Chap. LIX. THE VAT, LEY OP FO'GHA. 
227 
equally jutting out into the bottom of the vale, we 
descended at length from a higher slope crowned 
by a cluster of well-built but at present deserted 
huts ; and being informed that the town of Kalliul, 
or Kaura, was still some distance off, and far out 
of our road, we turned into one of these salt-hamlets, 
which was the fourth on this side. Here we were 
quartered in a very excellent hut, but suffered greatly 
from mosquitoes during the following night. 
We remained in this poor hamlet the following 
day, and, being aware of the great distress which 
prevailed in the whole of this tract of country, I had 
no more urgent business than to despatch two of my 
men early in the morning to our companions the 
A'sbenawa, who had encamped on the other side of 
the valley, in order to endeavour to buy from them 
as much corn as they were able to spare ; but my 
servants soon returned with the news that the dis- 
tressed inhabitants had taken from the fataki or na- 
tive traders all their corn by force. I was therefore 
rather badly off, but nevertheless was prevented 
from pursuing my route at once, as the camels wanted 
some repose. The site of our hamlet was highly 
interesting to me ; and I soon set out for a stroll 
around this artificial mound of rubbish. It was of 
considerable size, measuring about 200 yards in 
length, and the same in breadth, with an elevation of 
50 feet towards the bottom of the valley, and about 
20 towards the edge of the bank, — the whole of this 
mound bearing evident proof of its artificial charac- 
Q 2 
