74 REACH ANKOBAR. 



stream, surmounting with some difficulty the miry 

 bank on the farther side, where the deeply-sunken 

 hoofs of my mule were pulled with successive 

 snatches out of the soughing tenacious mud. 



Half an hour's ride brought me to the foot of the 

 royal hill of Ankobar. As we ascend, the road 

 passes midway along its steep side, which above 

 and below the traveller slopes several hundred feet. 

 Here we encountered a noisy crowd of chatting 

 romping girls, with large jars slung between their 

 shoulders by a leathern belt, or rope, which passes 

 across the breast. They were proceeding to a 

 meadow below, to fill their jars with water at a 

 little clear stream that fell over a little ledge of 

 stones as it proceeded to join the Airahra. As I 

 passed them, I overheard some of them whispering 

 to the other, " Missela Zingero," a most compli- 

 mentary speech certainly, meaning nothing less 

 than that I was " like a baboon." These girls were 

 slaves of the JNegoos, and their chief employment 

 consisted of this daily duty of carrying water from 

 the stream to the palace on the summit of the hill. 

 No less than two hundred are so employed, and 

 these supply all the water required for the use of 

 the courtiers and guests, besides a body-guard of 

 three hundred gunmen, all of whom are daily fed 

 at the royal table. 



On my arrival at the Residency, I was again 

 entertained by Dr. Roth and Mr. Bernatz, who, 

 during the four days I spent with them were as 



