242 DESCRIPTION OF ADASSAH. 



banks are of clay, and very steep. Hector had a 

 narrow escape : in attempting to get his horse 

 up them, the animal tumbled backwards, and he 

 was saved only by throwing himself off into the 

 water. 



After a ride, which was to me very distressing, 

 we came in view of the town, prettily situated 

 under a range of low hills. The place would, I 

 think, be very healthy, were it not for a swamp 

 on the western side. Through this swamp we fol- 

 lowed the path, which was raised above its level, 

 by a causeway three or four feet high. The town 

 is walled and ditched, but presents a very ruin- 

 ous appearance, not having recovered from the 

 attack of the Felatahs, who sacked and burnt it 

 twelve months before I visited it. The present 

 inhabitants, in my opinion, do not exceed five 

 thousand, though, from the extent of its walls, it 

 may have contained four times that number. I 

 passed through the town, entering at the western, 

 and going out at the northern gate, as I was de- 

 termined to sleep outside of the walls, amongst 

 the Housa people, who have a village to them- 

 selves, beautifully seated on the side of the hill. I 

 took possession of a very clean, neat hut, belong- 

 ing to a woman with a large family. Her eldest, 



