earer. There are, besides, but few trees, comparatively, which makes it
easier to transport the boat.

The Kashalla vexed me very much by taking my camel to transport a
portion of baggage, his own camel knocking up. At first I refused to go
on, but on the promise that he would get a bullock at the nearest place
I mounted upon the luggage. Fortunately, my gift camel is a good one,
not like the horse, and can carry a large weight. I cannot grumble much,
as the Sheikh's camels are transporting many of my private things.
Nevertheless you must show a stern resistance to all these liberties,
otherwise you will never be able to get through Africa.

No tent was pitched, but I made myself comfortable by drinking the
remainder of a bottle of port wine, which I began yesterday. I felt a
little queer, and fancied I had injured myself by drinking so much milk;
so I took to a bottle of port wine, and finished it in three times. I
have felt much better since. I could very well drink a bottle a-day, and
believe I should be much stronger for it. However, such wine should be
kept for convalescence after fever. I have still a bottle, and some
Cyprus wine--very good wine.

_20th._--We started as soon as the day broke and the sun showed himself,
and made five hours south-east over country the same as yesterday. But
the forests of doom-palms were larger and thicker, and valleys also were
more extensive. What is strange, no wild animals show themselves, not
even in these sedgy, reedy swamps. I could only see scattered on the
ground the feathers of the guinea-fowl. One or two black-and-white crows
were noticed. Our people say that all the crows are of this colour in
Bornou. In Ashen there are both species, the black, and the
black-and-white. Our people also tell us, that on the other route, which
the Kashalla wished to travel, there are numbers of elephants, and much
water. Here is water enough in the rainy season for all such animals. We
had still the tholukh, as well as the doom, and a tree like a large
sea-shore plant cropped by the camels.

We saw no ghaseb cultivation, or any sort of grain, till we arrived at
Gusumana, where we found wheat, cotton, and pepper in the gardens. The
village of Gusumana is situated on a hill, overlooking a steep broad
valley, full of the doom-palm. This village has therefore its houses
constructed partly with the branches and trunks of this tree, which
serve very well. I am housed in a most comfortable litt