Chap. XLV. RESIDENCE OF KA'BISHME'. 
247 
seemed to be quite solitary, without there being a 
full-grown specimen to be seen. 
At length this swampy ground seemed to have an 
end ; but nothing but poor stubble-fields, where the 
crop had failed, took its place, with here and there a 
few detached poor-looking huts, the few trees which 
were visible exhibiting the same scanty growth that 
we had observed in the district through which we 
had just passed. At last the eye, fatigued by the 
length of this gloomy tract, was refreshed by the 
sight of a field with a fresh crop of masakuwd, or 
Holcus cernuus, though it was far from being a rich 
one. Already here, besides the huts common in this 
country, others, of a remarkable and peculiar style, 
became visible, such as I shall describe further on, 
and as only the most excellent clay soil can enable 
the natives to build. 
Entering for a while a grassy plain, we reached an 
open water, such as the Kaniiri people call koma- 
dugu, about thirty yards broad, but apparently of 
considerable depth, being inclosed by banks ten feet 
high, and winding through the plain in a fine me- 
andering course. The water, at present, had no 
current ; and we found a spot where it was totally 
broken, and were enabled to cross it with dry feet. 
A few hundred yards on. the other side of this 
watercourse were the ruins of Baga, the residence of 
the chief Kabishme (or, as the Kaniiri call him, Kab- 
shime), which had been ransacked last year by Ka- 
shella f Alf Fiigomami. Among these ruins the vizier, 
R 4 
