FROM KAYES TO TIMBUKTU 59 TIGHTENING THE BOLTS OF THE ' DAYOUST.

Osterman, who had already rendered us so many services, was now at Kolikoro superintending the building of canoes for the re-victualling of the river stations, and he was ready to help us again in every way. We succeeded in putting our three little barks in order, but wc never made them as watertight as they were originally, and especially with the Aue the leakage was a constant source of anxiety to us all through our trip.

Our engineer, Sauzereau, meanwhile was busy putting the Davoust together, an operation the difficulty of which was greatly increased by the fact that several of the sections had got bent and twisted, either on the road or during the time when she was left at Badumbd. In her case also we had to resort to various ingenious contrivances, supplementing the original metal with pieces of wood or iron rods.

On November 19 we launched her, but the water rushed in in floods through the PROCESSION OK BOYS AFTER CIRCUMCISION. , „ r- • • i. badly fittmg jomts, and our unfortunate vessel seemed more like a huge strainer than anything else. Well, we must tighten the bolts somehow ! So in somewhat primitive costumes we armed