resemblance
to the probabilities, and even the truth, than the
published and accepted accounts. I am now con-
vinced of what I had always suspected, that Mungo
Park's death was a purely accidental one, due
entirely to ignorance of the dangers of the river
in the neighbourhood of Bussa. The statement
that ' armed natives, seeing the predicament the
strangers were in, hurled their weapons in showers
on them,' is, to any one who knows the geography
of the place, bordering on the ridiculous, and is
strenuously denied by the natives of Bussa, who
declare that the correct version of the tragedy
is that said to have been given to Major Denham
in Kuka by the son of a Fulah chief, who had come
from Timbuctoo. This man ' denied that the
natives who pursued the boat in canoes had any evil
intention ; their object was mere curiosity to see the
white men, and the canoes that followed Park from
Timbuctoo contained messengers from the King,
who desired to warn the strangers of the dangers
of navigating the river lower down ! ' More than

176 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

this, the Bussa people tell how, at -every hamlet
by the river-side, the inhabitants, seeing the travellers
speeding to almost certain death among the rapids,
rushed to the bank, gesticulating and shouting
warnings, which, alas! misunderstood by the
Europeans, doubtless hastened the tragical climax.
And this is by far the most reasonable hypothesis,
for, had any of these natives desired to compass the
destruction of the exploring party, there was no
need for them to raise a finger or a voice — the rocks
in the river would accomplish all that was necessary.
That they had no sentiments of ill-will towards
Park is manifest from the fact that the Sariki-n-
Yauri (king of Yelwa) had provided him with all
necessary transport, and was himself a heavy loser in
canoes and men by the disaster. I laboured patiently
to obtain the true facts of the story, and felt re-
warded by the hope that, in the future, the Bussa
folks may be acquitted of so cowardly and cruel a deed.
Another theory about the Borgus which, to the
best of my belief, is entirely erroneous, is their
supposed connexion with early Christianity. Major
Mockler Ferryman remarks that ' they (the Borgus)
themselves assert that their belief is in one Kisra,
a Jew, who gave his life for the sins of mankind.*
I was much astonished to find that this idea is
utterly fallacious, and is not even known to the
people. In the first place, Kisra, or rather Kishra,
is buried close to Bussa, and his tomb can be seen

BORGU 177

by any one, which immediately disposes of the
possibiHty that the Borgus, in honouring him, refer
in any way to Jesus Christ.

Kishra was a Mahomedan pure and simple ; he
lived — so the tradition runs — in Mecca, during the
life-time of Mahomed, and beginning to prove
himself positively a rival to the Prophet, was driven
forth, with his large following, and apparently
drifted eventually down to Borgu. His memory
is deeply honoured and revered, but entirely as a
warrior king, and in no sense as the pioneer of any
special religion. Certain rites and ceremonies of the
most frankly Pagan description are still performed
at his burying-place, the site of which is well-defined
and, as I have already said, visible to all.

The Borgus to-day, whatever their previous
record may be, could not, by any stretch of imagin-
ation, be called a war-like race. They are absolute
Pagans, and appear to be still very low in the order
of civilization ; their progress has perhaps been
hindered by their being somewhat apart from the
large Emirates and busier centres of the Pro-
tectorate : they are also separated by their peculiar
language and customs. In Bussa itself a language
quite distinct even from Borgu is spoken, which
greatly increases the difficulty of obtaining rehable
historical information from them. They are the
quietest and most law-abiding folks imaginable —
indeed, I have heard it said of them that ' they have

N

178 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

not the intelligence to commit a crime ! ' They
do not trade, and appear to have an unlimited
capacity for sitting silent and motionless, dirty
and unclothed, before their huts, gazing vacantly
into space. Their farming is as scanty as their need
for food-stuffs will permit ; just sufficient is grown
to save the little communities from want, and not
a square yard more ! The villagers on the river-
bank are fishermen, and live greatly on river oysters,
as is attested by the enormous heaps of oyster-
shells surrounding each hamlet. These oysters
are found on the rocks at lowest water, and though
we never attempted to eat them, the shells interested
us greatly, answering exactly to the description of
the Aether ia semilunatUj having very rough out-
sides, and the interior showing a very beautiful
mother-of-pearl appearance — exquisitely iridescent,
with raised pearly blisters. We cherished visions
of discovering ' Niger pearls,' but that dream,
I fear, will have to be realized by some one else !

Sir Frederick Lugard was perfectly correct in
ascribing the invincibility of the Borgus to their
reputation for a knowledge of witchcraft and deadly
poisons ; they are more deeply steeped in 'Ju-ju '
and superstition of all kinds than any African
natives I have come across. One firm article of
their faith is the ' Tsafi ' or ' speaking of oracles,'
the message being received by a ' priest ' who,
while holding a freshl}^ killed fowl in one hand and

BORGU 179

rattling a calabash full of seeds in the other, announces
that the ' god ' speaks to him in these sounds. A
curious test for ' false witness ' — a matter of very
frequent occurrence — is for the two people con-
cerned to mix a handful of earth taken from in
front of the Sariki's compound in a bowl of water :
a portion of this mixture is drunk by the disputants,
and also by the Sariki himself, to prove that it is
not poisoned. Shortly, very shortly, he who has
sworn falsely swells up to an enormous size and
dies in torment ! Such implicit faith is placed in
this method of ascertaining the truth that my
husband was frequently implored to make use or
it, for it is said that no man who has not a clear
conscience would dare to submit to it — and this I
quite believe.

On one occasion while we were at Bussa, a prisoner
was brought in with terrible festering wounds on
his arms and wrists, the explanation — quite placidly
given — being that his captors (the inhabitants of a
remote village) having secured him with ropes, and
so cut into the flesh, became aware that he was a
* witch ' and would fly away ; to avoid which disaster
they had ' made medicine ' — some unspeakable
compound — and poured it over the prisoner's head
and shoulders. This treatment had produced
appalling blood-poisoning, and though I cannot
vouch for what he can do from a flying point of view,
the poor witch will never use his hand and arm again.

i8o A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

The most precious and sacred possession of the
Bussa people is a couple of drums said to have
been brought by Kishra from Mecca and treasured
ever since. These drums are kept in a small house
built for the purpose, and watched over day and
night by their own keepers, rigorously and jealously
guarded ; and, but for a lucky accident, we might
have left Bussa without obtaining a glimpse of them.
Most fortunately a festival occurred, when the
drums were exhibited in the open, and we seized
the opportunity of inspecting them. Their anti-
quity was undoubted, and we decided that they
had a distinctly Egyptian appearance, being, in
reality, I think, great water basins ; they were
made of solid brass, and were about the size of large
wash-tubs, covered roughly with ox-hide, to con-
vert them into drums. We hunted eagerly for
inscriptions or hieroglyphics, of which there were
none whatever, and one of us ventured to photograph
them, but owing to the crowd and the dust, and the
universal reluctance to have their ' Ju-ju ' sub-
mitted to the higher Ju-ju of the camera, we felt
obliged to respect the people's feehngs and make
no insistence on obtaining a successful photograph.
On the morning of October 4, while we sat
at breakfast in the verandah, appeared a ragged,
scantily-clothed native, with a sheepish smile,
holding in his hand a tiny bunch of long, soft,
pale fawn-coloured fluff— -a ' bush ' kitten of some

BORGU i8i

kind evidently, scarcely a week old, blind and
helpless, chiefly remarkable for his large round
ears, conspicuously barred with black and cream-
colour. Delightedly, I seized him, and overwhelmed
the bringer with streams of eager questions, which
he, good man, was quite unable to answer, and,
having rewarded him with the sum of eighteenpence
(which produced transports of gratitude) we applied
ourselves to the task of * bringing up ' our new
acquisition. His sole desire, poor mite, was to
crawl to warm darkness, so we arranged for him a
small wooden box filled with cotton wool, and here
he slept away the first week or two of his existence,
while we anxiously improvised for him a feeding-
bottle out of an empty eau-de-Cologne bottle,
fitted with a piece of rubber tubing ! This device
proved brilliantly successful, and ' Balu,' as we
called him on account of his woolly, bear-like
appearance, throve and grew, gaining strength
and spirits daily. His education was confided to
an orange-coloured domestic cat, who had been
presented to the household, and though the latter
laboured undei the disadvantage of being a kitten
himself — and a male kitten, too, and presumably
unacquainted with nursery customs — he devoted
himself absolutely to the new-comer, and would
spend hours licking the long pale fur, which puzzled
and concerned him sorely. But he stuck manfully
to his task, and we usually had to rescue Balu, a

i82 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

miserable little object like a drowned rat, with
wet hair clogged all over his shivering body. We
discovered him to be the Serval or Tiger cat {Felis
Serval), and he speedity proved himself the most
fascinating and playful of pets. He showed the
most furious antipathy to natives — in his earlier
days fleeing at the sight of one, and later, standing
his ground, spitting and growling, his ears flat on
his head, and a relentless little paw ready to strike
at the intruder. But of white people he had no fear,
and would walk up to any stranger to inspect and sniff
him, and usually began inconsequently to play with
him or sharpen his claws in his putties !

He showed high intelligence when quite tiny,
and when hungry he would trot off and try to
fish his ^ bottle ' out of the water-cooler, where
it was kept, which effort usually ended in over-
balancing and an impromptu bath !

To assure ourselves of his whereabouts and safety,
we had a couple of shillings beaten out into tiny
silver bells, which were tied round his neck, and
greatly assisted us to find him when he was leading
us wild dances, hiding under bushes, tearing up and
down the borders and in and out of the sunflowers.

His first essays towards solid food were somewhat
disastrous, taking the form of catching and eating
large locusts, with an accompaniment of furious
growls. Doubtless he found some which were
not wholesome, for we rescued him twice when

BORGU 183

almost dead — the result of nocturnal expeditions^
followed by violent sickness and exhaustion. This
decided us to ' wean the infant/ which we accom-
plished by means of tiny spoonfuls of porridge,
gradually progressing to scraps of lightly cooked
chicken. Once he commenced to lap milk and
eagerly eat cooked meat and eggs we heaved a
gigantic sigh of relief, for our rearing troubles were
ended, and Balu fattened and grew — almost visibly
— his kitten fluff gradually disappeared, and he
emerged a most beautiful little animal, bearing a
magnificent coat of tawny colour, striped and
marked with black, the chest and stomach being
pure white with black spots and stripes.

I have thought it w^orth w^hile to describe our
pet at this length as his kind is, I believe, extremely
rarely seen, and is considered absolutely untameable.
Our success in this direction we owe, no doubt,
to the] fact that, by a most lucky accident, we
obtained [him so extraordinarily young, and, with
unremitting care, were fortunate enough to bring
him safely through his babyhood.

As he grew older his play naturally became
rather fierce, as his teeth and claws developed ;
but his temper was always perfectly sweet, and
the manifold scratches with which we were both
adorned were all the results of the glorious games
he would play by the hour, and regularly, each
night, Httle paws would scratch at my mosquito

i84 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

net, and urgent demands for admission would be
made, when a tired happy kitten would creep in,
curl himself on the blanket at my feet, and sleep
blissfully, till ' early tea * brought milk and more
play-times !

At this time we were greatly cheered and enlivened
by the arrival of the British Commissioners of the
Anglo-French Boundary Commission, on their way
up river. They spent two days with us — on their
part, I think, rather glad to 'spread' themselves
after their cramped journey up the river, and for
us it was a ' whole holiday ' and one we thoroughly
enjoyed, so that it was with real regret that we
speeded them on the next stage of their travels.

But we had no chance of further stagnation,
as, to our great delight, orders had even then arrived
transferring my husband to the Nupe Province,
and the prospect of making a home for ourselves
at Bida was as pleasant an undertaking as we could
possibly have desired. In December Mr. Fremantle
arrived, and, after handing the Province over to
him, we left Bussa on the 21st, and, as we dropped
down the swift stream, we forgot, as one always
does, all the disappointments and drawbacks of
Borgu, and remembered most distinctly all its
charms and the kindly friendships we had formed
there.

The Steel Caxoe ix which we descended the Bussa Rapids.

(p. 184)

The Tennis Court, Uida. (p. 1S8)

\facef>. 184

CHAPTER X

Bida

The journey down river was less eventful than
the one we had made the previous January ; it
commenced with an eight mile walk round the
Mullale Rapid, while the steel barge, emptied of
most of its contents, plunged and tossed like a
small Noah's Ark on the rushing river. The rest
of the ' bad water ' we negotiated in the barge
ourselves, and some of it was quite exciting, the
fall of the water being quite appreciable.

Christmas Day was spent on the river below Jebba,
and on the 27th the familiar outline of the hulk
at Mureji loomed large ahead, and we found ourselves
among our old friends. We met Captain Mercadier,
one of the French Commissioners of the Anglo-
French Boundary Commission, on his way up to
Bussa, which meeting was fortunate, as we were able
to give him all necessary information about his
journey and the transport arrangements made for
him before we left. For this he expressed his gratitude
with all the delightful courtesy so characteristic of our
French neighbours, a courtesy we had more than

185

i86 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

once experienced in Borgu, where our Province
marched with part of French Dahomey.

We paddled up the Kaduna in a steel canoe,
slept at Dakmon, and in the morning mounted
the horses sent for us and rode along the shady
road winding away from the river and over the
low hills to Bida.

The first instalment of our ' welcome ' was a
dainty breakfast on the road spread under the
shady trees and greatly appreciated after a ten
mile ride, and that disposed of, Mr. Lafone, the
junior Resident, who had been in charge of the
Province, arrived, escorting the Emir^ accompanied
by his ' Court ' and, it seemed to us, most of the
inhabitants of the city. It was an interesting
meeting ; one's mind went instinctively back to
the occasion of our last visit to Bida, when some-
thing of the same sort had happened, and one
realized that five years in the placid lives of these
simple people make little or no mark. But the
Emir himself had aged very remarkably, having
passed, seemingly, out of vigorous manhood into
more than middle age, but his proportions were,
if anything, more generous than ever, and his
emotion and pleasure at seeing us was touching
and sincere.

While ' the Sahib,' with his unerring memory- for
faces, that most precious gift, recognized and saluted
the various officials of the Emir's Court, I noticed

V BIDA 187

unmistakable surprise mixed with the cordiaHty
of the greeting offered to me. I suppose the dear
souls had expected me to have been divorced or sold
long ago !

After a few minutes' chat with the European
officers who had so kindly come out to welcome us,
we all remounted and commenced the hot dusty
ride to Bida, drums banging, horns braying,
' praises ' shouted in hoarse stentorian tones, the
usual dashing about of horsemen, and breathless
rushing to and fro of the crowd on foot, a curious
kaleidoscope of varied colours appearing and dis-
appearing in the glittering haze of dust.

Though we both felt the sincerest pleasure and
contentment with all things, it was a relief to all
of us when the police guard of honour had been
inspected, we had passed through the Residency
Gateway and the gay crowd was wending light-
heartedly towards the city, and we six white folks
sat down in the cool bungalow, and gaily drank
to * Bida and the New Year * in cool and delicious
champagne cup which our hosts had provided in
honour of our arrival and the festive season.

We settled down at once in our new and comfort-
able quarters, which seemed actually luxurious
after the mud houses of Borgu, and, when we had
time to inspect the compound, found a great interest
in noting the changes and improvements since our
last visit. It was charmingly laid out and thor-

i88 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

oughly well planted with orange, lime, and mango
trees, showing every sign of care and interest, a
thing extremely comforting to a gardener who had
always struggled against ' fearful odds ' ; an excellent
lawn tennis court had been made of ' native cement,'
formed in the first instance of mud patted and
beaten to the solidity almost of stone, then washed
over with a solution of locust beans, soaked in water
for forty-eight hours, a dark-coloured evil-smelling
mixture which served to bind all the loose particles
on the court and gave it a black metallic shine. I,
of course, found endless occupations in a field so
desirable as my new home, while my husband bent
all his energies to studying the different conditions
of a new Province ; in this work he had the most
loyal help from every one, and I fancy that we shall
always look back on our four months at Bida as a
time instinct with warm friendship and good feeling.

The Residency stood considerably higher than
the surrounding country, and I never tired of the
picture from our verandah, where the city lay, about
a mile distant, in a gentle hollow outlined by the
pink wall, and crowded inside with dense and
luxuriant trees and clusters of closely-set thatched
roofs with, here and there, the more imposing
buildings rising rosy-red among the humbler grass
roofs.

We made close acquaintance with the market,
which, in its way, interested me even more than that

BIDA 189

of Kano, being less extensive and so more accessible.
It was always a pretty and animated scene, the
open squares and spaces crowded at sunset with a
dense throng of happy folks, selling, buying, chatter-
ing, shouting, and laughing, moving in a haze of
dust, all apparently giving far greater heed to the
social aspect of the gathering than any serious com-
mercial enterprise. The market continued until
long after dark, and the flares and native lamps
made a weird and fascinating effect. The goods
offered were of the most varied description, articles
of brass and leather work, grass mats, fishing nets,
cloth, beads, sugar-cane, and foodstuffs of all
kinds — even wooden doors were for sale, ready to
be fitted to any clay hut, in fact a highly representa-
tive collection of the heterogeneous miscellany
presented in any West African market.

On January 25 occurred the ' Great Sallah/
a Mahomedan festival which appears to com-
memorate the Sacrifice of Isaac — a sheep being
killed ceremonially on the occasion. We assembled
ourselves outside the city wall, and, sitting under
an improvised shelter, watching the seated thousands
waiting patiently in the sunshine, it would not have
seemed strange to me to see the Disciples passing
down the irregular lines, distributing the loaves
and fishes to the hungry listeners.

Presently the Limam's voice rose clear and shrill,
away in the distance, under the shade of a mighty

igo A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

tree where the Emir and his court had their places ;
the thousands rose to their feet, and as the sonorous
Arabic pealed out on the hot still air, the prayers
began. It was a wonderful and moving spectacle ;
the reverent responses rose from the assemblage
like a muffled roar, but perhaps the most astonishing
feature of all was the prostration when the huge
throng fell on their faces as one man, reminding us
of a vast field of corn swept by a sudden gust.

The prayers finished, we were conducted to the
Emir's seat, where special prayers were offered
for us all, each being named in turn, strictly in order
of precedence, not forgetting the High Commissioner
and the two former Residents of the Province, Major
Bur don and Mr. Goldsmith, both dearly loved and
remembered.

Shortly after this festival our httle community
was reinforced by Mr. and Mrs. Bargery of the C.M.S.
They^occupied a large compound outside the city,
and we all admired the business-like energy with
which they settled down and ' got square/ turning
two unattractive^;mud houses into a bright pretty
home in an incredibly short time. The days slipped
away, February drifted into March, and March into
April, clouds began to gather in the hard blue sky,
and Hghtning and distant thunder proclaimed the
approaching rains ; our thoughts turned towards
' leave,' and only one event, but that an important
one for us, remained before we left Nigeria — the

The great Salla. (p 189)

The Prostration, (p. 190)

I face p. 150.

BIDA 191

arrival of our new High Commissioner, Sir Percy
Girouard, who had succeded Sir Frederick Lugard.
He arrived at Katcha on the Niger on April 13,
where my husband was ready with two members of
his staff, to receive him. About twenty of the highest
officials of the Bida Court and their followers
had been despatched also by the Emir as a mark
of his fealty and loyalty to the Government. By
all these, the High Commissioner was escorted
to within ten miles of Bida, where the remainder
of the European staff and the police guard of honour
had assembled. The Emir, with the rest of his
Court and five or six thousand followers, mounted
and on foot, was also waiting to receive him, and
accompany him triumphantly to the Residency.
The cloud of dust raised by the horsemen was
visible for three or four miles as they approached,
so the High Commissioner must have had a choky
time, to say the least of it ! We did our best to
induce him to remain for the night, but with his
characteristic energy he determined to push on
the same evening, and camp five or six miles further
on, to the north of the town, towards Zungeru.

My husband's leave had already been sanctioned,
and, on mentioning the fact, his dismay can be
imagined when Sir Percy Girouard apparently
demurred, saying that all the senior officers appeared
to be proceeding on leave directly he arrived ! I
need hardly say, however, that he would not hear

192 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

of our remaining longer, as we had already completed
eighteen months, and we therefore left Bida, as we
had arranged on April 20.

It was, in truth, disappointing to have to come
away at such an interesting stage in Nigeria's
development ; a page was being turned in its history,
the old order was changing, and the long projected
railway was to become a solid fact, a change that
could not fail to prove an immense advantage.
Caravan trading, so far, had attracted all the energies
of many thousands of the inhabitants, who had
employed their time in lengthy journeys from the
interior to the coast and back ; with the railway in
operation this anachronism would lose its raison
d'etre and gradually cease to exist ; much greater
numbers would then be available for cultivation,
a gain of the highest importance, as the future pros-
perity of the country must depend greatly on its
agricultural success, especially in the direction of
cotton. As one who has watched its growth and
steady advance during the last five years, I should
like to close my book with the heartiest good wishes
for the future success and advancement of the
country we both love so well.

Part II

HOUSEHOLD HINTS

<

.,^ CHAPTER I

The Home

This chapter is, of necessity, addressed chiefly to
those who are permanently settled at headquarters,
either Lokoja or Zungeru, as the Political Officer
and his wife will, naturally, have to abandon all
hopes of conveying household furniture, etc., to a
far distant objective, owing to the great difficulty
and expense of transport ; the chapter on Camp
Life will be found more useful by them.

The house itself is a wooden bungalow, or, at the
out-stations, a native-built clay house ; in either
case it consists of four walls, a ceiling and a floor—
and a wide shady verandah. In the distant out-
stations, of course, there is no furniture at all, to
speak of, except the camp outfit belonging to each
official, which he carries with him, and which includes
a camp bed, wash-stand, bath, one small table, one
chair and a Lord's lantern. But we are ' getting
on ' in Nigeria, and it is now found possible to do
a little more for every one in the way of plain furniture
at headquarters, so that I do not think any one
need walk into an utterly empty bungalow nowa-

195

196 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

days. However, it is obvious that anything in
the way of ' home comforts ' must be brought out
independently from England, as there is not even
the opportunity, which occurs constantly in India,
of buying second-hand furniture from neighbours
on the move.

Fortunately, very little is needed : I should
advise investing in a few wicker chairs and light
tables either at Madeira, or at home ; they are no
trouble to bring and are very cheap. It is worth
noting that the faster line of steamers do not always
call at Madeira now, so that, unless one is certain
of calling at the Canaries, it is wisest to bring wicker
furniture direct from England.

A few yards of a pretty, light chintz or cretonne
can be converted into chair cushions, stuffed with
native cotton, and will furnish a room amazingly.
It is well, too, to bring out some lengths of cheap
muslin, coloured or white, as fancy dictates, for
curtains, etc. A coarse kind of muslin can be
bought locally, and, when faintly dyed with indigo,
it becomes quite a pretty pale blue, very cool-
looking, and can be constantly renewed when faded.
A barrel, containing a small outfit of crockery and
glass, makes one quite independent of the local
stores, which, at most, may be able to replace
breakages — after a fashion ! A supply of enamel
paint will enable you to give quite an ' air ' to the
rough shelves which can be made locally, beside

THE HOME 197

lengthening their Uves considerably. For the floor,
nothing is nicer or cheaper than an Indian dhurri
or cotton carpet, but, as the bungalows are all fitted
with linoleum, no more is really needed than a few
of the artistically coloured grass mats, made chiefly
at Bida, and found almost everywhere ; they cost
about three shillings each, rising to six shillings,
according to the distance from Bida, and are quite
delightful. No one could fail to be pleased with
the brightly coloured native cloths, or to find
them useful for covering rough ugly tables and
unsightty deck-chairs, and for making portieres,
etc. You will also find Bida brass-work of a highly
decorative sort, charming, quaintly-shaped little
burnt earthenware jugs from Ilorin, carved wooden
stools, boasting of from ten to twenty legs — cut from
one solid block of wood — from Ibi, queer carvings
from away down south of Kabba, the brilliantly
tinted Hausa leather work, fashioned into cushion
covers, bags, purses, and an endless variety of articles,
and carved and ' poker-worked ' calabashes, etc.,
all of which will help to cover the walls and give the
room a homelike, or, at least, an occupied look.

At Kano, we lived in a great vault-like apartment
in the Residency (formerly the Emir's summer
palace), and though, at first, it presented an appear-
ance of utter gloom and desolation, an extraordinary
improvement was effected in a couple of hours by
an improvised sideboard, boxes piled up to serve

igS A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

as tables, and covered with gaily-coloured cloths,
the pinky-red walls decorated with sketches and
prints, a few gorgeously hued Japanese paper wall
hangings scattered about, and the clay floor covered
with grass mats.

The walls of a wooden bungalow are usually of
boarding, either painted white or a horrible ^ duck's
eg^ ' blue, or else varnished a rather dark and
monotonous brown, so the whole room will need
colour as much as possible. A few pictures are an
immense help in decorating, and, nowadays, such
beautiful and artistic framed prints can be bought
so cheap, it would be well worth while to bring out
half a dozen. Of course, if you sketch yourself
the problem of wall decoration is solved ; polished
brown boards make a perfect background for water-
colour sketches, unframed, but placed in gilt mounts,
so that all you need is a packet of tacks and a hammer.
If you cannot do your own sketching, make a point,
before leaving England, of pillaging those among
your friends who do ; no one, Tthink, could resist a
pathetic appeal for a pretty sketch to carry away into
far Africa ! And, indeed, it is a joy sometimes, when
the temperature is unpleasantly high, little worries
abounding, and Africa asserting itself unduty, to
be able to glance occasionally at a sketch of some
English woodland, or a corner of a picturesque
village. ^

Whilst we were in India, we had, among our

Mv Writing Table, (p. 19S)

The Residency, Bida. (p. 200)

( face p. 19S.

THE HOME 199

treasures, a most beautifully executed water-colour
sketch of one or two deodars, standing out from a
cool, wet, grey mist on some hill-side in Kashmir,
and we used to consider this picture as a most valu-
able tonic during a Punjaub ' hot weather.' While
on this subject, let me add, from personal experience,
that sketch-books and blocks will be ruined during
the rainy season, unless carefully wrapped in water-
proof paper, and the best kind of paints for standing
the climate are the ' slow-drying ' kind, in tubes,
sold by Windsor & Newton.

If lamps are brought out, they should be plain
metal ones, with punkah tops ; extra wicks must
not be forgotten, and at least a dozen spare chimneys
are quite necessary, on account of breakages — the
simple plan of boihng the chimneys before using them
should never be neglected, as they do not break
nearly so easily. A folding wire frame with three
or four simple paper shades is a more simple arrange-
ment than a globe, and far more serviceable. The
servants will be found absolutely omnivorous over
kerosene oil ; they spill it, they light the kitchen
fire with it, and I have heard a despairing bachelor
housekeeper declare that they drink it, so rapidly
does it disappear ! Kerosene is, of course, very
dear, and more so up country than in Lokoj a ; I have
often found it a distinct economy to insist on the
pantries and kitchen burning native oil in native
lamps when far away from headquarters ; these

200 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

little lamps give quite a bright light and do not
smoke — they are also most useful for night-lights.
It will be found better and far cheaper in the end
to bring out all house and table linen from home,
even dusters and chamois leathers, though the
coarsest sort of native cloth makes excellent kitchen
cloths and stable rubbers. Plate powder is still,
I think, practically an unknown luxury in Northern
Nigeria, and silver is usually cleaned with bath-
brick ! A process which may well be substituted
is to wash the silver well in hot water, containing
a little Scrubb^s Ammonia, and then polish it with
a chamois leather ; nothing keeps it in such good
order, and the average * boy/ though untiring in
putting on the plate powder, feels no inducement
to take it off. But, alas ! the friendly ' Scrubb's '
is not always available, so that, as far as possible,
articles of real silver should be confined to toilet
things and tea-spoons. A plated tea-spoon is a horror,
but I once had the pleasure of seeing four of my
silver ones light-heartedly thrown into the Niger*
along with a basin of soapy water !

A set of carpenter's tools, and a collection of hooks,
screws, nails and tacks will be found perfectly
invaluable ; armed with these, and, I hope, the
help of the foregoing hints, the little bare room
can be transformed into a bright pretty sitting-
room where every one will enjoy coming, and will
feel it more * like home.' Sometimes space does

THE HOME 201

not admit of a separate dining-room, but this need
not necessarily spoil the appearance of the sitting-
room. The dinner-table, when not in use, can wear
a gaily coloured native cloth, a few books, photo-
graphs, etc., and a well-polished, neatly arranged
sideboard is no eyesore. This latter, by the way,
must have its legs placed in saucers or tins fitted
with water, with a Httle kerosene added, to save the
sugar, jam, cake, etc., from the incursions of millions
of hungry ants.

Let the filter stand on a box or table on the
breeziest side of the verandah ; almost every one has
a special plan, or a pet filter, so that no rule can be
laid down to suit everybody. I think that, perhaps,
the evolving of cool drinks is more a matter of per-
sonal endeavour and experience than almost any
other department of housekeeping : it is an attain-
ment so very necessary that it is attempted by every
one, more or less, and the best advice I can give is
to seize upon the host who provides you with really
cold soda or sparklets, and find out how he arrives
at them ! In Lokoj a and Zungeru there is a supply
of water condensed from the river ; this we have
poured at once into a Berkefeld drip filter, merely
with a view to getting rid of the ' condensed ' taste,
though this can also be accomplished as well by
pouring the water from a good height several times
from one vessel to another. Ordinary water can
be boiled, then pumped rapidly through the large

202 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

foot-pump Berkefeld filter into the drip filter ;
this first filtering saving much wear and tear to
the candles of the latter. The water is then
drawn off into bottles and placed in native earthen-
ware coolers, which, being porous, keep it delight-
fully cool. These coolers are extremely cheap ;
they can and must be frequently renewed to
ensure perfect cleanliness, and can be employed
most usefully for cooling butter and cream as
well as soda-water.

In one's bedroon, little furniture is needed ; in
fact, I think the less one has the better. This is
distinctly fortunate, as there is none forthcoming !
In Nigeria, we have not yet arrived at the stage
of walnut wardrobes and pier-glasses, and a new-
comer may be appalled at the lack of accommodation
for stowing clothes. I have found that clothing is
much better not shut up in boxes, unless they are
damp-proof tin ones, and even these must be carried
out into the sunshine, and the contents sunned
nearly every day in the rainy season. It is almost
incredible how quickly clothes will acquire a mouldy
smell, and appearance of mildew, unless they are
constantly looked at and aired. Any native car-
penter will be able to make rows of stout wooden
pegs for hanging clothes, and it is far better to
have them so, as, when disturbed daily, and hung
out in the sun for an hour or so, they will not harbour
mosquitoes to any great extent. Where one is

THE HOME 203

dealing with a clay wall, it answers well to stretch
a length of native cloth tightly along the wall,
immediately below the nails or pegs, to protect
light coloured clothes from the reddish dust, always
rubbing off. All boxes should be placed on blocks
of wood or bricks, on account of white ants, and all
boots and shoes on shelves, never on the floor ; foot,
gear must be kept in constant wear, and also be
inspected carefully and polished daily. Insects
of all kinds abound ; there is one whose special
aim in life is to build little mud palaces in any
quiet spot, boots, shoes, folds of gowns, keyholes —
even in the bowl of a pipe, unused for a day or two.
No corner of any room can be left undisturbed even
for a few days, and it is advisable to have each room
completely cleared once a week, and the floors
washed with a weak solution of creolin. It has
a pleasant tarry smell, and acts as an excellent
deterrent to mosquitoes and sandflies.

While on the subject of mosquitoes, I should Hke
to mention (what I imagine to be a small discovery
of our own five years ago) that it is an excellent plan
to sew a strip of calico or nankeen, about eighteen
inches deep, all round the mosquito net, just above
where it tucks in under the mattress. This greatly
protects one's hands and feet, should they touch
the net during the night, otherwise they will be
devoured. Moreover, the strip is not wide enough
to keep away any air or make one feel ' stuffy.'

204 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

An air-cushion is a most useful possession, being
so easy to stow away in a bedding valise ; ours, we
found, were greatly coveted by the boys, who regarded
them with some awe, and designated them as ' breeze
pillows ' !

The whole subject of small comforts and house
decoration is a most fascinating one, but it is so
much a matter of personal taste and activity that
it does not seem to me to be necessary to add more
to these very general hints than to express the
conviction that no English housewife in West
Africa— if she is ' worth her salt ' — will spare herself
in the endeavour to, at least, turn ' quarters ' into
' home/ even if only for a few months.

CHAPTER II
The Household

The household in Nigeria, and indeed, all over West
Africa, is by no means the compHcated affair that
one has to cope with in India, and housekeeping
is reduced to the greatest simplicity.

The staff consists of a cook, with an attendant
satelhte, called a ' cook's mate,' a steward, or ' boy,'
with usually, in a married household at least, an
under steward, or perhaps a couple of small boys
to assist generally in the housework and table
service. There may be an orderly attached, but
his duties consist rather in the airing of clothes and
boxes, cleaning of guns and boots, and carrying
of letters, etc.

Each pony has his own ' doki-boy,' whose duties
are fully described in the chapter on the stable,
and the mistress may, in her enthusiasm, decide to
employ a regular gardener. All these good people
live in the compound, the only outside servant being
the laundress. This lady is only to be found at
headquarters (she is usually a Coast woman), in
out-stations, and in the bush the washing is done —

205

206

A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

generally with inconspicuous success — by one's
own boys, or the wife of a doki-boy. It is distinctly
useful to bring out from home one or two flat-irons,
and make a point of ' getting up ' one's most cherished
muslin blouses, etc., oneself.

Wages are high, absurdly so, but the demand for
fairly capable servants is so great, and the supply
so small, that there is little prospect of the present
scale of pay being reasonably reduced. Also, alas !
in many bachelor establishments, the standard of
excellence in service is not high enough to produce
a really good class of servants, and I am quite
certain that any Englishwoman who has kept house
in India would absolutely gasp at the quality and
quantity of work done by a highly paid ' boy,'
in possession of most eulogistic testimonials from
previous masters. The following is a fair average
of wages paid, per month, all over the country :
in some cases, servants of an undesirable kind may
be engaged for less, but this is no real economy,
while in some other cases even higher wages are
paid.

Cook ......

. 2 0

0

(If an Accra boy £3 or £3 los.)

Cook's Mate .....

. 0 15

0

Head Steward,. ....

2 0

0

Under Steward. ....

. I 0

0

Laundress. .....

I 0

0

Doki-boy .....

I 0

0

Gardener

I 0

0

THE HOUSEHOLD 207

Roughly £100 a year, for the services of seven
people, all lazy and stupid, mostly untruthful, and
frequently dishonest, ignorant of the first principles
of order and cleanliness, and, unmistakably, consider-
ing Missis rather a bore when she insists on trying
to inculcate these.

My personal experience with house servants is not
a very varied one, as we still have some of those we
engaged on first coming to West Africa five years
ago ; but, in fairness to them, I must not omit to
say that I have only very rarely found any one of
them in the least degree untruthful, and that I
know them to be absolutely honest ; they have never
stolen a single article or a halfpenny from either
of us during these years.

Servants may be of all languages and tribes, and
they have no ' caste.' Some are Mahomedans,
some Pagans, some professing Christianity, but
their religious convictions do not appear to affect
any of them very seriously. One important point
for the new-comer is, that one servant, at least
— the head steward for choice — should speak

good, intelligible English; most of the Coast boys,
and those trained by the Roman Catholic missionaries
at Onitsha, can do so.

With the exception of the cook and steward, our
household is required absolutely to speak Hausa,
and nothing else, to us and each other, which saves
endless confusion, and gives a comfortable sense of

2o8 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

security that one's orders are correctly transmitted
to doki-boys, gardener, etc.

It is the custom to pay a certain percentage of the
wages weekly, usually two shillings per head, for
* chop money ' (subsistence allowance), and the
balance at the end of each month, which arrangement
shows ingenuously what a solid, clear profit the
household makes. This balance of pay is generally
expended, on the spot, in the acquiring of such
luxuries as a gaily striped umbrella, or a smart pair
of ' English ' boots.

The majority of servants are reckless gamblers,
and a perfect network of lending, borrowing, and
extorting of an exorbitant rate of interest, prevails
amongst them, in spite of strictest prohibitions
on the subject.

The Cook and His Kitchen

The Nigerian kitchen is arranged on the Indian
plan — apart from the house, and just as much in-
spection and supervision will have to be exercised.

Kitchen appliances of a rough-and-ready kind
can be bought at the local stores, but it is far more
satisfactory to bring most of them direct from
England, especially a nest of aluminium saucepans,
their lightness being a great advantage while
marching.

At headquarters, a kitchen table, some rough
shelves and pegs will be available, and a meat-safe,

THE HOUSEHOLD 209

which, however, has to be accommodated on the

breeziest corner of the verandah.

The mistress will do well to walk into the kitchen,

as a matter of course, at any hour of the day : the

cook and his mate will, possibly, like to sleep there,

and if the visit is made regularly, after breakfast,

the beds or mats can be whisked out of sight, for

the time being, and the malpractice never discovered.

In Lokoja and Zungeru the kitchens are now fitted

with very good little ranges, which are a great

improvement on the open, brick fireplaces of earlier

days. I remember well, the day that mine was

first put in, going to the kitchen to see how it worked,

and finding the cook, radiant with pride and pleasure,

lighting the fire in the oven. The fuel consists

entirely of wood. In out stations, the poor chef has

a good deal to contend with, usually an open fire

for ordinary cooking (on the floor) and for an oven,

an ingenious arrangement of a large country pot

half buried in the ground ; into this, blazing wood

is thrust until the interior is quite hot, when the

fuel is hauled out, the cake or bread popped in, a

flat piece of tin or iron laid on the top, and piled

up with burning wood. It can be readily understood

that an oven of this description makes successful
baking a matter of some uncertainty.

The kitchen table must be scrubbed with soap

and water daily, the pans and utensils scoured, and

the walls occasionally whitewashed. You will find

210 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

your cook slightly bored with your insistence on
these small details, but always polite, cheerful and
amenable. He is a teachable person, too, and
takes a kindly interest in one's making of cakes,
sweets, etc., but his knowledge of cookery is strictly
limited — the veriest tyro in India earning ten
rupees a month is a cordon bleu compared with
him.

Housekeeping in his department is of the utmost
simplicity : he turns up immediately after break-
fast, smiling genially, usually arrayed in a spotless
white suit, or a suit of pyjamas of striking pattern
and colouring, a jaunty straw hat in his hand, and
immaculate white shoes on his feet. He gives you
the account of the previous day's marketing, you
reproach him for the toughness of the mutton,
the heaviness of the bread, and the total absence
of the savoury ; all of which he takes most
philosophically, and explains glibly, to his own
entire exoneration. You then give him half-a-
crown (or, to save trouble, ten shillings twice a
week), and indicate tentatively what you would
prefer for luncheon and dinner. It is no use order-
ing dishes definitely ; they never appear, and when
you indignantly demand the devilled kidneys
arranged for, the tranquil answer : ' Cook say,
kidney no live for market to-day,' defeats without
soothing you.

So you let him depart, to work his wicked will,

th<-0^,

'Amelia,' a youx(; Giraffe brought home by the late
Captain Phillips, D.S.O. (p. 210)

Chuku,' a naiive Dog -rescued during the Aro-Chuku

Expediitox. (p. 223)

[/ace p. 210.

THE HOUSEHOLD 211

stalking off under a patriotic sun umbrella, striped
in sections of red, white and blue cotton, followed
by the satellite, bearing the market basket, while
you, the anxious housewife, must simply put your
trust in Providence and hope for the best.

The average cook has little or no discrimination,
if the menu is left entirely to him : we once found
ourselves guests at a bachelor dinner-party, where
the feast commenced with chicken soup, followed
by stewed chicken, which was, in its turn, succeeded
by minced chicken ; finally, to our despair, the
board was graced by a couple of roast chickens —
and this with an unlimited supply of mutton and
beef in the market.

You must be prepared to get very indifferent meat ;
the animals are badly slaughtered, and cut up
without any regard to joints, etc., so that beef is
really useless, except for making soup or mince, so
tough is it. The mutton usually grows on a goat,
and is also tough, which, I suppose, accounts in
part for the eternal chicken taking so prominent a
place in the day's menu. Tough meat, by the way,
can be much improved by wrapping the joint in
paw-paw leaves for an hour or two ; if left too long
it will decay altogether, so personal supervision is
necessary — the cook does not profess to understand
such faddy nonsense ! Turkeys can be reared in
the compound quite easily, also ducks ; both are
excellent, and there is always a pleasant possibility

2T2 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

of occasional additions to the larder, in the shape
of guinea fowl, bush fov,i, pigeons, and venison,
which, when hung for twent3'-four to forty-eight
hours (according to the temperature), is absolutely
delicious. The menu can always be kept from
monotony by small dishes, such as sheep and ox
tongues, brain cutlets, stuffed paw-paws — an excel-
lent substitute for vegetable marrow — tomatoes,
' farcies/ or garden eggs, treated in the same way.

Personally, I do not care for native dishes, and
' palm-oil chop ' is, to my mind, an abomination ;
but ground-nut soup is very good indeed, and
should not be overlooked, especially as it is a delicacy
that every cook understands how to make. Fish
can nearly always be had, so that once one has
taught the cook how to make real curries — as they
are made in Inida — a fair variety can easily be had,
with little or no assistance from odious and unwhole-
some tinned food.

I fear the chef will not be found a great hand at
puddings : his inspirations do not soar much higher
than banana fritters and cornflour mould. I remem-
ber a painful incident which occurred at the
commencement of my career as a West African
housekeeper, when the appearance of an unexpected
guest caused me to order an impromptu pudding,
a sweet omelette. When, in due course, the pudding
appeared, looking deliciously light and frizzling
hot, a curious smell accompanied it, and the first

THE HOUSEHOLD 213

mouthful revealed it as a savour}^ omelette, highly
seasoned with onions and fresh chilis, filled with
apricot jam ! I have since heard of an enterprising
cook, who artistically tinted a cornflour mould
bright blue, with indigo. He can be taught to
make very fair tart pastry, but, as a rule,
it is safer to confine oneself to fruit salads, trifles,
and other cold sweets, which one can prepare one-
self. The impossibility of getting fresh milk is,
naturally, a great handicap in cooking, but ' Ideal '
milk is quite useful in preparing mayonnaise and
many other sauces, and the tinned cream (Golden
Butterfly brand) sold by the Niger Company is
almost as good as the fresh article, as it can be
whipped quite stiff if kept in cold water for a few
hours before opening.

Vegetables cannot be had regularly, unless the
housekeeper is also a gardener, and grows them
herself. There is, however, a native spinach, which
is quite as good as the English kind, and grows like a
weed. Country tomatoes, garden eggs, okros, sweet
potatoes, green paw-paws, and yams are all of great
use in supplying the table with the necessary green
food ; but I feel sure that the housekeeper who
reads the chapter on Gardening will instantly
decide to do better than tamely submit to limiting
her household to country produce of this kind.

At a pinch (when touring in forest country) we
have found young Indian corn, or maize, well boiled,

214 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

not at all a bad substitute for other vegetables, and,
when the corns are boiled, then Hghtly browned
over the fire, they are excellent, eaten with butter,
pepper and salt.

In the way of fruit, there are usually bananas to
be had, pineapples in the spring and summer, and
occasionally oranges. In Lokoja the mangoes are
quite good, and I have had guavas and custard
apples. The country abounds in tiny limes, which
are sold in great quantities, very cheap, and make
most delicious lemon squashes.

The Steward and his Duties

The head steward, or ' boy,' must be carefully
chosen, and is worth training, for in his hands
lies the greater part of your daily comfort, and to his
shortcomings can be traced most of the irritability
which is recognized as a natural weakness of the
dweller in West Africa.

He will require endless patience, and daily insist-
ence on small details of cleanliness and order, for
he has a happy knack of carrying out an order for
five or six days, then quietly discontinuing it, and
trusting to his mistress' preoccupation not to
observe the omission. Never flatter yourself that
any system you have introduced, with apparent
success, will continue to work for a week without
some supervision and inspection. The genus

THE HOUSEHOLD 215

' head boy * is a light-hearted, easy-going, tractable
sort of creature ; some are masterful and quarrel-
some, some are placid and lazy, but all of them like
to have one or two small boys about the house, to
whom they can relegate most of their work, while
they are swaggering in the market, in spotless
raiment, with redundant watch-chain and a sun
umbrella. Some, I am sorry to say, are bad, very,
very bad, and I cannot help feeling most strongly
that more than one vigorous, valuable young life
has succumbed out here to sickness and death,
mainly for the want of proper attendance — better
cooking and the small comforts and niceties that
every man requires, but is, usually, helpless to
obtain and insist upon for himself. I have seen
unspeakable habits of dirt and slovenliness pre-
vailing amongst bachelors' boys — yes, and dangerous
ones too, tinned food kept for days in open tins, and
served up again to the unfortunate master, cups and
plates washed and wiped — well, it serves no purpose
of mine to recount these horrors, and it is only fair
to add that I have known boys whose skilful care,
devotion and unselfishness towards sick masters
could hardly be excelled. I only hope that every
Englishwoman who spends even a few months in
Nigeria will leave behind her two or three servants
inoculated with habits of scrupulous cleanliness,
thoughtfulness and common sense, to lighten the
lot of some lonely man who now feels uncomfortably

2i6 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

that in his mother's house at home the table-cloth
is not hideously grubby and crooked, the milk and
jam served in messy tins, the glasses cloudy, and
the forks and spoons more than doubtful, but
vaguely supposes all this is necessary in West
Africa — it isn't !

As a rule, I suppose the Coast boy makes the
best head steward : he speaks English, and has
usually served a white master before. He acts as
housemaid and parlourmaid in one, starts his day
with energetic sweeping and some sketchy dusting,
waits at table, cuts his master's hair, acts as valet
generally, and is the spokesman and middle man
between his mistress and the rest of the household.
He is responsible for the existence and condition,
good or otherwise, of nearly all of your possessions ;
therefore, it really answers best to have the actual
work of laying tables, cleaning knives, lamps, etc.,
performed by the under steward, so as to leave your
major-domo free to superintend and investigate the
working of the whole establishment, down to the
stable, and report on it to his mistress ; he should
be taught to do this without fear or prejudice, or
any suspicion of sneaking or mischief-making :
obviously he cannot, with any show of dignity,
rebuke the misdeeds of the cook or orderly ; if he
has to wash plates and scrub out the pantry, equally
obviously he must be honest and, as far as possible,
superior to bribery. Not being embarrassed with

THE HOUSEHOLD 217

caste prejudices, he will concern himself with the
feeding and washing of the dogs, the care of the
poultry-yard, and our faithful head boy has, more
than once, been employed to shoot a hopelessly sick
pony.

There is little more to add on the subject of the
household staff. The cook's mate is but an embryo
cook, who presently emerges from his modest position
and blossoms into a cook, with a satellite of his own.
I believe that, as a matter of fact, the cook's mate
does a fair share of the cooking : this will be readily
ascertained when the cook gets helplessly drunk
and dinner is forthcoming all the same !

The small house boys are equally budding stewards,
and, if well looked after, it is amazing how they
sprout, physically and mentally, and how soon they
find out that a rise in pay is merited.

One word of advice to housekeepers, masculine
and feminine — don't beat the boys. There is still
a prevailing idea that the master who wields the
bulala (whip) with most vigour gets best served.
But this I beg leave to doubt. For the time being,
fear may make them move faster and remember
longer, but there is, deeply implanted under every
woolly, black scalp, the sacred duty of reprisals,
and the boy who is frequently flogged will take it
out somehow, sooner or later — be sure of that.
Moreover, the servant who really needs constant
hitting is not worth keeping ; and, indeed, were

2i8 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

he, through such a process, to be evolved into a
perfect treasure, he would be bought too dear,
at the cost of so much irritation and mental stress.
For, it must be admitted, that for one occasion
when a boy really deserves a flogging he gets
hulala ten times, because Master is feverish or
worried, or * jumpy ' ; and poor Master seldom thinks,
till afterwards, of the spectacle he presents, pursuing
a fleeing boy, and vociferating — because he cannot
find his shirt-stud. Alas, for ' British prestige ' !

I was told, a short time ago, by one such master,
whose naturally sweet disposition had doubtless
been tried by time and circumstances, that he
had had his boy severely flogged (' six dozen '),
because the salt on his dinner table was damp. As
a rule, a little mild sarcasm, or a ridiculous nick-
name bestowed is far more ef&cacious than a
scolding, and if a severe reminder is necessary,
judicious fining has the greatest effect, for the most
sensitive bit of a house boy's soul lives just under-
neath his belt : when this is done, the culprit must
see the fine, in money, thrown into the river, or
placed in the kitchen fire, and know that it is gone
beyond recall, or else he merely credits you with
making money out of him, and is rather shocked at
your meanness.

We want, do we not, to raise their standard, not to
lower our own, and though, of course, there are
black sheep, many of them, I do believe that good

THE HOUSEHOLD 219

treatment evokes good service. The householder
who, remembering how comparatively new to the
country the art of domestic service is, shows a little
consideration, never breaks a promise, and does not
scold or whack all round, because it happens to be a hot
morning, will probably fare best, after all ; moreover,
on returning from leave, he or she will be sure to
find ' Audu ' or ' Ibrahim ' smiling a welcome at
Burutu, all anxious to take up service again with
such a desirable Master or ' Missis.'

CHx\PTER III

Dogs, Poultry and Cows

Dogs
This collection of notes, which aims at giving
assistance to English men and women in Nigeria,
would, to my mind, fall miserably short of the mark
if it failed to include within its scope some practical
suggestions for the provision of comfort and the
preservation of health of their dogs.

That West Africa is 7wt a healthy country for
English dogs is only too sadly certain, but it is
equally certain that they will continue to come as
long as Englishmen do, therefore it is not worth
while giving sage advice as to the wisdom and true
kindness of bringing or not bringing them — especially
as I like to try and be consistent, and I cannot
picture myself taking ship at Liverpool without one,
or even two of my own !

I have met a variety of English dogs out here^
from massive bull-terriers down to the most fascinat-
ing little person, a tiny Yorkshire terrier ; but, to
those who, coming out for the first time, are puzzled
in the selection of a dog, I would like to say : — let

221

222 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

him be a young dog and a small one. A puppy,
well over distemper, aged from six to twelve months,
will suffer far less from the change of climate, food,
etc., than an older dog, and, when he does not
weigh more than twenty or thirty pounds, his
lightness makes it a simple matter for him to be
carried on the march — for no dog should ever be
allowed to run all through the hot hours of a long
march. We, who are a long way off the ground,
on horseback, occasionally grumble at the heat ;
what must be the sensations of the faithful little
follower padding wearily along, close to the baking
earth, all chance of breeze kept from him, as a rule,
by high grass on either side, and a pitiless sun
scorching his spine all the time ?

We learnt this lesson through sad experience, the
loss of a dearly loved little Irish terrier, who marched
always on his own feet. He had lived in perfect
health for four years in India, and had even weathered
eight months in Sierra Leone, but died in Lokoja,
after three months almost continuous touring in
the bush.

Since then our dogs have never been allowed to
run ; we have had two carried all the way from
Zungeru to Katagum and back, a distance of eight
hundred miles. They very soon got accustomed to
the confinement ; one was usually carried on the
saddle of one of our mounted servants, and, after a
few days, he learnt to appreciate the arrangement

DOGS, POULTRY AND COWS 223

and to jump up at the pony, begging to be picked
up as soon as the sun got hot. The other dog, a
bull-terrier, had an ordinary square provision box
filled with grass, its cover, a native-made wicker
basket, having a small goat-skin fastened just on
the top to keep off the sun. The cover fitted
loosely, admitting plenty of air and was easily secured
to the box by a few strings. After the dog had
run three or four miles in the fresh early morning,
and hunted and amused himself to his heart's content,
he was usually very ready to pack himself into his
box, especially as there were invariably a few tooth-
some bones to be found there, and he then slept
peacefully in it, until his carrier dumped him down
in camp.

The feeding of dogs is naturally a great factor
in -the preservation of their health, and it will require
supervision. The main difficulty is to give them
sufficient bulk of food without including too much
meat ; here, we have no fresh potatoes, etc., and
porridge becomes rather an expensive article of
dietary, as oatmeal costs a shilling for a small tin,
which disappears at once ! I have been told that
two large dogs required a tin of oatmeal and a tin of
army rations daily to feed them. I think they
must have become very bilious bull-terriers, and a
serious item of expense to their owner ! We allow
threepence a day per dog ; this buys a piece of meat
and some bone, also a fair quantity of * gari ' (native

224 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

flour). The gari is well boiled with the meat, and
appears looking like a brownish sago pudding. The
mixture is then flooded with milk and much appre-
ciated by the dogs. Every few days a little powdered
sulphur is mixed up with the feed, and is highly
beneficial. Afterwards, they get their bones, and
the fare seems to suit them admirably. We always
make a point of giving our dogs, especially young
puppies, weak tea if they will drink it. In India
I was told that it would prevent distemper altogether,
and, though I cannot vouch for the truth of this,
it seems to be a harmless little indulgence, and every
mistress will, I expect, like to see the little wistful
faces asking ever so plainly for a saucer of tea.

Dogs are all the better for a dose of castor oil
about once a week ; it improves their appearance
and condition immensely, and it is a perfectly
simple matter administering it — when one knows
how — so a short explanation of the process may not
be misplaced here. One person, kneeling down, holds
the dog's body firmly between his knees to prevent
him from backing, and, putting his left forefinger
gently into the corner of the dog's lips, pulls out his
cheek, forming a sort of pocket into which the oil
is gently poured by another person, thus avoiding
all forcing open of the teeth and the consequent
struggle and horrors of spilt oil. As a rule the
patient does not object in the least ; the oil quietly
filters through his teeth, and down his throat ;

DOGS, POULTRY AND COWS 225

if he does not seem to be swallowing it readily a
little pressure on his nostrils closes them, and
compels him to open his throat. When a dog's coat
becomes ^ staring/ his eyes lustreless, and he appears
generally spiritless and feverish, castor oil is indi-
cated, after which quinine must be given — five
grains daily is not too much — until he recovers.
One of our dogs swallowed a tabloid of quinine,
wrapped in a slice of meat, every day, without
detecting its presence ; but some are tiresome in this
respect, and the only alternative is to open their
mouths and drop in a salt-spoonful of sulphate of
quinine. This they cannot get rid of except by
swallowing it, and the bitter taste is soon forgotten
in the joy of a rewarding tit-bit of some sort. We
had a small fox-terrier who knew the very sight of the
quinine bottle, and bolted at once out of the room !
The foregoing suggestions, however, are intended
only for occasions when the dog's owner is quite
convinced that treatment of this kind is absolutely
necessary ; failing that, I would most earnestly say,
leave drugs alone, merely permit no neglect, for,
assuredly, a comfortable dog will be a healthy dog !
Another point of the utmost importance to a
dog's well-being and comfort, is to keep him, as
far as possible, free from fleas and ticks. Fleas, I
suppose, dogs will have for all time, no matter how
carefully they are washed and brushed ; the great
enemy in Nigeria is the tick. During the rains

Q

226 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

the grass swarms with them, and, as one cannot
walk along a bush path for a hundred yards without
finding several of them on one's skirts, the number
acquired by the dogs on a ten minutes' hunt after
a mouse or a lizard can be well imagined. Each
dog must be most carefully searched and the pests
removed at least twice a day, special care being
taken to inspect the inside of his ears, the little
' pocket ' on them, between his toes, and underneath
his collar. There is none so wily as the dog tick
in choosing secluded nooks in which to suck his
victim's blood. The inside of the dog's ears should
be smeared over with carbolic or sulphur ointment
applied with a feather ; both are abhorrent to
ticks, and it is really a kindness to rub his whole
body lightly with these ointments or a very weak
solution of creolin or ' J eyes' Fluid.' It will be
found that flies attack and bite dogs' ears to a
quite serious extent ; I have seen native dogs
with their ears positively eaten away, but this
can, of course, be prevented by persistent care and
perseverance. Carbolic or sulphur ointment must
be rubbed on thickly, daily, and at night-time, but
unless notice is taken of the very first few bites, it is
most difficult to effect a cure.

Poultry

The keeping of poultry is certain to become, in
the near future, a feature of every English household

DOGS, POULTRY AND COWS 227

in Nigeria, therefore the subject may as well have
its place in this chapter, though I do not, in the
least, feel qualified to offer any ' counsels of per-
fection,' as, so far, we have been able to make only
two efforts to introduce English fowls into this
country, and I must frankly confess that there are
many difficulties in the way of a complete success.

However, the class of fowl bred in the country
is such a wretched one, the birds are small, skinny
and tasteless, and the eggs no larger than bantams',
that the importation of good breeds is a very real
necessity. Here, as in other matters, the periodical
leave to England after twelve or eighteen months
has prevented the rearing of chickens from being very
seriously undertaken, but I have a strong impression
that if every one will, at all events, ' make a start/
the good work will be carried on, and it will not be
long before the miserable ' country fowl ' is a thing
of the past.

My personal experience on the subject of English
fowls is as follows : — Five years ago, we brought
out four Black Minorca hens and one cock ; the
latter died shortly after his arrival in Nigeria, but,
on our way up country, we had the good luck to be
presented with a very fine Plymouth Rock cock. The
hens behaved beautifully ; they travelled in a
large wicker basket, and regularly laid eggs in it
during the daily march. A fortnight later, alas!
the Plymouth Rock died, and two hens succumbed

228 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

also, all dying from the same complaint, dysentery.
After six months, we brought our remaining two
hens back to Lokoja, and they survived for the rest
of the tour, but they greatly deteriorated, both in
their appearance and in their laying, the eggs
diminished in size and lost their flavour.

On our return from leave, we brought a fresh
consignment of fowls, and if I call them ' a mixed
lot * it is not intended altogether as a term of dis-
paragement, for we had purposely selected mixed
breeds. A fine Buff Orpington cock with a slight
Black Minorca strain, two Black Minorca hens, a
handsome Houdan hen, and two highly indiscrimin-
ate ' would-be ' Orpington hens made up the party.
Further fortified by an incubator, a kindly gift
of Sir Alfred Jones, we fared forth to Bussa, firmly
intent on poultry rearing.

This time, our efforts were distinctly successful ;
in six months our stock of six had increased to twenty-
three, and had it not been for the persistent and
endless depredations of hawks, we should have
reared a far greater number. We found the Houdan
an admirable and devoted mother, and her progeny
were our delight, so handsome were they, with a
slight Orpington strain added to their own beautiful
spangles and jet-black crest. Before a year was out
all the original hens except one died, quite suddenly
and mysteriously, pointing to poisonous food or
snake-bite; but still, to-day, I am glad to think

DOGS, POULTRY AND COWS 22^

that we have distributed four fine EngHsh cocks
in different parts of the country, and have, at all
events, contributed our mite to the all-important
task of improving the food supply in this country.
It is not in the least sublime to say that empires
are built on men's stomachs, but, indeed, they form
a surer foundation than their gravestones to my
un-soaring mind !

The incubator — owing to our peculiar circum-
stances— but to no fault of its own, was not a great
success. Our manner of living was, however, excep-
tional, and did not give the incubator a ghost of a
chance. During the day the lamp could not be
lighted at all, and in spite of all ventilation, etc.,
the atmospheric heat in the room itself ran the
thermometer higher than it should be. Almost every
night violent gusts of wind, sweeping through the
house, extinguished the lamp two or three times,
thoroughly chilling the eggs. Another difficulty was
the obtaining of really fresh eggs ; the only success-
ful hatchings I accomplished were with guinea-
fowls and eggs obtained from our own hens : but,
as the action of the incubator was so uncertain,
we were reluctant to risk many eggs, when the hens
were ready and willing to sit. It was, however,
a great amusement and delight to us, and the hatch-
ing process was one of absorbing interest — to our
native friends it appeared a piece of paralyzing
Ju-ju — the newly born chick gracefully dropping from

230 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

the tray above to the softer floor below with a
comical air of bewilderment and surprise ! Under
more normal circumstances I am certain that incu-
bators (which can now be bought very cheap)
would be of the greatest value in chicken rearing
out here : a ' foster-mother ' or ' breeder ' is quite
necessary to avoid the terrible infant mortahty
resulting from careless mothers and prowling hawks.

Far the easiest and most paying is the rearing of
ducks ; they give no trouble, and seem to require
none of the coaxing and attention apparently neces-
sary for the hens ; quite quietly they appear to make
their own arrangements, and in due time emerge
with an eminently attractive and satisfactory family
of sixteen or thereabouts. Except for a tendency
to walk the babies off their legs, ducks are devoted
and excellent mothers.

An extremely useful scrap of knowledge we have
picked up, is, when the hatch is due, or nearly so,
to seize the opportunity, when the hen or duck is
off the nest, to immerse the eggs gently in hot
water (105°); almost immediately the 'live' eggs
begin to roll about and dance in the most exciting
fashion, and those which, after a few minutes, make
no movement at all may be safely considered as
' wrong ' and removed from the hatch, as their
presence is injurious to the hatching chicks, and
embarrassing to the mother.

I have found that the chief difficulty lies in finding

DOGS, POULTRY AND COWS 231

enough boiled food for the fowls ; the victims of
dysentery undoubtedly got the disease from eating
too much whole grain^ but it is a grave problem to
give them enough of anything else. There is, at
present, in this country, nothing available to answer
to the regular ' chicken's food ' mixture, provided
at home, consisting of boiled turnip cuttings, potato
peelings, cabbage leaves, sharps, etc. Perhaps
when our vegetable gardens are on a firmer basis we
shall be able to lavish green food on our fowls ; at
present, there are but boiled yams and sweet potatoes
to be had, but the fowls do not take kindl}/ to them,
nor to boiled rice, which, by the way, does not agree
with them. On the whole, I think they prefer
boiled gari to any other cooked food ; I have seen
them enthusiastic over aggidi (a native food) mixed
up with maize and a few odds and ends from the
breakfast table. Guinea-corn thus becomes their
staple article of diet, and it is only by giving them full
liberty all day long, and allowing them to procure
their own grass and insect food, that the enemy,
dysentery, is avoided.

We were wrong, I suppose, in selecting Black
Minorcas, from a sitting point of view, as I believe
that, even at home, they are non-sitters, and they
certainly are in Nigeria ! However, with an incu-
bator this is a matter of no importance, and it would
be difficult to find a more satisfactory breed from
a laying point of view. I should say, most decidedly,

232 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

that Dorkings or Plymouth Rocks would be found
excellent breeds to bring to this country, the latter
being good sitters and a hardy breed ; but they must
be kept free from damp, which is, I fancy, the cause
of their frequently contracting disease in the legs
and feet. I have also heard an authority on different
sorts of poultry describe Dorkings as ' the very
best breed for amateur poultry keepers,' they are
excellent mothers, and quite the best kind for table
pm'poses.

I cannot feel that I am able to give any very
practical advice on this subject ; my own experience
has been too limited to build a theory on, but as
the chicken, in one guise or another, is bound to
appear so frequently on our tables, it is more than
advisable, it becomes a positive duty, to endeavour
to encourage all newcomers to help, by importing
fowls from England, to improve the Nigerian
species. When next I come out I shall certainly
bring a collection of Dorkings and another incu-
bator, for it is worth remembering that the hen of the
country is such a tiny creature that she cannot
possibly cover more than three or four good-sized

eggs.

I also cherish golden dreams of bringing out English
geese, as I believe they would succeed, and repay,
a hundred-fold, the trouble of bringing them. Geese
are less troublesome to feed than fowls, as they find
so much for themselves roaming about ; they are

DOGS, POULTRY AND COWS 233

also good sitters (I am speaking of the white Embden
geese), and, of course, a great deUcacy for the table.
They should be brought out in the proportion of
two geese to one gander.

It is, perhaps, worth mentioning that bringing
out live stock entails little or no trouble ; any large
dealer will ship the birds in strong coops with a
supply of grain for the voyage, and their owner
will find them established on deck, and requiring
nothing more than a daily visit, and a little arrange-
ment with the ship's cook or butcher, as to their
cleanliness and a small supply of boiled food. These
good folks are so accustomed to the care of all kinds
of live stock, domestic and wild, being carried to
and from West Africa, from a full-grown giraffe to
tiny gazelles, no larger than a rabbit, that they
are invariably most ready and willing to supervise
anything of the sort.

All this considered, I am sure that every one will
agree with me that it is worth while giving a trial
to imported live stock for the farm-yard ; my
ambition even soars — in secret, and in fear and
trembling — to the importation of a few rabbits, for
experimental purposes. I am aware that the indis-
criminate introduction of rabbits has caused unpopu-
larity elsewhere before now, but I should suggest
their being kept in confinement at first, and I
should not think that the provision of green food
need be a difficulty, as they would almost certainly

234 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

enjoy the young leaves of Indian Corn, which can be
grown anywhere. I will venture, finally, to say, that,
in my opinion, the humble bunny would prove a
most welcome addition to the Nigerian menu !

Cows

To mention the subject of dairy management may
seem rather unnecessary, and cause a smile when it
is realized that cows cannot be persuaded to live
and flourish in Lokoja, or any of the southern
districts of Nigeria, and that for the most part
one's sole anxiety, as a dairy expert, consists in the
selection of sound tins of preserved milk ! But,
as the joys of possessing one's own cows, and obtain-
ing a sufficiency of milk, cream, and butter, can
be realized by those whom kindly Fortune allows
to live in the Hausa States, far removed from the
deadly Coast, and further north still, it seems
to me as well to set forth my own very small
experience in the matter.

My first step towards keeping cows — and that a
veritable step in the dark — was the selection of a
churn. At this point, the eternal difficulty of trans-
port loomed into view as uncompromisingly as
usual, and I decided on a small tin, plunge churn.
It consisted of a tin cylinder about eighteen inches
long, and four inches in diameter, with a cover,
through which passed a tin plunger, with flanges
at the lower end. This churn has the advantage

DOGS, POULTRY AND COWS 235

of being very light and portable^ and we found it a
complete success ; it was perfectly easy to clean,
and did its work most rapidly, turning out a pound
of butter in fifteen minutes.

The next necessary point is to possess your own
cows ; the usual plan of receiving a daily dole of a
bottle full of milk, Heaven knows how or where
obtained, cannot be sufficiently condemned. Out
of my own experience I have known the simple
Fulani cow-keeper to half fill the basin before milking
with extremely dirty water, and this I only dis-
covered by the merest accident. One would hardly
expect to find such up-to-date practices as ' water-
ing the milk ' in Nigeria, but it is done !

I know that milch cows are not at all easy to come
by out here ; the Fulani, the only herdsman in the
country, knows the value of his stock, and will not
sell, for there is a tremendous trade done in the
markets in sour milk and rancid butter.

I started with a stock of five cows, each with a
small calf, and in full milk : I then, with a lamentable
want of foresight and proper humility, decided
on, and attempted to carry out all kinds of innovations
and dairy principles, such as separating the calves
from the cows, endeavouring to pacify the former
with milk mixed with dusa (bran) — which I could
never induce them to touch — and treating in a high-
handed manner the remonstrances of the maisanu
(cowman or head dairymaid). I may say at once it

236 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

was a dead failure ; the cows went off their milk
immediately, and from all of them I did not get
more than a quart twice daily, and the mai-sanu
ran away, appalled at my wicked violation of
immemorial customs ! My courage, born of ignor-
ance, ran into the soles of my shoes, I obtained a
new mai-sanu, and, bowing my head in chastened
submission, I resigned into his hands the whole
outside arrangements of the ' dairy,' only stipulating
that his hands should be scrupulously clean before
milking, and the udders wiped with a damp clean
cloth — also that he should produce a large basin
full of milk morning and evening. This was done ;
how and when the calves were tied or separated, I
did not inquire. I am quite sure that, one day, a
more strong-minded and conscientious fellow-
country-woman will know all about it, and reform
things magnificently ; meantime — cleanliness and
purity assured — I was content to leave ' pretty
well ' alone, and let the mai-sanu make his own
arrangements.

The cows of Northern Nigeria are splendid animals,
of great size, with enormous branching horns, but
their udders are very small, and English dairy folks
would doubtless smile at the idea of extracting milk
at the rate of one quart only, daily, per cow ! But
so it was, and when due allowance is made for inferior
grazing and the dry season, perhaps it was not so
astonishing. At any rate, the supply proved ample

Our exergetic D.S.C. (Captaix Burxside) traixixg bullocks.

(P- 236)

GlAXT SUX-FLOWERS AT BUSSA. (p. 243)

{face p. 236.

DOGS, POULTRY AND COWS 237

for our requirements, so I felt it would be both
ungracious and foolish to grumble. I found the
milk very rich and delicious, and from the special
pan set aside each evening for cream to set, a good pint
and a half of thick cream was forthcoming the next
morning, yielding roughly a pound of excellent
butter. There was always cream for the porridge
at breakfast, plenty for puddings and mayonnaises,
and even for cream cheeses, which I made every
few days.

We marched our cows down country from Katagum
on our return, and they gave us a capital supply of
milk on the road ; but, once established in Lokoja,
they fell off in appearance and milk. The calves
sickened and died, as well as the cows, and, much
to our sorrow, we had to recognize that, obviously,
the only thing to do was to dispose of the remainder,
alas ! to become tough beef in the market. It was,
I suppose, inevitable, owing to the total change of
diet to green, luxurious grass, which the cows devoured
eagerly, to their own undoing ; but I parted
very sadly from my philanthropic dream of
providing the English community in Lokoja with
a regular supply of fresh milk, etc. It was a plan
I had very much at heart, and I have not altogether
forsaken it, but I quite recognize that it cannot
be done^with the Hausa cow.

It is a matter for great regret, this difficulty of
keeping cows alive in Lokoja ; many a ' bad case '

238 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

in hospital longs for fresh milk — as unobtainable,
unfortunately, as ripe strawberries or blocks of ice.
Possibly, one fine, very fine day, when, in our
wisdom, we remove our cantonment to the breezy
heights of the Patti plateau (six hundred feet above,
and perfectly accessible, all these good things may
be ours. Meantime, unless you are going to the
Hausa States, and away north, the only dairy
equipment you will need to bring is — a tin-
opener !

CHAPTER IV
The Garden

I REMEMBER that my opinion of the possibiHties of
gardening successfully in Northern Nigeria expressed
itself in three stages : first, on arrival, with joyful
confidence : ' I am certain anything will grow out
here ! ' Secondly, after six months, in despair :
' Nothing will grow out here ! ' Thirdly, after a year,
with renewed but chastened cheerfulness : ' Some
things will do all right ! '

The subject was more or less unexplored ground
when I arrived in the country five years ago ; I could
get little or no gardening information, except that
one or two enterprising spirits had tried — and failed.
Perhaps the chief reason for this was that the amount
of work to be got through in each day makes it
practically impossible for any Government official
to give the personal attention absolutely necessary
to the making of a garden.

The country produces no native gardeners, similar
to the mali of India ; the utmost one can extract
from the local artist is that he will scratch up weeds
and grass, and faithfully water everything daily in

239

240 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

the dry season. The tour of service of from twelve
to eighteen months, followed by leave home and an
uncertain prospect of returning to the same station,
has, I suppose, prevented any attempt at all being
made in the majority of cases, and the very few spots
that have been started as gardens seem to have
flourished until their owners left, when they were
utterly neglected, the bush claimed its own, and all
traces of cultivation vanished far quicker than
they had appeared.

But now that things are progressing generally in
Nigeria, life conditions improving somewhat, and
each station containing a larger number of white
men, willing to carry on each others' labours in this
line, the gardening problem comes nearer solution,
though I fancy that, for all time, it will need a stout
heart and endless perseverance.

The Flower Garden
The first ^ don't ' that occurs to me under this
heading is on the subject of English out-door
flowers. One's natural instinct is to try and sur-
round oneself with the old favourites, sweet-peas,
mignonette, poppies and pinks, but the attempt,
I fear, is sheer waste of time and trouble ; hardly
any will come to maturity and blossom in the
verandah ; they will grow up cheerfully to a certain
point, then wither off, and transplanting seedlings in
the open is out of the question, unless permanent
shade can be given.

THE GARDEN 241

I think I can claim to have given them a fair
trial — I brought out the usual ^ collection ' from
England, made experimental sowings in boxes on the
verandah, nursed and watched them tenderly, but
I got no results in the blossom line except from
the convolvulus. I then tried a collection from
a French firm, and from these seeds, I succeeded in
coaxing blossoms, from zinnias, marigolds, nastur-
tiums, balsams and petunias — the rest were a
complete failure.

My third experiment was with acclimatized seeds
from India, and these gave far the best results. The
first success was a splendid bed of portulacca, blazing
with crimson, white, mauve and gold, rejoicing in
the sun which shrivelled everything else. I should
like every one to make a point of raising this beautiful
little flower, for it is easily grow^n, and gives a real
reward for very little trouble. It should be sown
at the end of the rains, in boxes on the verandah,
sheltered until the little plants look sturdy and
fleshy, then planted out in bed or border, and shaded
from the sun for a day or two, until growth is started,
the plants will then begin to spread and blossom into
a carpet of glowing colour.

Balsams, marigolds, sunflowers, vinca and zinnias
will do well sown out in the open, under moderate
shade, especially the last-named ; the finest zinnias
I have ever seen were a bunch presented to me
out of a bachelor's little garden at Zaria. Sun-

R

242 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

flowers attain an immense height and blossom
magnificently ; I had huge plants, almost trees, at
Bussa, fourteen and sixteen feet high, bearing
masses of flowers. Balsams I have always been a
little contemptuous over, but the best double kinds
are well worth while cultivating. A special packet
from Sutton, called, I think, ' Rose,' gave splendid
results, thick clusters of delicate rosy pink blossoms,
resembling pink carnations or rosettes of chiffon,
flowered in one bed continuously from July to
December, and established themselves on the
firmest basis in my affections. All varieties of
convolvulus can be sown outside, and will climb
and twine and riot delightfully everywhere, clothing
hideous walls and bare fences. In Lokoja I have
taken great pains to cultivate freely that most
charming creeper, the sapphire blue Clitoria, a
climbing pea of the greatest beauty, and a free
grower, bringing, in the first instance, twenty seeds
from Government House in Sierra Leone ! It has
rewarded my efforts so well that now no one need
want for quantities of seed ; there is also a white
variety which is just as beautiful and satisfactory.
Cannas flourish, and make capital patches of colour,
the finer kinds, some of which are very gorgeous,
doing just as well as the ordinary scarlet sort, which
grows all over the country, and from the seeds of
which Mahomedan rosaries are made. Phloxes,
nasturtiums and asters can be induced to flower

THE GARDEN 243

with a good deal of preliminary care and watering ;
but those who, not unnaturally, desire to achieve the
maximum result with the minimum effort, will do
well to concentrate their endeavours on zinnias and
sunflowers, especially the single Japanese sun-
flowers, as they are eminently decorative. Vinca
is a flower which might be dubbed uninteresting,
but it has a special virtue, that of blossoming
practically all the year round, and being available,
when everything else is shrivelled and dead, in the
dry est season.

Another public benefactor is salpiglossis, an
exquisite plant with velvety glowing flowers of all
shades — no well-regulated Nigerian garden should
be without it.

To my mind the wild flowers of the country are

by no means to be despised in the garden, many

are really extremely beautiful ; all are indigenous to

the soil and therefore no trouble to grow, and I

believe that the main reason that they are not more

frequently seen in gardens is that the gardeners have

never had the opportunity of noticing them in the
' bush.'

There is a splendid coreopsis with golden daisy-
like blossoms some three or four inches in diameter,
the seed of which I gathered on the march a year
ago, and subsequently sowed in large round beds.
The result was a perfectly glorious blaze of brilliant
yellow blossoms for weeks together, when the

244 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

rains had finished. Terrestrial orchids in their
mauve, purple, yellow and green beauty would
be exquisite dotting the grass, as would the crimson
and white striped lilies, fragile babianas, and the
lesser gloriosa, which is not a creeper. A tiny
scarlet salvia has often appealed to me and the
little plant, Striga Senegalensis, would form a carpet
of deep cool mauve, delightful to see.

The Lawn

It is said to be very dear to the heart of every
Englishman to own a lawn, and it certainly should
be doubly so to John Bull in exile ; in a tropical
country well-kept turf is much to be desired, there
is nothing so cool and refreshing to tired eyes dazzled
with the glare of sunshine and baked earth, and,
perhaps, nothing that gives such a home-like and
cared-for look to a West African compound. This
demesne is usually reclaimed bush, which in nature
grows rank, reed-like, coarse grass, and the ground
destined for a lawn must be thoroughly and deeply
dug up. It is worse than useless to attempt to
remove it by merely pulling up the grass.
After digging and turning, all the roots must be
picked out most carefully, for it is indeed heart-
breaking to see the enemy reappearing all over your
infant lawn.

If the fine short grass, called in India ' dhoob '
grass^ can be found in the neighbourhood, and it

THE GARDEN 245

usually can be, especially along the edges of roads,
it should be brought in quantities (with its roots),
planted closely in tiny bunches all over the prepared
ground, watered daily, patted down to encourage
spreading, and your lawn will be fairly started.
Another method is to chop up the grass in lengths
of about four inches, mix it with good soil and water,
and spread the mixture all over the lawn, but, on
the whole, I think the planting will be found most
satisfactory. If ' dhoob ' grass is not to be had,
English grass seed must be sown, but this is an
experiment I have never had occasion to make.
I have seen what is called Bahama grass grown with
great success in Sierra Leone, and fashioned into
lovely velvety croquet lawns.

Trees and Shrubs

The planting of useful and ornamental trees is
no less than a positive duty incumbent on every
householder in West Africa ; they are infinitely
less trouble, and give far more lasting satisfaction
than flower growing ; besides, even in this most
selfish of all selfish countries, it behoves us all to
think of those who will come after us, and not neglect
to plant a mango stone because we ourselves may
scarcely hope to gather fruit from the tree that
will result. I do not think I am exaggerating when
I say that I suppose that every flowering tree and

246 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

shrub in Lokoja, and many in Zungeru, owes its
existence to the wise labours of those ' old hands *
who, years ago, planted out the ground around the
old Preparanda with trees, from which innumerable
cuttings have been obtained ; at all events, I have
never forgotten to feel grateful to them.

Orange and lime trees grow readily from pips,
mangos and date palms from stones, pineapples
can be raised from the leafy crowns on the fruit,
paw-paws spring up wherever the seeds are scattered,
but they, like bananas, are not ornamental, and
should be relegated to the back garden.

During the rainy season slips of flowering trees
and shrubs never fail to strike ; ' frangipani ' with
rosy blossoms and delicious scent, Poinciana Regia,
better known as ^ flamboyant ' on account of its
regal scarlet flowers, three kinds of acacias, red,
yellow and white, fragrant rose-coloured oleandars,
and many others, can be put in wherever your
fancy dictates, and will certainly reward your
patience — usually by endeavouring to flower before
putting out a single leaf !

There is a delightful, sweet-scented golden alla-
manda, growing in sturdy bushes, and forming an
ideal hedge, as it is loaded with blossom for more
than half the year. Another somewhat similar
flower is Thevetia, which sows itself pertinaciously
from its poisonous seeds, and Tahernaemontana
is another most decorative shrubby plant, with

THE GARDEN 247

shining dark foliage, and a flower resembling a
gardenia.

Nigeria abounds in indigenous blossoming trees
and creepers, all beautiful, and mostly sweet-scented,
from the gorgeous Spathodea Nilotica, Erythrina
and Kigelia Africana downwards ; indeed, no one
who travels about with open eyes can fail to acquire
enough seeds, pods and stones to plant acres with
beauty and fragrance ; day after day, on the march,
I have filled my pockets.

The bush, too, is full of flowers well worth cultivat-
ing, as I have before remarked. There are creepers
and climbing plants innumerable, including Mus-
saenda elegans, bearing handsome flame-coloured
blossoms, crimson Caconia panicvdata, Strophanthus
with its fantastic, trailing creamy petals, delicate
asparagus fern, and Landolphia owariensis (the
rubber vine), queen of climbers, a sheet of snow-
white, intensely fragrant flowers. And if Landolphia
is the queen of climbers, surely the king is a gorgeous
apricot-hued Gloriosa Sitperha, which fastens its deli-
cate persistent tendrils round every available support,
and when the flowering season is over is beautiful
still with bursting pods full of scarlet seeds. In
the forest, beside the river one finds clerodendron,
bryophyllum, quisqualis, and a thousand others ;
indeed, I only wish I had enough botanical knowledge
to name half the native flowers and trees I have
raised from seed collected casually on the march.

248 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

The Verandah Garden

Perhaps the verandah garden is one's dearest and
closest interest ; wise people may shake their heads,
and mutter about the number of mosquitoes^attracted
by the watering of ferns and flowers, but, after all,
when there are at least two millions of mosquitoes
about, a thousand more or less makes very little
difference, and I am certain no Englishwoman in
Africa will forgo her verandah garden for so trifling
a reason !

I have had orchids and ferns, all varieties of
so-called crotons, for they are really codeums, hun-
dreds of sturdy little orange trees, raised from
pips collected at the luncheon table, cannas and
caladiums, and tubs of the invaluable aromatic-
scented occimum viride, whose virtues saved us
endless annoyance from mosquitoes. Here a few
English flowers blossomed, one tiny rose bush,
petunias, balsams, Japanese sunflowers, etc., creepers
of all kinds flourished, sky-blue, rose-coloured and
yellow convolvuli climbing and clasping the verandah
posts, sapphire blue clitoria twisting and twining
in beautiful confusion, mingled with a brilliant
scarlet convolvulus-like climber, while tiny, starry
Ipomea quamoclit, crimson and white, wound slender
feathery arms round every available twig and stem.

The bath-water must be kept every morning to
water the verandah garden, the soapiness and

THE GARDEN 249

especially the suspicion of Scrubbs ammonia, if that
is used, are most beneficial, and by doing the
watering yourself you can ensure a due proportion
and see that ferns are not starved while seedlings
are drowned.

I have always longed to have real roses in my
verandah garden, but I fear they would but add one
more to the long list of disappointments. Though
they do well in Southern Nigeria, I have so far
seen only one rose tree here at Zungeru ; it was
growing an immense height, full of green leaves
and long stalks, an infallible sign that the general
temperature is too high, and its blossoms have
been few and poor. Still, I believe with much
care and pruning the more delicate kinds might
succeed ; I hope to try one day. Last year I devoted
my energies to the cultivation of geraniums and
pelargoniums, which were only a partial success,
but were handicapped by being carried about the
country. I also experimented with tuberoses, which
were an immense success, growing freely as if they
really liked the soil and temperature. I have great
hopes that the more delicate bulbous plants will
flourish in Nigeria during the rains, therefore I
have included a few of them in the list at the end
of this chapter.

The Vegetable Garden
It seems to me a matter for the gravest regret

250 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

that the culture of vegetables is not more seriously
undertaken in this country where fresh vegetables
are so essential to health, and such a priceless
addition to the daily menu of tough and tasteless
meat. To any one who has lived in the tiniest Indian
station, and seen the Goverment garden supplying
each household with an enormous basket of vege-
tables for the noble sum of is. 6d. per month,
it seems as incredible as it is almost criminal that
West Africa is not as well catered for ; it could be
done, as many private gardens in the country have
amply proved, but — it is not done ! To quote
Major Ronald Ross : — ' Government sometimes
maintains, at considerable cost, botanical gardens
for various economical purposes. I was told that
these gardens used to grow vegetables for the
Europeans, until stopped by a mandate from England,
on the ground that a Government botanist is not a
market gardener ! ' Comment is quite needless, but
there is some comfort in reflecting that if we cannot
all soar to the giddy eminence of a ' Government
botanist ' we may yet emulate, more or less, the
humble market gardener, and to this end I am
offering my small experience in this line.

Growing vegetables is, to my mind, the most
satisfactory part of garden work in West Africa ;
the percentage of failures is certainly smaller, and
the results so entirely to be desired. But, like
the rest of your garden, it will have to be made

o

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5;

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x:

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THE GARDEN 251

before you can set to work to grow vegetables.
Divide the ground into beds as long as space will
allow, and not more than three feet wide, with
paths between. Every bed must have a roof or
shelter, consisting of matting or palm branches,
fastened to uprights four or five feet high, and the
earth must be well banked up so as to be quite a
foot above the ground level.

Vegetables do best when sown in September,
when the heaviest rains are over, though a few
kinds can be sown even in the dry season with some
success if care and regular watering are given to
them ; I have sown vegetables in May, August and
December, always with satisfactory results, my
object being to secure fresh vegetables nearly all
the year round.

The most important factor in the success of the
vegetable garden (and, indeed, amongst the flowers
too) is that the seed should be quite fresh from Eng-
land. A small quantity arriving twice a year will give
far better results than one of the large ^ collections '
which, moreover, invariably contain many items
that are quite useless in this country. I had a
huge tin of vegetable seeds given me last year — a
precious prize — only to find, to my dismay, that it
consisted mainly of strawberries and peas ! I have
heard of English peas being grown and eaten in the
Bornu country ; my own experience has been that
they grow most hopefully until they are about

252 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

two feet high, they then begin to wither off and
disappear.

Tomatoes will be found to succeed admirably ;
if they are inclined to grow too luxuriantly and to
run to leaf rather than to fruity this can be checked
by cutting off half the leaves and snipping away
many of the flowers. I have never seen better
tomatoes than those grown in Nigeria.

French beans and scarlet runners are most suc-
cessful ; the young plants of the latter shoot up
in the most amazing ' Jack and the Beanstalk '
fashion, and the dwarf beans are quite loaded with
beans six weeks after sowing.

Cucumbers give excellent results, also vegetable
marrows. These should be sown in boxes on the ver-
andah, and planted out when they attain the dignity
of four leaves. Let them be planted close to the
uprights so that they can commence climbing at
once instead of sprawling along the ground. I
found it quite a good plan at Bussa to plant these
vegetables out beside a low clay wall, and, after
assisting them to reach the top, to leave them to
their own devices ; it was always an amusement to
hunt for and happen upon unexpected ripe cucum-
bers !

Lettuces, radishes and cress may all be relied
upon, also spinach (the native sort) and carrots ;
kohl rabi, the turnip-rooted cabbage, is a most
excellent and useful vegetable eaten quite young ;

THE GARDEN 253

we found it one of our best crops, and beyond the
thinning out required no attention at all. My
beet-root, cabbages, Brussels sprouts and rhubarb
all failed, but that I strongly suspect was in some
degree due to the incursions of greedy fowls. In
this connexion, I may mention that a low close
railing, made even of guinea-corn stalks, is most
useful to fence in each bed if there is a farmyard
loose in the compound.

English potatoes have been grown at Zungeru,
I believe, but rather as an interesting experiment
than as an article of diet. Onions are so extensively
grown by the natives that they are hardly required
in the garden, except the tiny spring onions for use
in a salad.

I do not think it is widely enough known that,
when English vegetables are ' out ' the native bean
{wake) if gathered very, very young, is practically
indistinguishable from French beans, and a tuber
(tumuku) in appearance and taste closely resembles
new potatoes ; both plants grow like weeds and are
immensely prolific ; I have seen fifty pounds of
tumukus gathered from seve^i plants !

I should say, from my study of the climatic effect
on plants generally, that hardly any of the really
hardy English vegetables would ever reward one
for the trouble of growing them in Nigeria, such as
cauliflower, turnips, etc. Sea kale might do well,
and such a delicacy would be well worth striving

254 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

after. A valiant effort has been made to grow
mushrooms from imported spawn, but the process
entailed a good deal of rather elaborate arrange-
ment, and the result was nil. But I see no reason
why they should not be cultivated in grass ; I have
eaten quite delicious tiny mushrooms which I
gathered myself on the polo-ground at Lokoja. It
seems to me that if a crisp fresh salad and cucumber
can be produced daily, with a dish of tomatoes and
another of French beans, one may well be grateful
for small mercies, and concentrate attention on
growing these, experimenting meanwhile with every-
thing and anything that comes to hand.

I am specially anxious to see the Avocada pear
grown freely in Northern Nigeria ; it flourishes on
the coast, and a more delicious fruit could hardly be
desired. I raised four strong little trees in Lokoja,
which, alas, went the way of all things in my absence,
and I believe there are a few at Zungeru. It is a
very easy matter to bring a quantity of the large
seeds from Sierra Leone, or from off the ship, where
they usually appear at table.

In conclusion, I am appending a list of flower
and vegetable seeds which I hope will find their
way into every one's baggage, for they will, according
to my small experience, reward the amateur gardener
best ; also a few of the flowering shrubs and creepers
which ought to have a place in the garden, and which
would, I feel sure, flourish in Nigeria.

THE GARDEN 255

Flower Seeds

Convolvulus, of all kinds. Cinerarias.

Zinnias. Aquilegia.

Sunflowers. Heliotrope.

Portulacca. Asters.

Marigolds. Coleus.

Balsams. Pelargoniums.

Phlox. Carnations.

Vinca. Nasturtiums.

Petunias. Sweet Sultans.

Cannas. Gaillardias.

Dahlias. Salpiglossis.

Sweet-scented Tobacco. Geraniums.

It will be observed that many familiar garden
flowers are omitted from this list ; this is not an
oversight, simply — they will not thrive. I am,
moreover, drawing on my own limited experience
only^ and that not merel}'^ of successes, but also of
failures and disappointments.

Bulbs, etc.

Tuberoses. Agapanthus.

Achimenes. Monbretia.

Eucharis, and various hot- Ixia.

house lilies. Amaryllis.

Freesia.

Flowering Shrubs, Climbers, etc.

Poinsettias. /

Hibiscus.

Stephanotis.

Tacsonia, and other Passion

flowers.
Lapageria.

Princess Alice of
Monaco.
Roses^ Comtesse Riza du Pare.
J Ma Surprise.
I Comtesse d'Auerstadt

256 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

Vegetables

French Beans. Tomatoes.

Scarlet Runners. Cress.

Broad Beans. Lettuces.

Cucumbers. Radishes.

Melons. Marrows.

Sea Kale. Carrots.

Spinach. Parsley.

Egg Plant. Spring Onions.

CHAPTER V
The Stable

My feminine readers may feel inclined to ' skip '
this chapter with the remark : ' Well, the stables
are not in my department ' ; but I think the wife
of an official in Nigeria will usually find that her
husband has more work of his own to do than he
can well squeeze into each day, and, however slight
her previous knowledge on the subject may be, the
certainty that, unless she bestirs herself and gives
personal attention and supervision, the ponies wiU
be neglected, ill-fed and uncleanly, will, I feel sure,
be sufficient stimulus to any true Enghshwoman.
For she naturally loves horses, and cannot but be
fond of her wiry little thirteen-hand ponies in
Nigeria ; because they are, as a rule, sweet-tempered,
willing, honest little souls, whose mistress will, in
almost every case, have reason to remember how
gallantly they carried her on such and such a march,
and how cleverly they climbed and negotiated the
nasty places, and forded uncertain-looking rivers.
This alone will give them a strong claim on her
loving care, and she will admit, after a time at all

257

258 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

events, that it is worth while to learn all she can
on the subject, and to spend half an hour every
morning at the stables, inspecting each pony and
his house, and another half-hour after the evening
ride to see them dried, rubbed down and fed. For
ourselves, I hardly think we could sleep in peace
unless we had paid our usual visit to the stables
to satisfy ourselves that all was well there, the
ponies comfortable and well supplied with grass.

The morning visit may well be spent in what would
appear to the new-comer to be childish reiteration of
most elementary instruction to the man who makes a
profession of looking after your horse. For instance,
it is quite necessary to demand to be shown the
inside of your ponies' feet every day : your horse-
boy— until trained — takes no personal interest in
them, and assuredly will not clean them out on his
own initiative, so, without your daily examination,
a tiresome attack of thrush may lay your pony up
for weeks or months, or a painful little stone, picked
up perhaps in the last canter home, may remain
there all night to his great discomfort. At present
the ponies are not shod in this country, and though
we may advance to metalled roads I hope for the
sake of their owners and themselves they will never
require it, for I can see heavy additional trials in
store for them both, when the shoeing art is imper-
fectly learned and slovenly applied.

Each horse has his own attendant, but the grass-

THE STABLE 259

cutter of India is not kept, as the grass is so near
and in such quantities that it can usually be cut
from one's own compound, or at least from a few
yards off. Here the watchful eye is necessary ; the
' doki (horse) boy ' (who, as a rule, is a combination
of utter incapacity, laziness and complete ignorance )
likes immensely to be left at home when you go for
a ride. He will then cut a bundle of the coarsest
and wettest marsh grass he can find — naturally—
as ten minutes ' work will produce a bigger bundle
than half an hour's cutting of the fine, short grass
which is so infinitely bettei. He will then squat
down on the ground and engage in a process that
is absolutely blood-curdling to the unaccustomed
onlooker ; the grass is taken in small bundles,
grasped by his left hand, while his right foot is
firmly planted on the ends of the stalks ; he then
chops up the grass, a most murderous-looking
weapon falling rapidly, and without, apparently,
any special aim, within half an inch of his foot at each
blow. I used to feel quite sick with apprehension,
and even now I always expect to see five brown
toes fly up into the air ! The doki-boy forthwith
conveys this mass of wet stuff into the pony's
stable for his consumption during the night, thus
forming a sound basis for cohc in the morning.
DonH let him do it. Even if dhoob grass is not to
be had, make him cut the grass before midday, and
have it well spread out in the sun, so that the pony

26o A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

gets it thoroughly dried. Remember, he does not
want real food at night, only something comforting
to munch, that will employ his mind harmlessly and
happily, and divert his attention from trying to break
loose and go off to fight any other pony he can find
near at hand.

The main horse food out here is guinea-corn
simply shredded off the large stalk, the little stems
being left, to ensure the pony eating slowly, and
thus digesting his meal. It is not easy to lay down
a rule for quantity, as ponies vary, and the size of
stalks of guinea-corn also varies ; the best thing for
the pony's owner to do is to ask the advice of the
neighbour who appears to have the best-kept ponies,
or, if there are no neighbours, let him or her ask
the ponies themselves by watching them feed. It
soon becomes easy to determine whether they are
getting enough ; that is the main point, for I believe
that a pony can scarcely be over-fed in this country.
Try them with twelve large stalks of guinea-corn
for each feed, i.e. about half a bundle per day to
each pony. The guinea-corn is sold in bundles,
varying a little in size and price, according to whether
the district is a corn country or not ; as a rule a
fair-sized bundle costs, roughly, a shilling.

On tour, in places where guinea-corn was not to
be had, and the ponies doing hard work, we have
given them crushed Indian corn (maize) ; they liked
it and throve on it. Dusa (bran) should invariably

THE STABLE 261

be mixed with the feeds, be they of maize or guinea-
corn, three large handfuls to each feed ; the ponies
are fond of it, nothing is better for them, and it can
always be obtained easily. The majority, too, will
drink far more readily and copiously if a handful
of dusa is stirred into the water.

Country potash (honwa) is a daily article of diet
with the Nigerian pony. He has it, a piece about
the size of a walnut, thoroughly dissolved in his
water, and he thinks so much of it that often he
will not drink without it. N.B. — Keep the konwa
yourself and give it out every day, for it is also an
article of diet for the doki-boy !

I expect the ponies would much enjoy lucerne if
the garden could be made to produce it, but I am
sorrowfully compelled to admit that after growing
a crop of carrots with infinite care, and triumphantly
bearing them off to the stables as a wonderful treat,
the ungrateful ponies spit them out contemptuously
and would have none of them !

The stables themselves must be rather a shock to
an English mind : they are just circular huts — one
for each pony — either with mud walls and a conical
thatched roof, or else with walls of grass matting.
Mud walls have the advantage of windows, which
give a breeze, but bring possibiHties of flies and
wasps at the same time. Doors are usually wanting ;
the pony is picketed by one of his feet to a wooden
post about two feet high, round which he can circle

262 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

by means of a ring upon it. The post is driven into
the ground in the middle of his stable. The ponies
are quite accustomed to this method ; they have their
heads free, and they can lie down or walk around as
they feel inclined. We always prefer the plan of
fixing three bars firmly in the doorway, dispensing
with the picketing arrangement, and thus giving the
ponies the luxury of a loose box. The stable floor
is of ordinary hardened mud, and should be freshly
sanded every day. Bedding is not required.

A few words as to the doki-boy. He is lazy, and
utterly ignorant of his job, usually downright
frightened of his pony, and at every whisk of the
latter's tail, will make agonized appeals to his better
feelings, uttering apprehensive clucks the while.
Still, even the raw material, if he is docile and willing,
is quite teachable, and he is, I think, invariably
kind to his pony. His sins are mostly those of
omission.

You will have to begin from the very beginning
in your education of him, and see all his work, for
your own sake and the pony's. For instance, I
remember one evening, when a pony came in much
heated after polo, we stood by while our horse-boy,
quite our best and most intelligent, proceeded to
rub him down as usual, after which, to our horror,
he shook out a clean rubber and began to fan the
sweating pony with it ! This, on a distinctly
chilly evening after sunset !

Mr Lafonk's 'Wiiitk Mouse.' (p. 261)

RiniXG Astride — a locally ^L\I)I■: skirt 1 (p. 265)

\ face p. 262.

THE STABLE 263

Hand-rubbing is quite unknown, and will be
most unwillingly adopted, but it is worth any
amount of tiresome teaching and repetition of
the same order ; there is absolutely nothing that
will so quickly improve the looks and condition
of ponies. We have them tethered close to the
verandah each morning and afternoon, and super-
intend the hand-rubbing ourselves, no pony's toilet
being considered complete till his doki-bo}^ is himself
in a healthy perspiration. The ponies, too, enjoy
the process, especially if they are rewarded for
steadiness and patience by many pieces of juicy
sugar-cane, which, by the way, is most useful for
fattening up a thin pony, as well as being a handy
little delicacy to carry on one's visits to the stables.
It should be peeled and cut in small pieces three
inches long.

The new doki-boy, too, has no idea how to put on a
saddle and bridle, and for many days I fear you will
have to take them off, as every strap will be united
to the wrong buckle, and put them on yourself
before him, which usually ends in broken nails, dirty
hands, much heat and a lost temper. But never
trust the doki-boy' s powers until you are quite sure
of them, as it is really dangerous to life and limb ;
you can hardly imagine how many subtle ways he
can invent of putting on a bridle the wrong way.
He also prefers to drag it off without undoing the
curb-chain or throat-lash, a most reprehensible

264 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

piece of laziness that has to answer for many a
docile pony showing temper and refusing to be
bridled without an unpleasant struggle. It is an
excellent thing to cultivate an unforgettable habit
of loosening girths, curb-chain and throat-lash
oneself on dismounting.

One word more of warning : water must not be
given after food. It seems an absurdly superfluous
caution, but I can assure you it has been done, is
done to-day, and will be done as long as the pony's
welfare is not cared for personally by his owner. It
is, as every one knows, most dangerous, on account
of colic and indigestion, and may frequently account
for the ingenuous statement of the doki-boy that
' Allah has given the doki a pain in his stomach ! '
Water should be given quite half an hour before the
corn, the latter being well spread out on the ground
to ensure slow feeding and thorough digestion.

Saddlery must, of course, be brought out from
England, and should be selected with the greatest
care ; all metal work must be non-rusting, and
head-stalls and girths chosen to fit ponies from
thirteen to fourteen hands. I have found it a very
satisfactory plan to adopt the Richards' numdah
(I believe the patent is called the ' Wykeham ') ; the
saddle itself has no stuffing and fits on to the numdah,
which, being specially soft, adapts itself to the shape
of the pony, and thus avoids the only too frequent
cause of a sore back or wither. It is about three

THE STABLE 265

inches in thickness and^ having absorbed all the
perspiration, can be easily dried in the sun, the
under surface being well beaten and brushed to
prevent it from getting hard or caked. I have ridden
over two thousand miles on one of these numdahs,
and I will venture to say that it is practically
impossible to give a pony a sore back. It can be
imagined what a blessing that is on the marcn, when
it is so difficult to lay him up for a few days even ;
besides, all the bother of continually re-stuffing a
saddle is done away with. Any saddle can be
fitted with a ' Wykeham ' numdah by Messrs.
Richards, at Winchester, for a guinea.

When choosing a saddle, take care to select one
(with a cut-back tree, of course) that is not longer
than necessary ; the Nigerian ponies are much
shorter in the barrel than English horses, and are
apt to get their backs rubbed with a long saddle.

As the result of my own experience, I most strongly
advise every woman who intends, to do much riding
out here, especially in the way of marching, to
abandon her side-saddle altogether, and adopt
the ' astride ' position. In the first place, it is far
more comfortable and less tiring on a long march ;
secondly, it does away with the necessity of bringing
out special saddlery for oneself, it makes one quite
independent of being ' put up,' and also enables
one to march in the most comfortable of clothes,
a short divided skirt or bloomers, putties and shoot-

266 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

ing boots ; thirdly, and most important of all, it is
the greatest blessing to the pony. No matter how
straight you sit, sooner or later the strain of a side-
saddle begins to tell on a pony, from the mere fact
that the weight of the rider's two legs is on one
side of him ! I noticed this especially at Katagum
when riding horses which had never carried a
side-saddle before, and so sensitive were they to
the innovation that it was almost impossible to keep
them in the road at all — they bored so badly to the
near side.

Bring out also picketing gear ; it is much more
durable than country rope, and does not rub the
hair off the ponies ' feet. It consists of a stout iron
ring, with a short chain, attached to a wide padded
leather bracelet, buckling round the pony's fetlock.
You will have to teach the horse-boys how to clean
saddlery ; I think there is nothing better than
beeswax and soft soap, but saddle soap can usually
be bought. The mai-doki's incorrigible laziness
comes out here ; unless frequently watched and stood
over, he confines himself to giving the seat of one's
saddle a polish like a mirror, and never touches
one of the out-of-sight straps and parts, which need
far the most care and softening. Bits must be well
dried and wiped directly they are taken out of the
pony's mouth, and the whole of the saddlery should
be kept in the house. A saddle stand is easily made
by any native carpenter, and is by no means an

THE STABLE 267

eyesore in the verandah, if the saddles are well
polished and the bridles shining.

Only on one occasion on the march I lost sight
of my saddle, which was carried off to the doki-
boys' quarters, and to what use it was put I cannot
fathom ; I only know that, the next morning, it
appeared with the seat deeply scratched and scored,
and looking five years older ! The African servant
is utterly devoid of respect for valuable belongings ;
he possesses nothing himself that is worth taking
care of, and he listens with polite but bored sub-
mission while you very forcibly point out his crimes
of destruction, but he is obviously indifferent,
really, to the damage done, and thinks it all rather
a silly fuss. ' Is not a saddle still a saddle even if
it is hideously scratched and ill-treated ? ' When
removing a saddle from a pony, he delights to
dump it down on the ground, anywhere, in sand,
dust or mud, the side flaps crushed underneath
anyhow, although there may be half a dozen people
standing by, ready to carry it off to its proper place.

I fear these pages may seem full of dismal dis-
couragement and gloomy warnings, so, before leav-
ing the subject, I will repeat once more that the
doki-boy is a criminal only from ignorance, that he
is teachable, and that, possibly, he appears a greater
sinner because his evil deeds, as a rule, are — or
should be — committed before his master's eyes,
which is, in itself, some little comfort !

268 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

The rainy season^ from June till November, is
the most mihealthy time for ponies, especially in
the Niger valley. They are very subject to
colic and to the peculiar form of horse-sickness
which is attracting so much attention from the
medical and veterinary officers. It shows itself
in fever, weakness of the loins, swollen glands, and
wasting away, accompanied by a voracious appetite,
and, so far, has not been definitely diagnosed, though
every effort is being made to understand its nature
by examining specimens of blood, etc. Arsenic has
been suggested as a cure, but at present it seems
to me that, once the doctor or veterinary surgeon
has discovered the peculiar bacillus in the blood,
there is little or no hope of the pony's complete
recovery, and the best thing for the unfortunate
owner to do is to sell him for what he will fetch, or
give him away to a native. The native can fre-
quently patch up a sick pony till he is quite fit
enough for the light work they give him, though he
would be quite useless for polo or hard marching.
I have seen only too many good little ponies die,
and, once they sicken, I always feel that the dosing
and nursing is rather hopeless work, and the sure
bullet the kinder way ; though, if it is determined
to make a fight for the pony's life, the only way is to
employ a native horse-doctor — he may know more
about it than we do, and he certainly cannot well
know less !

THE STABLE 269

There are very few other ills that the West African
stable is heir to, if ordinary care and supervision
are given. It is worth mentioning that the mai-
doki will ascribe everything that he cannot account
for as the result of cold, from a mosquito bite up
to a serious sprain, and ' Sainye ya kamma shi ! '
(' he has caught cold ') will become a familiar
sounding phrase, and will have to be politely but
firmly discouraged.

CHAPTER VI
Camp Life

After a year spent in Nigeria, I am sure you will
agree with me, on looking back, that the time spent
* on tour ' was the happiest and most enjoyable of
all. The life in the open air, the constant change
and variety of scenery, the daily march that makes
one so hungry at meal-times and so sleepy long
before recognized bed-time, the incessant items of
interest, among people, animals, birds, butterflies
and plants — all combine to make one think it an

ideal existence, and one where it is almost impossi-
ble to be cross, bored, or grumbly, in the clear sun-
light, and amongst some of the loveliest surroundings
imaginable. But this charming state of things is
not to be reached all at once. To begin with, you
must start with a firm determination to make the
best of everything and anything : your unselfish-
ness must be untiring and your cheerfulness in-
fectious; your husband is certain to have a little
leaven of difficult and possibly tiresome work
mixed with his share of the picnic, so at these times,
at least, the give and take of daily life may well

271

272 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

be enhanced by lavish giving on your part. Here,
no one can help you but yourself ; but I can do
something else for you, and that is, to supply you
with a few hints, gathered from our own experi-
ence, which will make the camp arrangements run
smoothly, and ensure your comfort in the remotest
' bush.' For it is not a sound argument to say,
' If we get so hungry, we shan't be particular what
we eat ' — it is just when one is famished that one
wants a good, simple, well-cooked meal, not tough
meat and eggs of doubtful freshness. Do not be
discouraged at the start ; it seems a colossal under-
taking to calculate full provisions for some weeks,
but it is really a simple matter after a little practice.
At the end of this chapter you will find a list of stores
necessary for the use of two people going to camp,
and out of reach of European stores, for a month.
The quantities are of necessity rather approximate,
depending, as they must in some cases, on individual
taste. Wherever you go, the villages can usually
supply sheep, fowls, eggs, maize and yams, sweet
potatoes and fruit and guinea-corn, and in many
places there is excellent bush-fowl and guinea-fowl
shooting to be had, thus adding the best of all dishes,
game, to the larder.

Stores are carried in ' chop-boxes,' i.e. deal boxes,
with hinged lids, hasps and padlocks, and with
handles. For size, i8 in. x lo in. x 8 in. is about
right, for they must be considered as loads, and it

CAMP LIFE 273

is no use having them larger, as you will only have
to leave them half empty, on account of the weight,
and things will tumble about and bottles get broken.
Even the size I have just mentioned cannot be
packed full, but when one wants to carry fruit, or
any light addition, the space comes in handy. We
have found it useful, when bringing stores out from
England (a proceeding much to be recommended
to the economical housekeeper), to have a few of
the cases made as described above, so as to have them
ready for touring after their contents have been
removed. Three should be enough, and one may
usefully be devoted to rice alone, unless you are
satisfied with and sure of being able to obtain the
native sort : a 50 lb. bag of rice just fits in, and is
invaluable, as fresh vegetables are almost impossible
to come by. We have a fitted chop-box, made to
our own design, containing a tray, and divers divi-
sions, to accommodate china and glass. Below,
there is one space which holds the plates and dishes,
another that just fits two sparklet bottles, and a
third which usually carries the day's supply of bread
or biscuits. The tray contains the teapot, four cups
and saucers, milk-jug and sugar-basin (all china),
and four tumblers, all in their own partitions ; the
cruet-stand has also a little corner to itself, where
nothing ever upsets, and we are saved the eternal
worry of unscrewing patent receptacles to get at
the salt, etc. This leaves an empty space in the

274 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

middle of the tray, where the small tins of tea, sugar,
milk, tea-cloth, etc., live, the idea being that break-
fast, luncheon, or tea, can be prepared at once,
without touching the other chop-boxes, if so desired.
Knives, forks and spoons all have their own separ-
ate spaces, a better arrangement than the usual
leather straps in the lid. The divisions are lined
with felt, so that china tea-things and glass tumblers
(all of thickish material, of course), which, to my
mind, are so infinitely preferable to ironware as to
make ' all the difference,' can be carried in safety for
many months, even allow^ing for unlikely accidents,
such as a carrier slipping on a stone while fording a
river, etc.

On coming out here, we had ordered a costly
luncheon basket from England but, before it
arrived we had done our first tour of some weeks'
duration with the chop-box I have just described,
and instantly decided that we could not be bothered
with the dainty, but much less serviceable little
arrangement of wicker, etc., so we rifled it of its
least complicated fittings, and wrote it down under
the heading of * Experientia docet ' in the house-
hold accounts.

I will make no apology for having discussed this
subject at such length, for I know, from personal
experience, what an immense difference to one's
comfort a really practical chop-box makes ; it is,
therefore, worth describing in detail, as such an

One of our Camps, (p. 275)

The Ar ail-Cart, Bida. (p. 280)

{/ace p. i-ii^.

CAMP LIFE 275

article cannot be bought ready-made. It is only
necessary to add that the dimensions should be about
32 in. X 14 in. x 14 in._, and the weight should not
exceed 50 to 55 lb.

Don't forget to take the indispensable mincing-
machine ; if necessary at headquarters^ it is doubly
so in the bush, where you frequently have to eat
meat an hour or so after it has been killed. A
Berkefeld filter is the best, easily carried, simple
and quick to work, beside being simplicity itself to
clean and fix up : there is another, on the foot-
pump principle, which saves labour, or at least
exertion, but its extra weight is a great drawback.

We will suppose, you are able to provide yourselves
with two 80 lb. Regulation Officer's tents ; Govern-
ment supplies one, and you would do well to bring
a second as a private possession : one tent is quite
too small for two people, and it is a pity to lose so
much comfort for a detail so easily carried out.
Have them pitched one behind the other, the front
one to serve for meals and daily occupation, the back
one as sleeping quarters. You can always get a
small, roofless attachment, with matting walls,
erected in a few minutes, at the back of the sleeping
tent, to act as a bathroom. At times, when we felt
fairly secure from possible rain, we pitched the outer
fly of the front tent in front again; it is quite a
simple matter, with the aid of a few extra poles,
supplied from the village, and extends one's quarters

276 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

delightfully, for a stay of any length, if the camp
is in a shady spot — otherwise, of course, it makes
the tents warm.

For camp furniture, none is better than the ' X '
patent. The beds are most comfortable, and are
by no means the Japanese puzzle that some camp
beds are : there are excellent little tables, that can
be put together in a couple of minutes, and a canvas
basin and bath of the same pattern. With refer-
ence to the bath, I may say, that we have found it
more convenient to carry with us a regular tin, tra-
velling bath, with cover and strap, containing a
wicker lining ; it is so immensely useful for holding
all kinds of odd things : an enamelled washing-
basin, fitted with a canvas or leather cover and
a strap, is also a great comfort, as, inside it, the whole
of your washing paraphernalia travels, and it is
such a joy to find everything you want under your
hand, when your bath is temptingly ready — the
towels having been thrown over the bathroom wall
to sun themselves till you are ready for theiti.

Two really comfortable chairs of the ordinary,
canvas, deck-chair pattern are most desirable, in
addition to the regulation, little sit-up arm-chair
affairs ; a lounge is what one wants after a long, hot
march. We have found it very useful to bring out,
* on our own,' an extra, small ' X ' table, and a
second armchair ; the table being precious to a
degree as a dressing-table.

CAMP LIFE 277

When the chop boxes are neatly ranged round
the sides of your tent, and the furniture, above
mentioned, opened out, you will not care to fill up
any more space with unecessary articles. But
never allow yourself to be uncomfortable for the
want of things you are certain to miss every day :
it will spoil half your pleasure, and it is well worth
the cost of an extra carrier, if necessary, for the pur-
pose. I fancy that every one, after one tour in the
bush, will find that experience teaches that a few
things taken, were useless, and some left behind were
sorely wanted, and a little judicious sorting and
arrangement will ensure the second trip being far
more comfortable, without in the least increasing
the bulk of your personnel.

Personal clothing can be carried in tin uniform
cases, and it should be reduced as far as is com-
patible with the foregoing axiom. I have found
that a touring wardrobe, consisting of a habit skirt,
boots, etc., two coats, one short holland skirt, a
plain tea-gown, two changes of underclothing, a few
muslin stocks, one pair of thick boots, and, instead
of slippers, long, loose, Hausa boots, can be easily
packed into a fair-sized uniform case. I always
take, too, a folding Panama hat, for wearing in camp
(one marches, of course, in a solar topee) ; a very small
dressing-case, which is a great comfort, as it keeps all
one's toilet necessaries together ; a writing-case, tiny
work-box, and sketching materials, all packed in
the one box.

278 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

The servants do the washing, in a rough and ready
fashion, so that many changes are absolutely un-
necessary, especially as the items are not '' got up "
at all, and can be washed and dried in an hour or
two.

It is useful to have one extra tin case, not dedi-
cated to any special purpose : it acts as a sort of
overflow box, and, indeed, one usually finds it over-
flowing. One or two favourite books, sketching,
or photography, butterfly catching, and a small
but '' lasting " piece of needlework, will amply fill
up your leisure hours in camp. I remember a friend
of mine in India worked a quantity of very beauti-
ful point lace during a shooting trip in Kashmir ;
she used to sit on a box and stitch, while the camp
was being pitched and struck. Personally, I find,
as a rule, that after the inevitable preliminary ar-
rangements and luncheon, a change and a rest, a
couple of sketches, and a stroll through the village,
tea-time and twilight come long before I am ready
for them.

The camp kitchen requires a little special arrange-
ment, and both mistress and cook will have to employ
their utmost ingenuity to prevent all the culinary
operations from being conducted on the bare ground.
The cook will not grumble, he rather enjoys squat-
ting on his heels, balancing pots and pans on a pile
of blazing wood, and surrounding himself with a
charmed circle of feathers, egg-shells and onions.

CAMP LIFE 279

But as long as he sees that all his implements are
thoroughly cleansed and scrubbed — and one need not
go far to find sand in Africa — there need be no real
uncleanliness, however primitive the conditions ;
indeed, I always find my camp kitchen far more
accessible than the one at headquarters, where a dash
has to be made across a scorching compound at each
visit. Many a simple cooking lesson have we jointly
given, in the open air, under some shady tree, seated
on boxes, wrestling with a wood fire in a light breeze.
A wide smooth board, scrubbed spotless every day,
makes quite a useful kitchen table, placed across
two provision boxes ; one side being kept, scrupu-
lously, for bread-making, etc., the other used for
operations involving meat, onions, etc. Another
detail that requires the mistress' assistance is a
camp meatsaf e — a few yards of mosquito netting or
muslin, and the frame of an old umbrella, will
solve the difficulty at once. The muslin must have
a drawstring at the top and bottom, and the birds
or joints hung on to the ribs of the open umbrella,
which swings gracefully from the nearest tree.

For light, you cannot improve on the '* Lord's "
lantern, issued by Government : it gives a splendid
light, and travels in its own case, which also contains
a canister, holding kerosene ; this latter, however
only carries enough oil for about a fortnight, so it
is necessary to take a tin of kerosene as well. It is
not wise to economize much over oil, for a light should

28o A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

be kept burning all night where you sleep. We
usually carry also an excellent little lantern, fitted
for candle or lamp, and are therefore never con-
demned to that ' dim, religious light ' which is so
conducive to most irreligious exclamations, when
the master falls over a gun-case in the dark, or wants
to read a paper.

During our last leave we had made, to our own
design, a small arrangement, which, from personal
experience, we can recommend most strongly. It is
a light wooden box, measuring about i8 in. x 14 in.
X7 in. ; with a hinged lid, lock and key. Inside
it is lined with padded baize, and divided into com-
partments, containing, respectively, a pair of candle
lamps, four glass globes, two punkah tops, and
a box of candles. This box travels everywhere in
perfect safety, and is an endless comfort : amongst
other advantages, it saves the inconvenience of
placing a heavy " Lord's '' lantern on a small camp
dinner-table, which always seems to attract instantly
every flying pest for a radius of fifty miles at least.
Moreover, during more than six months of almost
incessant travelling, only one globe has been broken.

The actual marching will, of necessity, and from
choice too, be done in the early morning, but if
possible, when making the first start, let it be in the
afternoon, a short march of only an hour or two
(this is nearly always possible from any large centre),
getting to your camp well by daylight. This is

CAMP LIFE 281

essential ; the carriers will not be accustomed to
their loads, they will all squabble and fight for the
lightest ones, and, even did you purpose a morning
start, an early one would be an impossibility. Then,
on arrival in camp, no one knows where to put any-
thing, and there is certain to be much to arrange and
alter, for the West African servitor will, for the whole
of your trip, place each chair and box exactly where
he planted them that first evening, so be warned
and, on that momentous occasion, insist upon having
everything placed exactly where you hope to find it
every day for the next few weeks — so much comfort
depends on this. If you are accompanied by a
military or police escort, the tents will be pitched
without any difficulty ; but otherwise, I fear that a
little trouble and patience must be expended in
teaching the carriers this most important accom-
plishment.

But do not lose heart, and feel miserable and
disappointed, if things are rather in a muddle, the
servants slow and unmethodical, the carriers dis-
posed to dump down their loads anywhere, and
disappear into the village. Take the word of a fairly
old camping hand, things will be better to-morrow,
and better still the day after. Meantime, a kettle
can be boiled in a few minutes, and, though you are
probably fatigued, yourself, after much packing,
and perhaps a longer ride than you have taken for
some time, a cup of tea will make a wonderful differ-

282 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

ence. The mistress, who, after half an hour's rest
for every one, gets up cheerfully from her comfort-
able chair, saying brightly, ' Now then, Suli, or
Mohammadu, I am going to help you,' can reduce
chaos to order and comfort in no time, and will find
her servants willing to assist ; for, as I have said
before in this chapter, cheerfulness is infectious,
and nowhere more so than amongst Africans. I
have often seen a crowd of sullen, angry faces
suddenly break into happy, childish laughter, moved
by one well-timed joke.

Speaking from my own experience, I can only say
that I consider the carriers to be a much maligned
set of folks ; they are very easy to deal with, and
after the first march, there is never a dispute—
except, of course, over ' chop ' — the carrier fraternity
would wrangle in Paradise over the possession of
half a yam. I have known most of them by name ;
on one long tour they used to come and say ' Good-
morning ' with broadest smiles, and, even after long
and trying marches, they would go out into the'^bush,
entirely on their own initiative, and collect bunches
of flowers for ' Missis ' to decorate her tent and
dinner-table with. Their affectionate impulses went
so far as to induce them to rifle birds' nests and bring
me the fledglings, until I had to be severe about it.
A little sympathetic attention to their various
ailments and wounds, makes them consider one as a
valuable ally and friend.

CAMP LIFE 283

Once shaken down into the routme of marching,
you will elect to get up at dawn, your toilet will
take about twenty minutes, and a simple breakfast,
consisting of coffee and eggs, or grilled chicken,
should then be ready. During breakfast, the carriers
will pounce upon, and whisk away, the whole con-
tents of the camp, and in less than an hour from the
time you woke the long line will have streamed
away into the distance, the head-man having
instructions where to pitch the next camp, and to
have a good supply of water and fire-wood ready.
Your better half will probably have a little work
to do, in the shape of a final interview with the
Chief of the place, so the carriers can always get a
good half-hour's start.

You will then begin your march, walking in the
fresh, cool, morning air, through the loveliest, green-
est, dew-soaked country possible to find, along
the tiny footpaths, which constitute the ' high
roads ' in Nigeria. I believe some people never
walk a yard on the march, but I always thoroughly
enjoy it \ it breaks the monotony of many hours in
the saddle, and, I think, must be good for one, as
riding at a snail's pace is not, after all, very violent
exercise.

If a march is extremely long, it is quite easy to
keep the cook and a few carriers, with table, chairs,
etc., behind the others, have a cold luncheon prepared
the day before, and select a shady spot near water,

284 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

about half-way^ for luncheon and a rest — as a rule,
you will find that the carriers have already selected
it with some discrimination. The ordinary day's
march occupies five or six hours, and averages from
fifteen to eighteen miles. This sounds very little, but
it is as much as your carriers and ponies (and your-
self) are able for, without distress, and, unless time
is a serious consideration, I do not advocate march-
ing again in the afternoon. A Political Officer will
usually have ample work at each halting-place to
occupy the hours of daylight. I have done seven
and eight hours in the saddle many a time, but it is
tiring, hard work for every one, and makes the
whole thing a weariness, instead of a pleasure.

You will, I think, find, when you ride in, that
tents have been pitched, everything unpacked and
made ready for you, the servants will have rested,
the cook will be hard at work, preparing luncheon,
and the staff will assure you, with smiling faces, that
the march has been ' not far too much at all.' If
one anticipates several weeks of hard marching, it
is a good thing to hire small ponies for the cook
and head steward, as it ensures their arriving first,
and arriving fresh.

The evening stroll at sunset is always full of
interest for me. There is the village to inspect,
cloth-making and cotton-spinning to admire, and,
perhaps, many little trifles of Hausa leather work,
etc., to buy. In places where a white woman has

CAMP LIFE 285

never been seen before, she may cause a panic among
the simple souls. In one remote little Pagan village,
I remember, the men came, as usual, headed by
their Chief, to the * palaver,' and, at sight of me,
they fell prostrate, covered their heads with their
flowing garments, lay on the ground and moaned
in fear, refusing to be comforted till I retreated from
the scene. I have since discovered that an occa-
sional albino negress (truly, a fearsome sight) is
held by them in great reverence, and practically
worshipped !

In another village the people fled at the sight of
me, the only person holding his ground being a man,
nursing a sick baby, who had high fever, from teeth-
ing pain. We prescribed, and supplied, for the
poor mite, a remedy so old-fashioned, that I almost
blush to record it — a nicely smoothed and rounded
chicken bone ! And, when the incessant wail of
pain died away, and the baby chewed contentedly
at its ' comforter,' the frightened women and
children crept back and smiled, and told each other,
doubtless, that we were physicians of a very high
order !

One can always, I find, gain the confidence of
the women-kind, by taking notice of the ' pikkins,'
or by a little care and solicitude for a wound or sore.
Merely the applying of a clean bandage, personally,
establishes your position in the village as the ' God-
sent,' and, which matters more, as the friend of

286 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

the ladies — for I have a strong conviction that
(in spite of the laments indulged in by good people
at home, over the sad position of the down-trodden
woman of Africa) the ladies rule the villages and
set the public tone : I have seen most lively rows
and free fights started by one lady's uncontrolled
tongue, or quarrelsome temper.

You will, of course, like to see that your ponies
are properly housed, well-fed, and comfortable for
the night. It is as well to take blankets for them,
in case they have to sleep in the open, or stand in
the rain. When possible, it is a great comfort to
have an extra pony, to march along with you — one
of them may go sick or lame, on a rough road, and
have to be put out of work. Ponies usually fatten
and thrive well on the march, possibly because
guinea-corn, etc., is so much more plentiful in the
bush than at headquarters ; but it is decidedly
anxious work, taking horses one values into thick,
forest country, where guinea-corn is not obtainable
and grass rank and scarce. Great care should
be exercised over the ponies' drinking water,
and they should hy no means be allowed to drink
at any pool or stream they may cross. I firmly
believe that bad water is one of the causes of much
of the horse sickness so prevalent here, and unless
I can see clearly up and down stream for some dis-
tance, and satisfy myself that the water is not full
of decaying vegetation, nor stagnating under over-

CAMP LIFE 287

hanging branches, my pony has to wait for his drink
until a healthier state of things can be found.

Where roads are rough and stony, extra care is,
of course, needed in searching the ponies' feet for
stones — it may not occur to the doki-boys.

In some parts of the country tents are seldom
necessary, as^there are rest-houses at all the halting-
places on the main roads, and very delightful they
are to spend a day or two in, when they are water-
tight and in good repair — simply shelters, with a
very deep, low, thatched roof coming to within four
feet of the ground, no walls (grass ones can be
added by the villagers in half an hour, if desired),
cosy, yet airy from their great height, very roomy,
and usually watertight ; though, to ensure this,
when there is rain about, it is a good thing to pitch
the outer fly of a tent over your bed, thus securing a
dry, comfortable night, even in a tornado. In a few
places, where the rest-house is placed in a forest
clearing, outside the village, it seems rather confiding
to sleep so insecurely, but I have been told that a
lamp and mosquito curtains will daunt any but the
hungriest lion.

I have only one or two more suggestions to offer
before closing this chapter : the first and most im-
portant may not sound attractive, but it is abso-
lutely necessary — to put all the clothing you intend
wearing the next day under your pillow at night.
Indeed, it is the only way to ensure its being dry, the

288 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

damp penetrates everywhere, and at 5 a.m. one does
not feel disposed to walk about, lightly clothed,
unlocking boxes, and extracting one's garments.

Another small point, which is useful to know and
act upon, is, that a very small quantity of powdered
alum will clear dirty, brackish water very quickly ;
all the solid matter sinks to the bottom, and the clear
water can be poured off, thus saving the unpleasant
necessity for a muddy-looking, uninviting bath :
a few crystals of permanganate of potash are rather
nice in a bath, too, when the water is unpleasant to
smell and look at.

On long marches it is worth while trying to culti-
vate a taste for Kola nuts : they are marvellously
refreshing and stimulating, and the clean, bitter
flavour is rather delightful once one is accustomed to
it. I have, often and often, staved off the pangs of
hunger, thirst and fatigue, with a Kola nut, the sharp-
ness tempered by a piece of chocolate munched
along with it.

For the benefit of your servants and carriers, a few
simple remedies, easily obtained from the medical
officers, should be taken into the bush ; they are
tabulated below, with a list of stores. This last,
it must be remembered, is confined severely to
necessaries ; it can be supplemented by all kinds of
luxuries, such as tinned sardines, cheese, butter,
potted meat, etc., always bearing in mind that the
ottal transport allowed by Government, at present

CAMP LIFE

289

to each official on the march, is an average of twelve
to fourteen loads of fifty-six pounds each.

Provisions necessary for Two People

One Month

for

4 lb. sugar.

4 lb. tea.

14 lb. flour.

4 tins biscuits.

18 tins milk.

6 tins lard.

6 tins jam.

2 tins baking-powder.

2 tins coffee.

2 packets candles.

I packet matches.

1 tin kerosene,

12 boxes sparklets.

2 bars soap.

I bottle curry-powder.

12 soup squares.

I case whisky.

I case limejuice.

salt, pepper, mustard, etc.

Medical Stores

I roll lint.
I roll cotton-wool.
I packet bandages.
I tin Epsom salts.
I tin boracic powder.

1 tin sulphur ointment.

2 bottles liniment.

I bottle chlorodyne.
A small quantity of iodo-
form ointment.

u

CHAPTER VII
What to Wear

I APPROACH this subject with some diffidence, as it
is one so differently regarded by different individuals.
No two people ever seem to agree about clothing for
the tropics, so I shall not attempt to offer opinions
on the merits or demerits of ' flannel next the skin/
etc., but shall confine myself to a few general hints,
which, I hope, may be equally useful to the disciple
of Jaeger and Viyella, and to the advocate of musHn
and cambric.

One broad axiom that none will dispute, I may give
safely : in all kinds of clothes, aim at variety rather
than at super-excellence of quality and delicacy of
trimming. Remember that you have to wear wash-
ing gowns all the year round, and their constant
attendance at the wash-tub will destroy them very
quickly if you have only three or four to ring the
changes on. This applies especially to white gowns,
which, cool and dainty as they are, I do not recom-
mend very strongly, as a dusty path or a shower of
rain will make them unwearable after half an hour,
and back they must go to the washerman, who pro-

391

292 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

ceeds to forcibly illustrate the meaning of ' wear and
tear.'

Linen skirts of any colour that is not too delicate
are invaluable ; half a dozen of them, one or two
holland, and a couple of simple muslins or cool
cottons, should carry you triumphantly through
your time. The woman endowed with clever fingers
can, of course, add to her stock, armed with good
paper patterns, lengths of unmade material, and,
if she is lucky, a sewing-machine, and she will prob-
ably be very glad of the occupation for her spare
time. Shirts and blouses of thin flannel, washing
silk and muslin can be brought in any number that
space allows — the more the better, but the local
laundry cannot goffer frills and almost always
tears lace ! Cambric and muslin blouses of the
' shirt ' order are the most useful kind, as silk rots
almost at once. For this reason let your smarter
blouses be of crepe de chine rather than silk.
Evening gowns you will scarcely want ; one, or at
most two simple dinner frocks, and a tea-gown to
wear for dinner at home, will be ample. For the
benefit of those who may have to spend some time
on tour, I may mention that I derive the greatest
comfort from a very thin cashmere or nun's veiling
tea-gown, or rather an elaborate dressing-gown for
dinner in camp, and also find it useful as a dressing-
gown during the colder part of the voyage. You
will want one warm dress of the coat-and-skirt de-

WHAT TO WEAR 293

scription to start your voyage in, for it is usually quite
cold from Liverpool to the Canaries. It should be
of the plainest tailor-made sort ; once arrived in
Africa you will not wear it again, probably, until
you reach the same point on your way home. The
same may be said of what was once described to me
as a ' human ' hat, unless it is of the very plainest ;
for some reason which I cannot quite define, but can
nevertheless thoroughly appreciate, a ' smart ' hat
looks absolutely ludicrous out here : in fact, any
tendency to over-dressing has only one effect, that
of making your company, usually a few hard-working
men, feel thoroughly uncomfortable. All one wants,
after all, is to appear fresh, spotless and dainty, which
can be best accomplished by a clean linen frock, a
shady simple straw hat, a sensible sunshade and
garden gloves.

If it will not quite break your heart, be advised
and brush back your fringe, if you have one ; it is
quite impossible to keep it in curl or tidy, and the
peace and comfort you will get from the absence of
clammy dank wisps of short hair will amply repay you
for what you may think an unbecoming change.
May I also whisper that no one should allow her
friends at home to persuade her to invest in an
' artistic and invisible ' ' transformation ' ; they
are all too visible, and, for this country, are simply
waste of money.

In Nigeria there is nearly always a breeze modify-

294 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

ing the damp heat, which reminds me that a Hght
cloth or flannel coat is rather indispensable for sitting
outside after tennis, on cool evenings ; and, when it
sets to work to rain after a sultry day, one finds it
very chilly in muslin, the temperature drops so
suddenly and considerably, that a thin serge or flannel
skirt is exceedingly comfortable.

Your riding-habit should consist of a very short
skirt of moderate thickness ; I am no believer in
what tailors call ' Colonial ' habits, they very sel-
dom set so comfortably, and never wear so well as a
good solid cloth ; moreover, the gain in coolness
is not perceptible : at least, that has been my experi-
ence, after some years in India. For underneath
you will find rather loose knickers most comfort-
able, made of dark coloured washing material ;
the best is called ' moleskin ' by breeches-makers, and
is used for the thinnest kind of riding-breeches for
men. Don't have your knickers made by a habit-
maker, simply have a good pattern of bicycling
knickers copied ; two pairs should be quite enough.
A cloth coat is unnecessary ; a few holland and white
drill loose coats will answer much better, and, as
starched collars are somewhat at a discount, soft
white muslin scarves, worn like a hunting-stock, look
neat and are coriif or table. I think it is a consider-
able advantage to have your habit very short in-
deed, as, while touring, it is a great pleasure and
variety to walk the first few miles of the march, a

/
WHAT TO WEAR 295

pleasure which is completely spoilt if you have to
hold up a heavy habit skirt. Riding on tour is such
crawling work, that, if you prefer it, you could quite
well ride your marches in an ordinary short walking
skirt, though personally I think there is no garb so
entirely comfortable as well-fitting riding garments.

For those wise women who adopt the ' astride '
position, a divided skirt is, of course, necessary.
The very best is, I believe, made by Ross of Bond
Street, but that, being the perfection of cut and
smartness, is, naturally, an expensive investment,
and for rough work in this country an ordinary
divided bicycling skirt would answer perfectly, or
else full bloomers worn with shooting boots and
putties and a rather long-skirted coat — person-
ally, I should advocate the latter.

Bear well in mind, there must be no trifling with
your mackintosh ! When it rains in West Africa, it
does rain, and you want the most serious and really
waterproof mackintosh obtainable. I have found
that the essential point is to have it of a light weight,
loose and easy to slip into, at a moment's notice, even
on a plunging frightened pony, when the tornado
catches one on the march. The firm of all others for
this purpose is Burberry, in the Haymarket. I doubt
whether any umbrella really keeps out the rain ;
for ordinary use, I should advise a strong silk en-tout
cas of a dark colour that will serve equally well for
sun or shower. You will also want a really big cotton

296 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

umbrella, lined with green — in fact, it would be a
graceful attention to bring a second one for your
better half, as they are quite necessary for and con-
stantly used by men who have to go out in the sun
in the middle of the day.

It will be wise to stock yourself before leaving home
with all small etceteras, such as ribbons, laces,
buttons, thread, needles, etc. We cannot yet buy
' chiffons ' in Nigeria, and, unless you bring them
all with you, it entails writing home, and waiting two
months for a reel of silk or a packet of needles. I
remember well being utterly unable to get from
market or stores a single reel of white cotton, for
weeks, and my husband being reduced to wearing
a highly decorative but somewhat unusual pair of
amateur boot-laces made of bright crimson Hausa
leather !

Boots must be fairly solid as to soles ; the soil of
West Africa seems to have a specially destructive effect
on English leather. In Sierra Leone, for instance,
the soles are worn out in a few weeks, though in
Nigeria things are not so bad; for while in Sierra
Leone, I walked because I loathed crawling in a
hammock, here, with ponies, walking is not a bit
necessary. Still, it is impossible to get boots re-
soled, so as to be wearable, therefore do not economize
in this direction, only remember that all your foot-
gear must be constantly worn or it will spoil. Black-
ing boots are only a vexation, they always seem

WHAT TO WEAR 297

sticky, and dirty one's hands and skirts ; I should
recommend a stout, really stout, pair of tan laced
boots for heavy walking, about half a size larger
than usual, a lighter pair for ordinary wear (tan
buckskin is delightfully cool and soft for the dry
weather), and a couple of pairs of walking-shoes of tan
or black glace kid. It is useless to lay down anything
definite, as people use their feet so differently ; some are
hard on boots, while others can wear them for years
apparently. Of course, boot-trees have a good deal
to say to the longevity of foot-gear, and, now that
such light ones are to be had, three or four pairs would
not be too many. I have heard it said that walking-
shoes are dangerous on account of snakes, but they
are far cooler than boots, and one really does not
have to pick one's way among snakes as a rule, and I
have always found them a pleasant variety. x\bout
indoor shoes you will, of course, decide for yourself ;
I think perhaps they wear out quicker than at home —
mine do, at all events, but my incessant perambula-
tions in the garden, stables, etc., may have something
to do with that ! They should be glace kid, not
patent leather, on account of coolness.

Riding-boots ought to be tan, and a very easy fit ;
I have been told that stiffened canvas uppers and
tan-leather feet constitute delightfully cool riding-
boots, but I have no personal experience of them,
and think one can hardly improve on good tan
leather : I have never desired anything cooler, even

298 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

in a Punjab hot weather. A little toilet powder
sprinkled inside makes them much easier to pull
on.

Mosquitoes do not deal more gently with us here
than they do elsewhere ; all the men wear long loose
boots, made in this country, of Hausa leather ; they
are an absolute protection, and, if somewhat too
clumsy for a lady's wear, as a rule, they are exceed-
ingly useful in camp. For ordinary use, a pair of black
canvas gaiters, buttoned and reaching to the knee,
can be worn over ordinary evening slippers. They
are so neat as not to be noticeable at all, and are an
absolute protection when mosquitoes are numerous
and hungry.

So much for your outer woman. At the end of
this chapter, I am giving a list of what appears to me
the least possible supply of clothes to make you
comfortable, and, bearing in mind that it takes
two months to get additions out from Home, even
to Lokoja, and much longer up country, you will
doubtless agree that it is best to be independent.
You will want a large quantity of underclothing,
and, first of all, you must decide for yourself about
the solidity of vests, etc. I cannot suggest hygienic
principles, as I never practise them ; do as you are
accustomed to do, as that appears to make for com-
fort. I met one lady in Africa, who told me she
wore merino combinations, because, having worn
them always in England, she felt cold without

WHAT TO WEAR 299

them — and this in a mean temperature of eighty
or ninety degrees !

I think perfect comfort and happiness can be
found in fine cambric or nainsook combinations,
or spun-silk vests and cambric knickers. I rather
doubt the desirability of washing-silk under-gar-
ments, chiefly because the art of laundry work is
in its infancy, and the silk shirts that I have had
washed have returned distinctly hard and harsh.
But the main point, in a climate like this, is to have
enough of whatever you decide to wear ; you will pro-
bably change everything two or three times a day, and
washing is not done here in a day or two, as it is in
India. Let everything be of the thinnest texture,
compatible with bad washing. The Lahman under-
wear is excellent in its thinnest qualities, and is
invariably praised by those who wear it.

A supply of old underlinen to wear on the voyage
and throw overboard is invaluable ; I dislike no-
thing more than arriving at one's destination with a
bulging soiled-linen bag, and an uncertain prospect
of getting it converted into clean clothes. On
the way home this is quite a simple matter ; after
twelve months in the hands of the gentle African
laundry folk, most of your underlinen will be fit
for nothing else !

At least six pairs of corsets are necessary, the
coolest kind obtainable, certainly, but I can assure
you that to leave off wearing them at any time for

300 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

the sake of coolness is a huge mistake : there is
nothing so fatiguing as to lose one's ordinary support
even with a view to being ' comfy/ Always wear
corsets, even for tete-a-tete home dinner on the
warmest evenings ; there is something about their
absence almost as demoralizing as hair in curling-
pins !

I should avoid expensive and ' faddy ' varieties
of underclothing. I remember when I first went to
India, I was induced to buy, at a guinea each, four
night-dresses of some special mixture of silk and wool,
which, I was told, would be ' ideal wear ' for the Red
Sea and other warm localities. Perhaps I am hope-
lessly prejudiced against anything resembling flannel,
but I thought them horrible, and after enduring one
for half an hour, they were all stowed away, to be
presented to my ' ayah ' at the first opportunity.
If you think fit to wear a kamerband at night (a
distinctly prudent proceeding), a yard or two of
white flannel, simply torn into lengths about eighteen
inches wide, and worn outside the nightdress, answers
the purpose better than anything else ; the nights
are almost invariably cool, and usually breezy
towards dawn.

With these few hints, aided by your own common
sense, I think your outfit is sure to be successful
and satisfactory, and your comfort and dainty appear-
ance assured ; so I need say no more, except a word
or two on the subject of a sun-hat, which you must

WHAT TO WEAR 301

have, no matter how much your artistic feehngs may
rebel against it. Be sure it is large enough, for the
part that needs most protection is the back of the
neck, and no helmet-shaped ' topi ' will give you real
shade there. I like best the spreading, mushroom
shaped wide-brimmed hat, which will fit well down
over back hair and all, so that hat-pins and chin-
strap can be dispensed with. A grey hat, with a grey
silk puggaree looks — well, as nice as a solar topi
can be made to look ! With this and a couple of
simple straw or Panama hats, you will need no more ;
the appearance of the latter can be varied by different
ribbons and scarves to relieve the monotony.

If you have any favourite kinds of scent, soap or
powder, bring them with you ; scent and powder are
not to be bought here, of course, and one's ' very
own ' soap is a delightful small luxury everywhere.
I should like to say a word for ' Papier poudre.' It
is the greatest boon in a hot damp climate, which
gives a tendency to greasiness to the best com-
plexions, and does far less harm than the use of
powder ; moreover, it never leaves white streaks
on nose or cheeks, even if you pass the little, scented,
absorbent leaf over your face without a mirror.
Now as to boxes, and I have done.
I should strongly advise against the usual leather
cabin trunks ; they are so heavy that, although it is
true that they fit under a berth, it is a herculean
task to pull them out for anything you may happen

302 A RESIDENT'S WIFE IN NIGERIA

to want. They are likewise too heavy and too large
for one carrier's load, and so are useless for camp
travelling ; they wear badly too under rough usage,
which they are quite certain to get. Use regulation
tin ' uniform cases/ sized approximately 36 in. x
12 in. X 15 in. This is the ideal size for a carrier's
load, which he carries on his head, steadied with one
hand, so you can imagine that anything much wider
than the above dimensions is a great sorrow to him.
But I think, for the sake of your skirts, you might
be allowed one box a little longer, say 42 in., or
just long enough to take a skirt without folding ;
for the average carrier will make no objection as to
length, so long as you consider his feelings as to width.
You will find these boxes handier too in the cabin ;
you can put a couple of them under the sofa-berth,
and feel fairly independent of the sea that comes in
once or twice on every voyage. On the journey up
river, on the little stern-wheelers, space is a great
consideration, and a big trunk quite un-get-at-able ;
one feels less compunction in improvising a seat out
of a tin box than out of a leather one, and seats have
to be improvised very often on these occasions !

The following list is only intended as a basis to
work on, and to be added to as your fancy dictates
and your purse allows : —

Six cambric night-dresses. Twelve spun silk vests.
Two flannel night-dresses. Six pairs tan thread stockings.
Twelve cambric combinations. Six pairs black thread stock-
Six pairs cambric knickers. ings

WHAT TO WEAR

303

Three white petticoats.

Two silk moirette petticoats
(wears much better than
silk).

Two dozen handkerchiefs.

Six pairs corsets.

Twelve camisoles.

One white (washing) dressing-
gown.

One woollen dressing-gown.

Four linen skirts.

Two holland or drill skirts.

Two muslin dresses.

One cloth gown.

One tea-gown.

Two evening gowns.

Blouses ad. lib.

One habit skirt.

Four riding coats.

Two pairs riding breeches.

Two Panama hats.

One solar topi.

One light coat

One en-tout-cas.

One sunshade.

One mackintosh.

One pair thick tan boots

One pair tan walking boots.

One pair tan glace walking

shoes.
One pair black glace walking

shoes.
Six pairs house slippers
One pair tan riding boots

INDEX

A

Abadie, Captain, 107

" Aerolite," 174

Aiede, 19

Albino, 20

Anglo-French Boundary Com-
mission, 184, 185

Anglo-German Boundary Com-
mission, 50

Ant hills, 18

Arab merchants, 140

Ashburnham, Captain, 2

Astride, riding, 265

B

Badjibo, 155

Balu, 181

Bargery, Mr. and Mrs., 190

Bebeji, 71

Benue, river, 50

Bida, 27, 185

market of, 189
" Binkie," 62
Bird-life, 156
Black Swan, 50
Borgu, 147

people of, 177

superstitions of, 178
Boxes, 301
" Boys," 214
Bryophyllum, 139
Bunu language, 121

funeral ceremonies, 122
Burglary, 63
Burutu, 3
Bussa, 160

Camp life, 271

kitchen, 278

provisions, 289
Cannas, 17
Carriers, 282
Carts (mono-wheel), 66
Chop-boxes, 272
Churn, 234
Cook, native, 208
Coronation Day, 22, 25
Cows, 234

D

Dogs, 221

feeding of, 223

dosing of, 224
" Doki boy," 259, 262
Duck-shooting, 42

E

Egga, 37
Ekiurin, 17
Erun, 22

Filter, 201
Fish, 157
" Flamboyant," 7
" Fritz," 151
Fruit, 214
Furniture, 196
bedroom, 202

G

Ganna, 40, 89

304

INDEX

305

Garden, 239

flower, 240

verandah, 248

vegetable, 249
Girouard, Sir Percy, K.C.M.G.,

191
Gloriosa Superba, 12
Goldsmith, Mr., 26

Karshi, 108

Katagum, 92

Keffi, 47

Kemball, General and Mrs., 35

Kigelia Africana, 139

Kishra, 176

Kitchen, Nigerian, 209

H

Hadeija, 99

Emir of, 100

departure from, 104
Hasler, Major, 70
Hausa embroidery, 30

scholarship, 59
Home, the, 195
Horse-doctor, native, 57
Horses, feeding of, 260
Household, 205

wages of, 206

servants, 207
Housekeeping, 210

Igarra, 127
Ilesha, 170

funeral at, 171
Illo, 161
Incubator, 229
Isochelis, 139

Jebba, the, 58

Jebba, 153

Ju-ju hill, 124

house, 17

rock, 154

K

Kabba, 15, 112, 115

Ilorin boundary, 138
Kaiama, 167

Sariki of, 168
Kano, 73

Emir of, 79

residency, 82
Karonga, the, 5

Lawn, 244
Lions, 166
Lokoja, 8
Look-out hill, 120
Lukpa, 15

M

Marabouts, 96

Meat, 211

Mexican poppy, 138

Moloney, Captain, 54

Momo, 39

Mosquito net, 203

Mungo Park, death of, 175

Mureji, no

Murmur, 97

Mussaenda Elegans, 13

Nassuf, 140

N

O

Oduapi, 13
Ose River, 21
Ostrich, tame, 96
Oudney, Richard, 97
Oven, native, 38
Oxen, pack, 88
Oysters, 178

Palm-cats — Nandinia binotata,

137
Patti Abaja, 136

Patti hill, 8

Phillips, Captain, D.S.O., 129

Poultry, 226

feeding of, 231

Preperanda, 6

3o6

INDEX

R

Rapids, ascending, 159
Rapids at Wuru, 160

at Mullale, 185
Riding habit, 294

boots, 297

Tornado, dry, 163
at Kaiama, 173
Transhipping, 147
Transport, animal, 85
Trees and shrubs, 245

Saddlery, 264
Salla, great, 189
Sekondi, the, i
Semolika, 126

attack on, 131

stool, 134
Serval cat, 182
Sierra Leone, i
Slaves, 47

Sokoto, disaster at. 162
Stable, the, 257
Stern -wheelers, 5
Steward, duties of, 214
Stone, Mr., 3
Strophanthus, 138

U
Underclothing, 298
" Uwamu," 95

Vegetables, 213

W

Wa-wa, 165
Wear, what to, 291
Wilmot, Mr. and Mrs., 133

Zaria, 70
Zinnias, 70
Zungeru, 65

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