ill nearly always be without any special escort.
En-Noor, however, sends one of his slaves with Overweg to Maradee, and
Barth goes with the salt-caravan to Kanou.

I was much disappointed that we made but one hour this morning (south).
To pass the time, I determined to visit some of the villages with which
Damerghou is overscattered. I went first to a place called Fumta Bou
Beker, twenty-five minutes from our encampment. Here I found the Sheikh,
who had just returned from Kanou,--a considerable merchant. He received
me with great hospitality, and gave me ghaseb-water, and some little
pieces of meat, roasted, besides milk. I was accompanied by my stupid
mahadee, who is, nevertheless, not a bad market-man. He purchased a
large calabash of milk, and a peck of beans, for some small pieces of
jaui, or benzoin. I then administered caustic to all the eyes of the
village--at least sixty persons--including men, women, and children,
with the Sheikh. Bad eyes were the only pressing complaints of the
place.

The villagers all spoke Bornouese. I believe this is the general
language of Damerghou. There were only two or three Tuaricks present.
Most of the people were free. The Sheikh, of course, had several slaves;
amongst them a Yakobah slave, with straight lines cicatrised in curious
patterns all over his body. The poor fellow seemed remarkably stupid,
and I believe that many of these poor fellows brought from the more
distant countries of Soudan become half idiots from continually
regretting their beloved country. Alas! what can be done for Africa,
when the greater part of its social system is constructed on slavery?

Curious applications are made for medicines to cure various afflictions,
moral and physical, amongst these people. A woman, to-day, begged for a
medicine to prevent her children from dying. She had had many children,
and all had died. Another woman applies for a medicine to prevent her
husband from liking her rival, and to make him place his affection on
her. A man demands medicine for good luck, and says he is always
unfortunate.--Good people, I am not the physician to be called in in
these cases.

It is night, and En-Noor has not made his appearance. I am travelling
with his wife and the other women; besides, there are a number of male
slaves and some thirty camels of salt. Probably his highness will go
another way to Zinder.

I believe that Fumta Bou Beker is quite an independent village, and that
all the gre