PLAINS COVERED WITH WATER. 183 



found : it remained at this village more than a year, and, 

 ■when we returned, a mouse had eaten a hole in it. 



We entered on an extensive plain beyond the Leeba, at 

 least twenty miles broad, and covered with water ankle 

 deep in the shallowest parts. We deviated somewhat from 

 our NW course, by the direction of Intemese, and kept 

 the hils Piri nearly on our right during a great part of 

 the first day, in order to avoid the still more deeply-flooded 

 plains o:' Lobale (Luval?) on the west. These, according 

 to Internese, are at present impassable on account of being 

 thigh de?p. The plains are so perfectly level that rain- 

 water, wlich this was, stands upon them for months together 

 They we?e not flooded by the Leeba, for that was still fai 

 within its banks. Here and there, dotted over the surface, 

 are little islands, on which grow stunted date-bushes and 

 scraggy t*ees. 



"We made our beds on one of the islands, and were 

 wretchedl; supplied with firewood. The booths constructed 

 by the mm were but sorry shelter, for the rain poured 

 down witlnut intermission till mid-day. There is no drain- 

 age for theprodigious masses of water on these plains, ex- 

 cept slow prcolation into the different feeders of the Leeba 

 and into thit river itself. The quantity of vegetation has 

 prevented he country from becoming furrowed by many 

 rivulets or 'nullahs." "Were it not so remarkably flat, the 

 drainage mist have been effected by torrents, even in spite 

 of the mated vegetation. 



When reLased from our island by the rain ceasing, we 

 marched or till we came to a ridge of dry inhabited land 

 in the 2s". W The inhabitants, according to custom, lent 

 us the roofsof some huts to save the men the trouble of 

 booth-makiig. I suspect that the story in Park's " Travels," 

 of the men lfting up the hut to place it on the lion, referred 

 to the roof cily. We leave them for the villagers to replace 

 at their leisire. ISTo payment is expected for the use of 

 them. By right it rained so copiously that all our beds 

 were flood© from below ; and from this time forth we 



