226 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LIX. 
only presented here and there a broken sheet of 
water, we reached the first salt-manufacturing hamlet, 
which is situated on a mound of rubbish of almost 
regularly quadrangular shape, and of about thirty 
feet elevation, not unlike the ancient towns of Assy- 
ria, while at its foot a shallow dirty pond of brackish 
water of almost black* colour spread out, — the whole 
scenery forming a very remarkable ensemble, of which 
an attempt has been made to give a fair representation 
in the plate opposite. 
A few cattle were grazing here and there, but they 
looked very sickly and emaciated, and skeletons of 
others were lying about in all directions, proving the 
ravages that disease had made among them : for, be- 
sides the fact that general epidemic diseases visit the 
cattle in these regions as well as in the countries to 
the south of the equator at certain periods, the con- 
quering tribe settled in this quarter having had to 
sustain a long siege against the enemy, most of their 
cattle, being cooped up in the town, had perished 
for want of pasture. Notwithstanding all these dis- 
asters, the inhabitants of Kallful stood their ground ; 
for the Fulbe hereabouts are a very warlike race, 
and are excellent archers. Several of them, at- 
tracted by the news of the arrival of a caravan 
with corn, of which they stood so much in need, 
rushed past us on horseback as we were looking 
out for a place where we might take up our quar- 
ters with some degree of safety. Leaving two 
other salt-manufacturing hamlets on our left side 
