the buffalo in the swampy
regions near the lake, and, driving the animal he has selected to the
firm ground, rides on till he gets close alongside, when, springing up,
he stands with one foot on his horse and the other on the back of the
buffalo, through which he plunges his spear, driving it with tremendous
force into its heart.

Denham heard of people called Kerdies, who inhabited islands far away in
the eastern part of the lake. They frequently make plundering
excursions even close up to Angornou, and carry off cattle and people in
their canoes, no means being taken to oppose them.

The sheikh was very unwilling that his white visitor should cross the
Shary, for fear of the danger he would run.

At length an opportunity occurred of seeing the country, which Denham
determined not to let slip. Boo-Khaloum, though sorely against his
will, had been induced by his Arabs to plan an expedition against the
pagan inhabitants of some villages in the mountains of Mandara, in order
to carry them off as slaves to Fezzan. He, wishing rather to visit the
commercial regions of Soudan, long held out against these nefarious
proposals. The sheikh, who wished to punish the people who were
constantly in arms against him, instigated the Arabs to induce
Boo-Khaloum to undertake the expedition, and at length, believing that
by no other means could he hope to make a profitable journey, he was
induced to comply. The sheikh, however, was unwilling that Major Denham
should be exposed to the dangers he would meet with, but, as he had
determined to go, at last gave his consent, appointing Maraymy to attend
him, and to be answerable for his safety.

Boo-Khaloum and his Arabs, with the sheikh's forces under his general,
Barca Gana, had already got some distance ahead. Accompanied by
Maraymy, Denham overtook them when several miles from the city, and was
received with great civility by Barca Gana in his tent. He had been
kept some minutes outside while the general consulted his charm writer,
and his remark as he entered was: "If it was the will of God, the
stranger should come to no harm, and that he would do all in his power
for his convenience."

Barca Gana had about two thousand of the sheikh's soldiers under his
command. He was himself, however, only a slave, but from his bravery
had been raised by his master to the rank of Governor of Angala and all
the towns on the Shary, as well as that of commander-in-chief of his
troops. He w