ur of the day. I
reproached my servants ironically. I told them some one would soon come
and take their camels and bullocks, and they must not complain to me to
get them redress. But it is astonishing to see with what zest these
freed slaves from the north coast enter again upon their old habits of
plunder and razzia. The education of Africa consists in preparing it for
the razzia. All the fine-spirited youth of all the great families look
forward to this as their only occupation.

We reached the rocky hills called Shaidega, near which the lake
terminates, stretching from Guddemuni. At the base of these rocky
heights is a sprinkling of huts, and there are indeed many sprinklings
of huts which cannot be mentioned all along this route. The hill tops
have no longer the naked appearance of the Saharan rocks, but are
clothed and crowned with trees. The country is very fine and park-like,
and were it not for the doom-palm, would be more like some of the best
parts of Europe than Africa is supposed to be. The animals seen to day
were two wild boars and some wild oxen. A couple of lions, a male and a
female, come out nearly every night and serenade the villagers of
Bogussa at their hut doors. The filthy vultures of Zinder are spread
through all this fine country. Many doves and water-fowl were seen. We
forded several stagnant streams of water, but of very small magnitude.

I sheltered myself in the afternoon under a magnificent tree, called in
Bornouese _kamdu_, and in Soudanese, _samia_. We are beginning to see
very fine trees, casting an impervious shade, under which the weary
traveller deliciously reposes in the hot clime. To-day I suffered most
dreadfully from my horse; with a camel I should have felt nothing, but I
must submit: there is no remedy.

I believe the Kashalla to be a very good man, and above his plundering
countrymen generally, but habit induces him to wink at the acts of
brigandage committed by his people. I observed him yesterday stop a
little boy with a load on his head, and tell him to run away from the
people coming up, and take another road, that the caravan might not
plunder him.

I had an affair with Yusuf yesterday morning: two boxes of biscuit had
been left entire in his room at Zinder, and now one of them was found
opened and a quantity of the biscuit taken out. He and his son have
eaten nearly all the biscuit on the road, together with the Sfaxee and
others. It is preposterous to think that Gove