Chap. LIV. FRESH- WATER LAKE AND NATRON LAKE. 73 
colour, and presenting quite a smooth surface, while 
that of the other resembled the dark-green colour of 
the sea, and, agitated by the strong gale, broke 
splashing and foaming on the shore in mighty 
billows, so that my two companions, the Shuwa lad 
and the Hausa boy, whom I had taken with me on 
this excursion, were quite in ecstasy, having never 
before witnessed such a spectacle. It would have 
been a fine spot for a water-party. The surrounding 
landscape, with Mount Shedlka in the east, was ex- 
tremely inviting, although the weather was not very 
clear and had been exceedingly foggy in the morning. 
But there was neither boat nor canoe, although the 
lake is of considerable depth and is said always to 
preserve about the same level ; for, according to the 
superstition of the inhabitants, its waters are inha- 
bited by demons, and no one would dare to expose 
himself to their pranks, either by swimming or in a 
boat. 
The brackish quality of the water arises entirely 
from the nature of the soil. In the centre it seems 
to be decidedly of such a quality ; but I found that 
near the border, which is greatly indented, the 
nature of the water in the different creeks was very 
varying. In one it was fresh, while in a neigh- 
bouring one it was not at all drinkable ; but never- 
theless even here there were sometimes wells of the 
sweetest water quite close to the border. Swarms of 
water fowl of the species called " garmaka " by the 
Hausa people, and " gubori " by the Kamiri, together 
