307 people having gone in advance; but they were narrow, dirty, and uncomfortable, and appeared to us the more miserable as a great deal of rain fell during our stay here. The inhabitants belong chiefly to the Songhay race; but there are also a great many Tawárek, or rather Tawárek half-castes, who live here peaceably, though in general the Tawárek and the inhabitants of these districts are engaged in almost uninterrupted warfare with each other, the former always pushing more and more in advance, and threatening to overrun the whole of this region of Negroland. The people supply themselves with water from the holes in the rocks, where it collects,―their supply for the dry season being deposited in a cistern of large size. The soil in the valley, which here widens into a considerable plain, is very fertile, and does not require much rain; and the corn was here a little cheaper than in Libtáko, one hundred shells, or rather the equivalent of that sum, for shells had no currency in the place, being sufficient for the daily allowance of one horse. I also observed with pleasure a very fine herd of cattle. Aribínda seems formerly to have been an important place, or rather province, and the most considerable, at one time, of all the districts on the south side of the river, so that the Songhay of Gógó designated it Hári-bínda, "the place beyond the water," which name, in a wider sense, is given to the whole country There are only three more villages at present belonging to the district of Aribínda, their names being as follows: Hóre, U ́ri, and Wángaré. on the south of the I'sa, or so-called Niger, as an equivalent to Gurma. I had been very anxious to conceal the more valuable articles of my property from the prying eyes of my clever but greedy Arab companion; but the following day, as I was obliged to dry some of my luggage, which had been completely soaked, he got a peep at some fine bernúses which I had with me; and, in order to satisfy his covetousness, I thought it prudent to make him here a handsome present. Altogether my luggage suffered severely from the many watercourses which we had to cross at this stage of my journey, as well as from the excessive dampness of the weather. I also made some presents to the governor, but was rather astonished when, on setting out, he begged from me the very tobe which I was then wearing. Wednesday, The country which we had to traverse was diversified by small granitic ranges and detached cones; but it also afforded many localities for swampy grounds, very difficult to be crossed. In some places beans were cultivated besides millet. We encamped at length, after a march of about fifteen miles, in the midst of the forest, on the site of a former village, which was richly overgrown with the most succulent herbage, very grateful both to horse and camel. Thursday, We had had some summer lightning in the July 28th. evening, followed by slight rain during the night; but about half-past six o'clock in the morning, CHAP. LXII. FI'LIYO, A SONGHAY VILLAGE. 309 a very heavy thunder-storm broke out, accompanied by violent rain, which lasted till noon, and rendered us extremely uncomfortable. My friend El Waláti, being of a weak and nervous temperament, was, as usual on such occasions, laid up with fever. In consequence of the state of the weather, it was not till past three o'clock in the afternoon that we at length set out on our watery march, and after a stretch of about ten miles, having passed a very extensive and deep water, reached the Songhay village of Fíliyo, and with extreme difficulty obtained most indifferent and damp quarters in the dark. The whole village is built of clay, with elevated towerlike entrances not unlike the granaries in Champagóre. It consists of several detached groups, which are separated by cornfields, where the crops were standing moderately high. The inhabitants belong exclusively to the Songhay race, with the exception of a few Fulbe, who, however, have themselves almost changed their national character; and although the village is externally subjected to the Púllo governor of Gilgóji, or Jilgódi, nevertheless the people have a very independent demeanour, and hold in detestation the conquering tribe of the Fúlbe: even their carriage bears evident testimony to a certain feeling of liberty; and there is no end of smoking. The women wear a profusion of ornaments, while all of them are, besides, distinguished by a copper ring round the wrist. Having arrived so late the preceding evening that the horses had even remained without food, I was obliged to stay here the next day in order to purchase a supply of corn, which I effected with the farráwel I had obtained in Libtáko, consisting of eight pieces called "kória," or "farda," sewn together. All the grain hereabouts consists of Negro millet, or, as the Songhay call it, "héni." The governor of the place, who had treated me inhospitably the first evening, on being remonstrated with for his miserly conduct, gave me very generous treatment. Saturday, July 30th. On leaving the place, I was exceedingly struck with its castlelike appearance, as well as with the fine crops of corn which surrounded it on all sides, while a rich growth of trees embellished the district to the south. It was a fine morning, and, a heavy dew having fallen, the drops of wet slipping down from the corn glistened in the rays of the morning sun, while the monkey-bread trees being just in full blossom, the white bell-like flowers hanging down from the colossal branches gave a remarkable relief to the scenery. It was through such a country that our path kept along, on a rising ground, when, after a march of about fourteen miles, and leaving a couple of hamlets built of matting, like the dwellings of the inhabitants of Gógó, on one side, we reached the Songhay town of Tínge, built likewise in the shape of a "kasr," and situated on the summit of a small hill. The houses in this village have not an elevated towerlike shape like those of Filiyo, nor do they contain an upper story. They have flat roofs. The CHAP. LXII. TI'NGE. 311 walls consist of sun-dried clay, which is formed in regular lumps, like stones, and is placed in uniform layers, with loose clay between. Such being the mode of construction, the whole of the houses have rather a miserable appearance from without, and more particularly so at the time of our arrival, in the hot hour of noon, when the destructive effect of the rainy season became more apparent in the midday sun. But the interior of the dwellings is not so bad, and some of them are very large and spacious, as the accompanying ground-plan of the quarters where I was lodged will serve to show. These consisted of a very spacious antechamber, or segífa, forty feet long by ten feet wide, and as many in height, -I myself taking up the part to the right of the entrance, and my people that on the left, a sort of light wall being formed with matting. From this antechamber we could pass into an irregular courtyard, which gave access to a number of apartments where several families were living. The inhabitants of this place are Songhay who have vindicated their liberty, up to the present time, successfully against the restless and steadily advancing Fúlbe, although in independence they are far behind their noble brethren in Dárgol and those other places lower down the Niger. The indigenous name of their family is Beleéde, or, as they are called by the Fúlbe, Kurminkóbe; and they are said to have come from |