368 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXIV. 
sumptuously, and besides two enormous bowls full 
of rice and meat, swimming in an immense quantity 
of butter, a whole ox was slaughtered for us. The 
site of the encampment was very beautiful, and I 
walked for a long time about the downs, which were 
adorned with a rich profusion of trees of the acacia 
kind, and offered an interesting prospect over the 
lake ; but the ensuing night was most miserably spent 
on account of the numerous swarms of mosquitoes 
which infested the encampment. 
We were very early in motion, but a 
August t . YiQftyy thunder-storm which gathered from 
the south-east delayed our departure, although, taking 
into account the slow rate at which I was here obliged 
to travel, it was a matter of total indifference 
whether we started early or late, as I was quite in 
the hands of my friend the Walati, who stopped 
wherever he had any business to transact, and did 
not set out again until he had concluded his bargain. 
The rain clouds then taking a more northerly direc- 
tion, we at length set out, pursuing our track over 
the hilly country, and while we lost sight of the 
lake of Nyengay on our left, soon discovered on our 
right another but smaller sheet of water called 
Gerru. The Nyengay is said to be full of water all 
the year round ; but the Gerru becomes dry in sum- 
mer, when the inhabitants of Sarayamo repair hither 
in order to cultivate their rice-fields, the rice ripen- 
ing with the rising waters, and being cut shortly be- 
fore the river attains the highest state of inundation. 
