258 THE EXPLORATION OF THE NIGER before him was most forbidding, one cataract succeeding another and alternating with boiling whirlpools, whilst the current rushed on at a rate of seven or eight miles at the least. The river simply seems to writhe in its course, and here and there it dashes backwards and forwards from one side to the other of its bed as if in a state of frenzy. There must be a difference of something like seven feet in the height of the water.

The least impracticable place seemed to be on the left of our anchorage between two islands, but I never should have believed that any boat could pass through even that. We had, however, to THK 'Aim.' IN iiiK KAPiDs. makc the venture, aod any delay would only render it more difficult, for the water was falling rapidly.

On the morning of Sunday the 15th Father Hacquart celebrated mass and we then prepared for the passage.

The crew of our two big barges was not strong enough to navigate both at once, so we decided to send each vessel separately past the dangerous spots, supplementing one crew from the other, and later we always adopted this plan, which worked well on emergencies.

Digui was the only one of our captains who could manage such t0J4rs de force, for really there is no other word for the work he had to perform. Idris, the quartermaster of the AubCy rather loses his head amongst the rapids, and is absolutely no good as a leader. Of course all that can be done is to give a general indication of the course to be pursued, and when the manoeuvre has once begun everything must be left to the intelligence of the