164 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XLIII. 
on their left by a grove of fine trees, presented a highly 
interesting scene. From thence, passing through a 
thick covert, we entered the beautiful open district of 
Woloje, which comprises several hamlets. Here I was 
amused at seeing the head man of a village successfully 
putting to flight, with a large branch of a tree, a troop 
of pilfering horsemen. A little beyond these hamlets 
the encampment was chosen, at some little distance 
from a very extensive " ngaljam." 
Our conversation with the vizier in the evening 
again took a geographical turn, owing to the presence 
of his spy or scout, who had just returned from de- 
livering his message to the Miisgu prince A'dishen. 
The vizier was as yet undecided in which direction to 
turn his steps ; and we heard a native chief, of the 
name of Puss, or Fuss, mentioned in a manner that 
assured us our friends were afraid to attack him. 
A'dishen, the chief just mentioned, was in a certain 
degree subject to the rulers of Bornu ; but it seemed 
rather an ironical assertion that this prince would 
be pleased with the arrival of the expedition. While 
describing his reception at the court of the chief, the 
scout indulged in a lively description of the customs 
prevalent among these people, whose chief had only 
outwardly adopted Islam. His Majesty, he said, used 
to indulge in amorous intercourse with his female 
slaves, of whom he had two hundred, before the eyes 
of his people ; an account which was rather confirmed 
by Kashella Belal, who had been his host several 
times. Belal, who was a very jovial old fellow, also 
