82 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. XLI. 
altitude than the general level of the country. I 
made a sketch of it. 
On this commanding point there was a village 
of the FugaM Kobber ; and Overweg and I, before 
we went to our encampment, which was chosen on 
the southern slope, paid these people a visit, dis- 
mounting under a tree at some distance from their 
light huts, and were well received. They brought us 
immediately a dish made of the meal of Indian corn 
and sour milk, and sat down cheerfully, questioning us 
as to the difference between their country and ours, 
and asking, with regard to the politics of England, 
whether we were the friends or enemies of Dar-Fiir 
and Waday (which countries, together with B6rnu, 
comprised their political horizon), and expressed great 
astonishment at our instruments. They brought us a 
lion's-skin, and soon after another very palatable dish 
of deshishe made of wheat, with very good butter, 
which had nothing of that nasty taste peculiar to the 
butter of Bornu and the surrounding countries : the 
dish was seasoned with dates. 
It would have been far more instructive and agree- 
able to us to be in the constant company and under 
the protection of these people, the natives of the 
country, who would have made us acquainted with 
ifs characteristic features so much better than that 
band of lawless robbers who took no real interest in 
it, except as regarded the booty which it afforded 
them. But they had neither power nor authority; 
and we were satisfied that where the Arabs were 
