268 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. LX. 
ourselves that the character of their allegiance is very 
precarious. The mayor of the village, being a man 
of advanced age, dressed in a ragged shirt, lodged 
me in his own quarters, which seemed to contain a 
very remarkable household, the most interesting ob- 
jects being his two wives, very stout females, richly 
ornamented with copper rings on their arms and 
legs, and with strings of beads round their necks, but 
having, besides, another ornament, at which I was 
more surprised, viz. a thin plate of tin in the under 
lip, like that worn by the Margin; but I was asto- 
nished at not finding the nose-ring, which, from what 
I had heard, I had concluded that all the Songhay 
were in the habit of wearing. Altogether, these 
fashionably dressed women, with their dirty old part- 
ner, would have formed a highly interesting subject 
for illustrating the customs of these people. 
Having rested awhile, for I felt greatly exhausted 
after my sickly state in Say, I roved a little about the 
place (which lies at the foot of a well- wooded emi- 
nence), and collected several specimens of minerals, 
which, in the course of my journey, were thrown 
away by my people. Gneiss and mica slate were pre- 
dominant, and beautiful varieties of granite occasion- 
ally appeared. 
Having observed from this point that the river 
Sirba runs only at a short distance from the place, 
we endeavoured in the evening to arrange with the 
inhabitants to assist us in crossing this sheet of water, 
where there are no boats. While speaking with the 
