362 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LX1V. 
This shallow water is bordered on the west side by 
the hilly chain which I have mentioned before, and 
beyond there is another branch, which joins it to- 
wards the south. Such being the state of the water 
at present, there was no great activity, and two canoes 
only were lying here under repair, each of them being 
provided with two low chambers, or cabins, vaulted in 
with reeds and bushes, as I shall describe further on. 
Of course, when this basin is full of water, and navi- 
gated by numbers of canoes, the place must present 
quite another appearance, while at the time of my visit 
its shallow swampy state could not but increase the 
dulness of the whole neighbourhood, which had not 
yet been fertilised by the rainy season. I was assured 
by the inhabitants that only one plentiful shower had 
as yet fallen. This was the reason that, instigated by 
the absurd rumour which had preceded me that my 
favour with the Almighty was so great that it had 
some influence upon the fall of rain, all the inhabi- 
tants, although Mohammedans, assembled on the 
second day of El Walati's absence, and, headed by the 
emir, came to me in procession, and solicited my in- 
terference in their behalf for a good shower of rain. 
I succeeded this time in eluding their solicitations for 
a direct prayer, satisfying them by expressing my fer- 
vent hope that the Almighty would have mercy upon 
them. But 1 was so favoured, that there was really 
a moderate shower in the evening, which did a great 
deal of good to the ground, although the air did not 
become much cooler, for it was excessively hot all 
