de and her
friends were distinguished by having a sort of brass nail-head driven
through the right nostril of their noses. Good big boys were running
about quite naked. But the conduct of the people, old and young, was
quite decent.

The bridegroom followed me to my tent, rattling his calabash for a
present, singing my praises cheaply enough, for I gave him a very small
present indeed. They have no set songs; all their singing is extempore.

Afterwards I saw a man afflicted with palsy in his head. He applied to
me for a remedy, but I could only recommend him to bathe himself every
day in warm water, which will never be done; for these people are too
indolent to perform any labour of this kind, even if it be to save their
lives.

My new interpreter, Mohammed, pretends that slave servants, or agents,
are thought more of, that is, are more useful, than free people in
Bornou. This may be accounted for by the absolute control which a master
can exercise over his slave.

The thermometer at sunset ranges 84 deg.. It was very warm this afternoon.

Here and there an ostrich egg tops the conical roofs of the huts, from
Damerghou to this place. I showed the people my watch, and put it to
their ears that they might hear it tick, tick; and I may observe a
singularity on this. The people did not say, "Oh! how it ticks!" but
"Kal, kal!" so that kal, kal, is the sound which we express by tick,
tick, in our language.

_13th._--As usual, we rose before sunrise, and started as soon as
possible. We made four hours in the forenoon, and rested at a well
called Birni Gamatak. The village is near the well, but we did not go to
it. From this place to the Tuarick country, Gurasu, there are four short
days; but the road has no water in this season. The Kaid of the village
paid us a visit, and brought us ghaseb-water. I amused him and his
people with my watch and compass. After resting till 4 P.M. we started
again. At Birni Gamatak a zone of mountainous country begins, consisting
of granite, gneiss, and other varieties of primitive rocks. We had a
magnificent ride through a fine rocky country. After one hour and a-half
we passed Wonchi to the right, or south of us; a small village. On the
route we had a boundless vista through the hills, over a vast plain,
covered with a scattered forest, extending without end towards the
north. This country is overrun by Tuaricks; all, however, living in
friendship with the Sheikh. We made five hours and a