218 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. LIX. 
along the border of the valley, and only once crossing 
a romantic rocky defile, the considerable town of 
Diggi ; and here I had the satisfaction of being offi- 
cially received by three sons of the governor of 
Zogirma, who quite unexpectedly came galloping up 
to the front and saluted me, wishing me all possible 
success on my dangerous undertaking, and bidding 
me welcome to the province of their father. The 
eldest of the three was a very handsome young man, 
and splendidly mounted upon a tall grey horse. Pur- 
suing then our march in their company, we imme- 
diately entered the wide faddama which separated 
us from Zogirma ; and it took us more than three 
hours to cross this shallow swampy valley, the whole 
of which at the end of the rainy season is filled with 
water, but which at present was only intersected by 
two broken sheets of stagnant water, while I endea- 
voured in vain to make out, at this spot, an uninter- 
rupted channel of thegulbi: and yet, in the month of 
September, the whole valley is flooded by a river of 
considerable breadth. 
The town, which was surrounded by a clay wall in 
good repair, impressed me as being more considerable 
than I had supposed it to be. We were led imme- 
diately to our quarters, and were here treated with 
very good tlggera, or prepared millet and sour milk ; 
after which a large calabash full of rice, and, a 
short time after, a heifer, were brought me as a 
present. Later in the afternoon I went to pay my 
respects to the governor, Hamed Biirtu, and found 
