o66 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXIV 
about the seats of these Western Arabs, while the 
general name of Shingiti is given to all of them, he 
was not a little astonished to find that I knew so 
much about his countrymen. However, my whole 
appearance inspired him with such confidence, that 
he continued to take great interest in me. He had 
already, the previous evening, sent me a fat sheep as 
a present, and he now accompanied me for a while, 
mounted on a beautiful white mare ; but, as his com- 
pany prevented my laying down the route with ac- 
curacy, I persuaded him not to give himself any further 
trouble. 
Having crossed a small watercourse, we soon 
reached a larger one, which formed a running stream, 
carrying the surplus of the shallow creek of Bambara 
towards a larger sheet, which, at the distance of a 
mile, we saw expand on our right. The surface of 
the country was undulating, with granite cropping 
out here and there, and with a good supply of stunted 
mimosa, besides the poisonous euphorbia ; but, about 
two miles beyond the open water, we descended into 
a more level tract, covered with nothing but dry and 
short herbage, and abundance of the obnoxious fea- 
thery bristle ; but this is very favourable ground for 
the cattle, for they are not less fond of this bristle 
than their masters themselves are of the seed, called 
u lizak," which from the most ancient times* has 
constituted one of their chief articles of food. We 
* See El Bekri's "Description of Africa," ed. de Slane, p. 181. 
