190 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LVIII. 
I remained here the four following days, in order to 
procure what was still wanted in my outfit for the 
long journey before me, but principally from regard 
to the interests of my companion 'All el A'geren, who 
had here to arrange some business ; hence we did not 
set out until the 14th of May. 
There had been so heavy a shower the preceding 
afternoon, that a large stream broke through the roof 
of my dwelling and placed my whole room several 
inches under water. I passed, therefore, a most un- 
comfortable night, and when I got up in the morning 
I had a very bad headache. Every thing, also, was 
extremely wet, so that it took us a long time to get 
ready our camels, and it was eight o'clock when we 
left the k6fa-n-Taramnia, which, though the widest 
of the gates of the town, did not allow my two largest 
boxes to pass without damage. 
A grandson of Modibo 'AH, together with Shekho 
the chief of the Zoromawa, escorted me outside the 
town. The first was certainly sincere : but as for the 
second, 1 could not expect that he was in earnest in 
wishing me success in my undertaking ; for the Zoro- 
mawa, who are the chief traders of the country, 
viewed my enterprise with a great deal of mistrust, 
as they were told that I wanted to open an inter- 
course along the river. 
Thus we entered the large open plain, which is only 
bounded, at the distance of about three miles to the 
north, by a low chain of hills, and scarcely dotted 
with a single tree. But the monotonous country at 
