26o THE EXPLORATION OF THE NIGER during which the rock held us fixed, preventing us from settling down. We were saved once more. The miracle had been performed. Only do not fail to notice what a combination of circumstances was required to bring about the result : the immense speed with which we were going making us actually mount the rock, with the presence of Mam in my cabin all ready to stop up the hole !

The Dantec passed through with us without difficulty, and it was now the turn of the Aube, Digui attempted a manoeuvre with her of positively extraordinary audacity.

Knowing all too well that the rock which had been nearly fatal to us could not possibly be evaded, he simply flung the boat upon the grass-covered bank, and she climbed up, driven on by the great speed of the current. Then he let her slide down again backwards, or, to use the strictly nautical term, to fall astern.

For all this, however, we every one of us had to pay toll in one way or another at this infernal Labezenga. The Anbe grated on the point of a hidden rock just as she was about to join us again in quiet water.

It was now two o'clock in the afternoon, and we had been eight hours getting over a little more than half a mile in a straight line. We were famished with hunger, and our craving for food became almost unbearable. I constituted myself cook, and drawing upon our reserves of tinned meats and preserved vegetables, which we all felt we were justified in doing under the circumstances, I seized what came first, and tumbled everything helterskelter into a saucepan. We all devoured the result, which I called tripes d la Labezenga without in the least knowing what we were eating. I will give the recipe to all who wish to emulate Vatel : tripes d la mode de Caen truffles, esculent boletus, haricots verts with plenty of pepper and spice, served hot. In N. Lat. 14" 57' 30", after just escap-