Chap. LIV. 
LAKES OF BADAMU'NI. 
69 
we therefore had to ride backwards and forwards be- 
fore we fixed upon a place for our encampment, at the 
western end of this small luxuriant oasis. On this 
occasion I obtained only a faint idea of the richness 
and peculiarity of this locality; but on the following 
morning I made a more complete survey of the 
whole place, as well as my isolated situation and 
the means at my disposal would allow, the result 
of which is represented in the accompanying woodcut. 
The whole of the place forms a kind of shallow 
vale, stretching out in a west-easterly direction, and 
surrounded on the west, north, and south sides by 
hills rising from 100 to 200 feet, but bordered 
towards the east by Mount Shedika, which rises to 
about 500 or 600 feet above the general level of the 
country. In this vale water is found gushing out 
from the ground in rich, copious springs, and feeds 
two lakes, after irrigating a considerable extent of 
cultivated ground where, besides sorghum and millet, 
cotton, pepper, indigo, and onions are grown. These 
lakes are united by a narrow channel thickly over- 
grown with the tallest reeds, but, notwithstanding their 
junction, are of quite a different nature, the western- 
most containing fresh water, while that of the eastern 
lake is quite brackish, and full of natron. It seems to 
be a peculiar feature in this region, that all the chains 
of hills and mountains stretch from north-east to 
south-west, this being also the direction of the lakes. 
The chief part of the village itself lies on the north- 
west side of the plantation, on the sloping ground of 
r 3 
