120 
TRAVELS EST AFRICA. Chap. XLII. 
Ngornu. I therefore made a short halt at noon on 
this side of that town, in order to reach the camp 
during the evening without staying in the place ; for 
the city, on all sides, at about an hour's distance, is 
almost entirely surrounded by fields devoid of trees. 
After I had enjoyed about an hour's rest, Overweg 
arrived with the disagreeable tidings that his camel, 
soon after leaving the gate, had fallen, and was unable 
to get up again even after the luggage had been 
removed. He therefore sent his servant Ibrahim 
in advance, in order to procure another camel from 
the vizier, while he remained with me. When we 
set out again we took the direct route to the camp, 
the road being enlivened by horsemen, camels, and 
pedestrians. The country on this side was only 
cultivated in some places ; we perceived, however, 
two miles behind Ngornu a carefully-kept cotton- 
plantation, and the fields near the village of Kukia 
w^ere well cultivated. 
The whole of this fertile plain became a prey to 
the inundations of the Tsad in the year 1854, caused 
by a sinking of the ground, when the whole country 
was changed in the most marvellous way. Here we 
obtained a first view of the camp with its tents ; but 
it made no remarkable impression upon me, being 
still in an unfinished state, including only those 
people who were in the most intimate connection 
with the court. 
The "ng&ufate" having its fixed arrangements, our 
place was assigned near the tents of Lamino, at some 
