Chap. LXIL NUMEROUS SHEETS OF WATER. 
301 
hitherto traversed in the province of Libtako ; and 
the nature of which caused us great delay, and 
very serious difficulties, on account of the many 
rivers and swamps which we had to cross. During 
the first part of our day's march, we had the wendu 
of Wulu for a long time on our right, but, having 
crossed without much difficulty one considerable 
branch of it, we came to another water with a strong 
current, which caused us a long delay, as it was at 
the time about 400 yards across, and not less than 
four and a half feet deep in the channel. The water 
at this spot has a southerly course ; but it is difficult 
to say what greater river it joins * For several miles 
the upper course of this same water, as it seemed, 
was seen at a short distance on our right. Large 
wide-spreading " mur," tamarind, and monkey-bread 
trees everywhere appeared, and we could see the foot- 
steps of a great number of elephants. The country 
on our left was undulating, and consisted of sandy 
soil clothed almost exclusively with the Mlgo, with 
its ash-coloured leaves and its long red pods ; but, 
as soon as the river receded, the character of the 
landscape also changed, the surface becoming rather 
level, and exhibiting more small brushwood, while 
numerous water-pools spread out, overgrown with 
kreb, or the edible Poa, and with molukhia. The 
district was full of buffaloes ; but it was also much 
infested by a dangerous species of fly, which greatly 
* I shall reserve a few further observations on this subject till 
my return journey along the Niger. 
