haracters of tropical vegetation. The
country was undulating, with ranges of low hills. Blocks of granite were
scattered on the surface of the ground; in the deeper valleys lay
stagnant water of the last rains, fast drying up; and here were
water-fowls, waders, and some large, strange, black-and-white geese,
with necks of enormous length.

After three hours and a-quarter we came to the considerable village of
Deddegi, where, on our appearance, all the inhabitants fetching water or
tending cattle ran away. This I may remark, as the first time that the
people ran away at our appearance amongst them. Hitherto we have always
had the population pressing upon us for curiosity, or to attack and
plunder us. Things change. But the flight of the people of Deddegi is
easily explained. We were soon recognised as a Bornou caravan, and the
Bornouese in coming to Zinder,--the Sheikh's people especially,--have
been in the habit of plundering these villages, or carrying off the
people and their cattle, the former into slavery. Recently the Sarkee
has complained of this, and the Sheikh, to do him justice, has ordered
the Sarkee to seize any Bornouese committing these misdemeanours, and
execute what justice he pleases upon them. The Sarkee, now, will not be
slack to obey his master's commands. Still it is not surprising the
people ran away from a Bornou caravan.

We encamped at the group of villages called Dairmu. My "gift horse" had
given me most excruciating pain in riding, and I was obliged to dismount
for half an hour. The saddles are very bad, and cut you raw before you
are accustomed to them. But I must submit to this fatigue, for now I
must ride horses and put away the camel, which is too slow for
travelling in Soudan, where water and herbage are found for the horses
every two or three hours.

After I was somewhat recovered, I went to see the village, and found all
the people working upon cotton; some cleaning it, some winding it into
balls, and others weaving the gubaga, or narrow strips of cotton cloth,
with which the greater number of the population are clothed. A small
portion of the cotton-twist is dyed with indigo, and with this and the
undyed a species of check-cotton cloth is woven; but all very rude. The
Sheikh of the place supplied the caravan with bazeen. For myself I
purchased a couple of fowls, which cost just twopence farthing in
English money: they were, however, small; and I may remark that all
fowls are small in