day a giraffe was caught. The vizier was attended by
eight female slaves and horsemen, and the same number of led horses.
The unfortunate natives had to provide grain for the army wherever it
marched. They spent a day at a village where the troops had to lay in a
supply of corn, as they were about to pass the border region, between
the cities of the Mahommedans and those of the Pagan tribes, which, as
is generally the case in this part of the world, have been reduced to
desolation. The vizier made Mr Overweg a present of a small lion. On
a previous occasion he had given him a ferocious little tiger cat, which
though young was extremely fierce, and quite mastered the young lion.
They, however, soon died, in consequence of the continual swinging
motion they had to endure on the backs of the camels in the heat of the
day.

Passing through a dense forest region, frequented by numerous elephants,
they arrived at Gabari, the northernmost of the Musgu villages,
surrounded by fields of native grain. The inhabitants had fled; for,
though nominally under the protection of the rulers of Bornou, they had
thought it prudent to take care of their own safety. Their village was
completely plundered, the soldiers thrashing out their grain and loading
their horses with it, while their goats, fowls, and articles of
furniture fell a prey to the greedy host. The village had presented an
appearance of comfort, and exhibited the industry of the inhabitants.
Its dwellings were built of clay; and each court-yard contained a group
of from three to six huts, according to the number of wives of the
owner.

Continuing their march, on the 28th of December they reached the country
devoted to destruction. The country was pleasant in the extreme;
stubble-fields surrounded numerous groups of huts and wide-spreading
trees, on whose branches was stored up the nutritious grass of those
swampy grounds for a supply in the dry season. Broad, well-trodden
paths, lined by thick fences, wound along through the fields in every
direction. Near the village were regular sepulchres, covered in with
large well-rounded vaults, surrounded by an earthen urn. While the
doctor was contemplating this scene he found that the vizier and his
party had galloped on in advance. On looking round he saw only a few
Shooa horsemen. Following them, he soon found that he was entirely cut
off from the main body of the army. A scene of wild disorder presented
itself; sin