d, and a good deal of cultivation, all ghaseb. The sandy soil
is well adapted for this kind of grain. A ridge of quartz rocks strikes
up through the sand. The rocky hills are mostly granite. The atmosphere
was cooled by an easterly wind. We pitched tent, or rather halted, at a
cluster of villages of considerable size, the principal of which is
Guddemuni. They are all placed on hills. In the deep valley near is a
large lake, towards the east, about two hours long and half-an-hour
wide. In the dry season the people cultivate, by irrigation from the
lake, a quantity of wheat, which they export to Kanou. Besides wheat,
they raise ghaseb on the hill tops; and in the gardens, cotton, indigo,
tobacco, onions, pepper, dates (bearing twice a-year), henna, potatoes
(_dankali_), the palm (_geginya_),--bearing a large fruit (_gonda_),
like the mealy melon,--gourds, rogo, and gwaza; which last are two
species of potatoes. Some large trees are planted like the kuka, the
fruit of which is used for sauce.

To-day the Kashalla rode up to several men wandering in the fields,
hunting, and attempted to impose some labour on them. This was a signal
for a general stoppage of all foot-passengers, who were met by his
people, for one purpose or another, either to take from them any little
articles, or to vex them. They did not, however, stop two people we met,
but gave them full leave to pass. Who were these? One was a man who, by
disease, had become all over of a light flesh-colour, his black skin
peeling off. It was a perfect phenomenon--a man with strong negro
features, entirely white, or of a light dull-red colour. The other man
was a miserable, filthy, blind fellow, whom the first invalid was
leading. They were, in fact, a couple of mendicants going to Zinder on
speculation, having come from Kuka, begging through all the towns and
villages. The trade of begging is coextensive with man, civilised or
uncivilised, in towns or country. Africa has a good number of this
industrious class of people.

The language of this cluster of villages is Haussa, like that of Zinder,
the "Haussa of the North," as it is called: it varies a little from the
pure Haussa of Kashna and Kanou. The people of this place were all
excessively civil. I walked out in the evening, and saw about thirty of
the maidens of Guddemuni (one of the villages) encircling a female
dancer, who kept pacing to the sound of a rude guitar. At the sight of
me they all made off. The poor