320 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXII. 
places ; but this did not prevent the growth of the 
monkey-bread tree, which is often seen shooting 
forth from between the very rocks. Further on I 
also observed a little cultivation of beans, while the 
black worm was succeeded by large heaps of the 
small red worm, which I had first observed on the 
banks of the river Sirba, and which seems to be a 
terrible nuisance to many of these districts. Gra- 
dually the road became more swampy, while we ob- 
tained a distant view of the detached mountains of 
Hombori. 
About three o'clock in the afternoon, five of our 
party, riding a little in advance of the camels, ap- 
proached the town of Kiibo, when, being observed by 
some of the inhabitants, our appearance created a 
great alarm in the place, the people thinking that a 
hostile troop was approaching ; but, as soon as they 
beheld our laden camels, their fears ceased, and 
they gave us quarters. Kiibo is the first place of 
the district called Tondi, or el Hajri (meaning, the 
mountainous or stony district), while Filiyo and Deshi 
belong to the district called Ks6ne ; but in a political 
respect Kiibo belongs now to the province of Dalla, 
which at present is governed by a son of Modi Bole ; 
it is two days and a half distant from the town of 
Hombori*, and is a place of some importance. The 
* A person starting from Kubo sleeps the first night in 
the forest, halting about 'aser ; the second day, before noon, he 
reaches Tonderu, probably so called from being situated on or at 
the foot of a mountain ; and the third day, about 9 o'clock in 
the morning, he arrives at Hombori. 
