250 
CHAP. LX. 
THE HILLY COUNTRY OF GURMA. 
Fridayj I now left the Great River behind me, which 
June 24th. f orme d the li m it between the tolerably known 
regions of Central Negroland and the totally unex- 
plored countries on the south-western side of its 
course; and with intense interest my thoughts were 
concentrated on the new region before me. However, 
this very day we had a sufficient specimen of what 
awaited us on our march during the rainy season ; for 
we had scarcely left the low island behind us, on which 
the town of Say, this hotbed of fever, is situated (with 
its dry prairie ground almost destitute of verdure, 
and covered only with a few scattered specimens of the 
Asclepiadece), and had ascended the steep rocky bank 
which borders the west side of the narrow, shallow, and 
irregular western branch of the river, which, being 
encompassed by granite boulders, was at present dry, 
when a dark array of thunder-clouds came, as it 
were, marching upon us from the south-east, and we 
had scarcely time to prepare for the B serious assault, 
when a terrible thunder-storm broke out, beginning 
