232 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. XLV. 
Thursday, ^ ne country through which we passed 
January 8th. was extremely fertile and beautiful, the 
scenery during the first part of our march preserving 
in general the same features which it exhibited on 
the preceding day. We ourselves kept along the 
high ground, at the foot of which a clear open sheet 
of water was meandering along, while beyond, to- 
wards the east, an unbounded grassy plain stretched 
out, with a scanty growth of trees in the back-ground, 
and only broken towards the south-east by a low 
chain of hills, as represented in the plate opposite. At 
the distance of a mile we reached some hamlets where 
diim- and deleb-palms were grouped together in a re- 
markable manner, starting forth from, and illuminated 
by the sea of flames which was devouring the village, 
the whole forming a very picturesque spectacle. 
Further on we made a halt on the slope of the 
rising ground, the various troops, distinguished by 
the diversity of colours of their dresses, grouping 
themselves around some buildings which were almost 
consumed by the flames, while I found leisure to 
sketch the fertile country before us. The people them- 
selves were struck with its beauty ; and when we con- 
tinued our march, I took an opportunity to enter into 
a conversation with our friend the vizier, with regard 
to the policy which they pursued with these people, 
and the way in which they desolated these regions ; 
and I asked him whether they would not act more 
prudently in allowing the natives to cultivate their 
fertile country in tranquillity, only levying a con- 
