POLICY IN NEGROLAND.

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that this was the reason why he burned all the granaries, in order to subdue them by famine; and he added that even of famine they were less sensible than he could wish, as the water in this region afforded them an unlimited supply of fish.

Slaves are the only articles which the conquerors want from the subjected tribes; by carrying into slavery great numbers of them they force them into subjection, and even the tribute which they levy, after having subdued them, consists of slaves. All this will be changed as soon as a regular and legitimate intercourse has been opened along the River Bénuwé into the heart of these regions, when the natural produce of the soil will be in constant request-such as cotton, indigo, vegetable butter, ground-nuts, ivory, rhinoceros' horns, wax, hides, and many other articles. The vizier himself, although a strict Moslim, was too enlightened to lay much stress upon the spreading of Islám; but nevertheless the idea that these unfortunate creatures fully deserve such treatment, in their character as pagans (kofár or "kérdi"), blunted his feelings to their sufferings.

Further on we crossed the water where it was shallower, and, a little beyond, another meadow-water of greater breadth but not so deep, and then entered a fine undulating country, while an arm of the water remained on our left. The whole country was extremely well cultivated and densely inhabited, village зucceeding village, while large trees, mostly of the ngábbore and karáge kind, enveloped the whole in the finest vegetation. Some of the huts were distinguished by a natural ornamental network or covering, formed by that kind of Cucurbitacea which I have mentioned before as named "ságade" by the natives, and which is probably identical with the species called Melopepo. The aspect of the country was the more pleasing, and left the impression of a certain degree of industry, owing to the tobaccoplants just standing in flower.

Amid such scenery, we took up our encampment at an early hour in the morning, a beautifully-winding water-course, which was bordered by a fine grassy slope about twenty feet high, closely approaching on our right. The water-course was about sixty yards broad, but of considerable depth, at least in this VOL. II.-C c

place, and full of clear fresh water, which was gently gliding along, and disappeared further down in the plain. Here I lay down for an hour in the cool shade of a large karáge-tree, and allowed myself to be carried away by the recollections caused by the ever-varying impressions of such a wandering life, which repays the traveler fully for all the hardships and privations which he has to endure, and endows him with renewed energy to encounter fresh dangers.

I have before observed what trouble the hard alluvial soil caused us in pitching our tents; but here the argillaceous soil was succeeded by loose sand, which forms the border of the river. The light troops, soon after our arrival to-day, had dispersed in all directions, and brought a considerable quantity of cattle from the neighboring villages; the cattle, however, hereabouts are only of middle size, and the cows yield little milk, and that of very poor quality.

It seems remarkable that the Músgu, as well as the Marghí, and several divisions of the kindred Kótokó, call the cattle by a name which closely approaches that given to it by the Háusa people, while the Bátta call it by a name which is certainly derived from the Fulfulde, or the language of the Fúlbe. Such linguistic relations are not without interest, as they afford some little insight into the history of the civilization of these regions.

A little variety was given to the monotonous proceedings of our rather inglorious expedition by the fact of one of the Shúwa, who was supposed to have been killed a few days previously, being found under a tree in the forest severely wounded, but still alive, after having undergone great hardships and priva

tions.

January 9th. The whole district in which we had been roving about since the 30th of December belongs to Wúliya, which is decidedly one of the most fertile and best-irrigated regions in the world.

A desolate border district, consisting at times of green swampy ground uprooted by the footprints of the elephant, and on this account affording a very difficult passage for cavalry, at others of dense forest, the one following the other in rapid succession,