Chap. XXXIX. NINETY- SIX ELEPHANTS. 
49 
young ones ; in a third line were the females ; and the 
whole were brought up by five males of immense size. 
The latter (though we were at some distance, and 
proceeding quietly along) took notice of us, and some 
were seen throwing dust into the air ; but we did not 
disturb them. There were altogether ninety-six. 
The fine fresh pasture-grounds some time afterwards 
gave way to a drier plain, covered with a species of 
heath, and the country presented rather a melancholy 
appearance. A little before ten o'clock we came to a 
large herd of cattle or " beri," collected round a 
small hamlet or dawar, consisting of light, high-topped 
huts of corn-stalks, fastened together by three rings 
of straw, and lightly plastered with a little cow-dung. 
But although we obtained some milk, some of our 
friends, not content with filling their stomachs, laid 
hold of a fine pony and carried it off, under the pre- 
text that it belonged to the Biidduma, who, as they 
asserted, were the enemies of the sheikh ; and when 
we had started again, and encountered a small caravan 
of oxen laden with dates, not only were all the 
skins containing the dates taken, but another ruffian 
laid hold of one of the beasts of burden and dragged 
it away with him, notwithstanding the lamentations 
of its owner. And yet the people who were thus 
treated were subjects of the king of Bornu, and 
the Welad Sliman were his professed friends and 
hirelings. 
Fine fresh pasture-grounds, and melancholy tracts 
clothed with nothing but heath, succeeded each other, 
VOL. III. e 
