44 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXXIX. 
of a low hill. The prickly jungle was here so dense 
that I searched a long time in vain for a bare spot to 
lie down upon, when, to my great satisfaction, I found 
Bti-Zed clearing me a place with his axe. The 
swampy shore of the lake was only about four hun- 
dred yards from our resting-place ; but the spot was 
not well chosen for an encampment, and it was found 
necessary to place several watches during the night, 
notwithstanding which, a skin of mine, full of water, 
disappeared from the stick upon which it was sus- 
pended, and the Arabs tried to persuade me that a 
hungry hyaena had carried it off ; but it was most 
probable that one of themselves had been in want 
of this necessary article of desert travelling. 
Wednesday We continued our march through the 
September 24th. luxuriant prickly underwood, full of the 
dung and footsteps of the elephant. Here and there 
the capparis had been cut away, and large fireplaces 
were to be seen, where the roots had been burnt to 
ashes. The tripods, of which several were lying 
about, are used for filtering the water through these 
ashes, which takes from them the salt particles which 
they contain. This water is afterwards boiled, and 
thus the salt obtained. This salt is then taken to 
Kukawa by the Kanembu, whilst those who prepare 
it are Biidduma. 
On our return from Kanem we met large numbers 
of this piratical set of islanders ; and on my home 
journey in 1855, I saw them in the full activity of 
their labours. This salt, weak and insipid as it is, is 
at least of a better quality than that which the people 
