22 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LIII. 
their unclean species of sour milk, which is prepared 
by means of the urine of cattle. 
Beautiful and rich as was the scenery of this locality, 
it had the disadvantage of harbouring immense 
swarms of mosquitoes ; and our night's rest, in conse- 
quence, was greatly disturbed. 
Thursday, Winding round the swamp (for the na- 
December 2nd. f ure Q f a gwam p or klllugll Was mOre 
apparent, at present, than that of a branch of the 
river), we reached, after a march of about three miles, 
the site of the ancient capital of the B6rnu empire, 
Ghasr-eggomo, which, as I have stated on a former 
occasion *, was built by the king 'All Ghajideni, to- 
wards the end of the fifteenth century, after the 
dynasty had been driven from its ancient seats in 
K&nem, and, after a desperate struggle between un- 
settled elements, began to concentrate itself under 
the powerful rule of this mighty king. The site was 
visited by the members of the former expedition, and 
it has been called by them by the half- Arabic name 
of Birni-Kadim, the u old capital," — even the Bornu 
people in general designating the place only by the 
name birni, or burni. The town had nearly a regu- 
lar oval shape, but, notwithstanding the great exagge- 
rations of former Arab informants, who have asserted 
that this town surpassed Cairo (or Masr el Kahira) in 
size, and was a day's march across, was little more 
than six English miles in circumference, being encom- 
* Vol. II p= 644. 
