370 THE EXPLORATION OF THE NIGER May 17. — The river is still falling, and above our island a little sand-bank is now laid bare, where we were able to leave the Davoust for the repairs the damage done to her at Labezanga rendered necessary. Aided by Abdulaye, I undertook the task of patching her up, and found it a simple affair enough. Fortunately we had a sheet of aluminium in reserve, one only, it is true, but it was all we needed. We bent that sheet to the shape required, we bolted and riveted THE ' DAVOUST ' IN HER DRY DOCK.

it all in a few days, and until the water rose again the Davoust remained high and dry in her dock on the sand.

The sand-bank was very useful to our coolies for bathing from, and was also turned to account by the women who came to our market for doing their washing. The deck of the Davoust became the rendezvous of everybody, and no doubt some strange episodes took place on and in the stranded vessel. The flesh is weak, and it was perhaps as well that the chaplain of the mission and his aide-de-camp.