Chap. LVI. TKIBUTE. — FIRST RU'dU. 
127 
by the messengers of Zariya to the emir el Mumenin, 
was paid almost every second month, while from Ka- 
tsena it was very difficult to obtain a regular tribute, 
the governor of that town generally not paying more 
than 400,000 kurdi and forty articles, such as ber- 
nuses, kaftans, &c, annually. It was only an excep- 
tional case, arising from the exertions of the ghala- 
dima as I was told, that he had sent, this year, 800,000 
shells, besides a horse of Tarki breed, of the nominal 
value of 700,000 kurdi. 
Allowing my camels to pursue the direct Wednesday, 
road, I myself took a rather roundabout March30th - 
way, in order to get a sight of the tebki from which 
the town is supplied ; and I was really astonished 
at the considerable expanse of clear water which it 
exhibited at this time of the year (shortly before 
the setting in of the rainy season), when water in 
the whole of Negroland becomes very scanty. The 
ground consisted of fine vegetable soil, while the cul - 
tivation along the path was scarcely interrupted ; and 
in passing a hamlet we saw the inhabitants making 
the first preparations for the labours of the field. 
Cotton was also cultivated to a considerable extent. 
About a mile and a half further on, at the village of 
Sungurure, which is surrounded with a strong keffi, 
I observed the first rudu, a sort of light hut con- 
sisting of nothing but a thatched roof raised upon 
four poles from eight to ten feet in height, and 
affording a safe retreat to the inhabitants, during 
their night's rest, against the swarms of mosquitoes 
