e
giraffe before we arrive at Damerghou. But of these animals, who have
left thus the impression of their feet on the sand, we saw not one.
Indeed it is quite a matter of luck to fall in with animals in the
desert. I have seen but very few. My colleagues have both encountered
lions and monkeys, neither of which have I seen.

We have come to-day seven hours and a-half, a very good march for
En-Noor. The nights are cold enough; there is also a fresh breeze,
generally from north-east, every day: nevertheless, the sun burns hot.
The sky has always now a few clouds, and the atmosphere is a little
thick and misty. We have with us various queer characters; amongst the
rest, a fellow who boasts of his having killed many people with poisoned
arrows. When I come near him I always attack him, not, indeed, with his
favourite weapon, but with irony. I tell him, "Ah! poisoned arrows kill
many people.--What matters it?--There is no God" (looking up, and saying
_Babo Allah!_) This has had its effect once or twice, and he has
confessed it is not so very fine to kill people with poisoned arrows.

Evening came on, but I heard nothing of water. We are encamped near a
small hill. I looked to-day again attentively at our strings of camels.
Instead of five thousand, I do not believe there are more than five
hundred. We have few people with us in comparison with the number of
camels, and these are many of them slaves of the masters who are
remaining behind in Aheer. The disturbed state of the country has
prevented many persons of consequence from joining us. To-day, my
mahadee brought me an ear of ghaseb, of immense length--about three
times the length of the ghaseb grown in Ghadamez and other oases of the
Sahara; nine times the length of an ear of wheat. This was found growing
on the road, and intimates that we are approaching Soudan very fast. I
also picked up to-day camomile flowers and the senna-plant.

Explanation of Soudan and Bornou common words for articles of dress,
food, instruments for manufacturing:--

_Jebus_, leathern bag.

_Foofoo_, paste of Indian corn.

_Bouza_, a species of beer. In Waura, near the western coast, it is made
of guinea-corn, honey, Chili pepper, a root of coarse grass; in Kanou
and Wadai it is made of only ghaseb and honey, and is therefore more
pure and agreeable. It is called by some, acid beer.[13]

_Kolla_, the gour-nut, called "African," or "Soudan."

_Shea_, the butter-tree.

_Manioc_, root. Th