122 
TRAVELS IN AFEICA. 
Chap. XLII. 
importance to the vizier, whose mild character did not 
allow him personally to adopt severe measures. Im- 
prisoning people and ordering them to be whipped 
constituted one of Lammo's chief pleasures. He could, 
however, at times be very gentle and amiable ; and 
there was nothing which afforded greater amusement 
to my companion and me than to hear him talk in the 
most sentimental manner of the favourite object of his 
affections, a woman whom he carried with him on this 
expedition. It caused us also great delight to witness 
the terror he felt at our comparing the shape of the 
earth to an ostrich's egg ; for he seemed to be quite at 
a loss to understand how he should be able to pre- 
serve his balance on such a globe, with his great 
heaviness and clumsiness. 
Wednesday Early in the morning the signal for the 
November 26th. decampment of the army was given in 
front of the tent of the sheikh, by the sound of the 
great drum ; and in broad battle-array ("bata") the 
army with its host of cavalry moved onwards over 
the plain, which was covered with tall reeds, and 
showed only here and there a few signs of cultivation. 
This time I still remained with the camels and 
the train- oxen, which, mixed with pedestrians and 
some single horsemen in long unbounded lines, kept 
along the road, while single troops of Kanembu 
spearmen, in their light fanciful garments, mostly 
consisting of a small apron of rags, or a hide tied 
round the loins, and armed with their light wooden 
shields, passed the luggage- train, shouting out in 
