chief walked ahead like a young man, leading his mahary by the nose-cord.

The ground was very rocky and rugged, and looked bare and desolate in the extreme. Several high peaks, which characterize this volcanic region, rose on either side.

The whole caravan consisted of about two thousand camels, of whom two hundred were laden with salt. At night their camp presented many lively and merry scenes, ranging as it did over a wide district illuminated by large fires. Dancing was going forward and the drummers were vying with each other, one especially rivalling their drummer Assam, and performing his work with great skill, caused general enthusiasm among the dancing people.

On their journey on the 29th of December, they found the ground covered with had, a plant regarded by the Arabs as the most nutritious of all the herbs of the desert for the camel. Numerous footprints of the giraffe were seen, besides those of gazelles and ostriches, and also of the large and beautiful antelope (Leucoryx). Here, too, was seen the magaria, a tree which bears a fruit of the size of a cherry, of a light brown colour. When dry it is pounded and formed into little cakes, and is thus eaten.

On the 1st of January, 1851, they fell in with a tribe of the Tagana, whose morality is of the lowest order. Hunting, together with cattle-breeding, is their chief occupation, and on their little swift horses they catch the large antelope as well as the giraffe.

A steep descent of a hundred feet conducted the caravan off the high region of the Hammáda to a level plain.

On the 7th they came in sight of a village, where they saw for the first time that style of architecture which extends over the whole of central Africa. The huts are composed entirely of the stalk of the Indian corn, with only a slight support from the branches of trees. They are somewhat low, curved

over at the top. Amid them were seen small stacks of corn, raised on scaffolds of wood about two feet high, to protect them from the white ant and mouse, as also from the jerboa, which is so pretty an object to look at as it jumps about the fields, but is an especial foe to the natives. The people came forth from the villages to offer cheese and Indian corn. They were black pagans and slaves, meanly and scantily dressed, but far more civilized in reality than the fanatical people among whom Barth and his companions had hitherto been travelling.

On the 9th of January the travellers reached Tâgelel. From this place there was little danger in their proceeding singly, and it was agreed, in consequence of the low state of their finances, that they should separate, in order to try what each might be able to accomplish single-handed and without ostentation, till new supplies should arrive from home.

CHAPTER XI.

TRAVELS OF DR. BARTH, CONTINUED.

Dr. Barth quits Mr. Richardson-Reaches Tassâwa-Arrives at Kano-Flourishing country-Kano described-Kindly treated-Manufactures and imports-Sets out with his servant Gatroni for Bornou-Hears of Mr. Richardson's death-Enters Kouka-The Vizier meets him-Reception of the Sheikh, a black-Excursion with the Sheikh to Ngornu-Visits Lake Chad-Fishermen on the lake-Journey to Adamawa-Reaches the Binue river-Compelled to return-Sets out for Kanem -Travelling with robber party-Attacked by natives-Robbers beaten-Returns to Kouka-Expedition of Vizier against Mandara-Beautiful, well-cultivated country devoted to destruction-The natives barbarously slaughtered-Slaves taken -Demmo destroyed-Musgu warriors-Natives defend themselves on an island -Returns to Kouka-Journey to Begharmi-Well treated at Loggun-Reaches the magnificent Shary-White ants-Made prisoner and put into chains-Released, and enters Mas-ena—A learned black Faki-Visit to the Sultan-His superstitious fears-Barth returns to Kouka-Death of Dr. Overweg.

ARTING from Mr. Richardson, the two Germans con

PARTI

tinued on to Chirak, where Overweg quitted Dr. Barth, who intended to proceed to Tassâwa. The doctor, disposing of a favourite camel, obtained horses for the remainder of the journey and now went on alone; but, accustomed to wander by himself among strange people, he felt in no degree oppressed. His companion was a black, Gajére, a Mahommedan, and, though communicative, rather rude and unable to refrain from occasionally mocking the stranger who wanted to know everything but would not acknowledge the prophet.

Mounted on an active steed, he and his attendants soon reached Tassâwa, the first large place of Negroland proper which he had seen. Everywhere were unmistakable marks of the comfortable, pleasant sort of life led by the natives.

The court-yards, fenced with tall reeds, closed to a certain degree the gaze of the passer-by, without securing to the interior absolute secrecy. Near the entrance was a cool

shady hut for the transaction of ordinary business and the reception of strangers. The lower portions of most of the houses consisted of clay, and the upper part of wicker-work, while the roof was composed of reeds only. The dwellings were shaded with spreading trees, and enlivened with groups of children, goats, fowls, pigeons, and, where a little wealth had been accumulated, by a horse, or pack-ox. The men wore white shirts, and trowsers of dark colour, while their heads were generally covered with light caps of cotton cloth. Only the wealthier wore the shawl thrown over the shoulders like the plaid of a Highlander. The dress of the women consisted almost entirely of a large cotton cloth of dark colour, fastened round the neck with a few strings of glass beads.

On the 1st of February Dr. Barth approached the important city of Kano. Almost all the people he met saluted him kindly and cheerfully, only a few haughty Fêllani passing without a salute.

The villages were here scattered about in the most agreeable way, such as is only practicable in a country in a state of considerable security. Some of them were surrounded by a bush like the broom, growing to a height of ten or twelve feet. The doctor and his native companions passed through a village in which was a large market-place consisting of several rows of well-built sheds. The market women who attached themselves to their cavalcade assured them that they would be able to reach the city that day, but that they ought to arrive at the outer gate before sunset, as at that time it is shut. The party accordingly pushed on; but, after entering the gate, it took them forty minutes to reach the house of Bâwu, and, as it was quite dark, they had some trouble in taking possession of the quarters assigned to them by their host.

Kano had been sounding in the traveller's ears for more than a year; it had been one of the great objects of his journey. It is the chief central point of commerce, a great storehouse of information, and was, Barth considered, the point from whence a journey to more distant regions might be most successfully attempted. At length, after nearly a year's exertions, he had reached it. He was, however, greatly inconvenienced by not being provided with ready cash, instead of which merchandise had been provided for the expedition, which they had been assured would not only be safer than money, but would also prove more advantageous.

Barth had now to pay away a large sum, and all the smaller articles, which had been carried for barter, having been expended by the heavy extortions to which they had been subjected on the road to Aïre—he was placed in much difficulty for want of means. He soon found also that Bâwu, Mr. Gagliuffi's agent, could not be implicitly relied on.

The currency of the country comsists of cowrie shells, or kurdie, which are not, as in regions near the coast, fastened together in strings of one hundred each, but are separate, and must be counted one by one. The governors of towns make them up in sacks containing twenty thousand each. Private individuals will not receive them without counting them out; those even who made but a few small purchases had to count out five hundred thousand shells.

The doctor had now to borrow two thousand kurdie, which did not amount to the value of a dollar.

He was forbidden to leave his quarters until he had seen the governor, and he was thus kept within them for several days, till he was attacked by fever. At length, on the 18th of February, he received a summons to attend the great man.

Although the distances in Kano are less than those of London, they are very great, and the ceremonies to be gone through are almost as tedious as those of any European court.