Chap.XLVI. POA ABYSSINICA. — THE WATER. 265 
in one of them, which belongs to a man named Mal- 
lem Talbay Saini, Fellata or Fiilbe mixed with the 
Kanuri. Most of the Shuwa had already deserted 
their villages for temporary residences in other 
quarters. 
At an early hour we halted in the village Kostari, 
the inhabitants of which had seen me on a former occa- 
sion. They- seem to be very poor, which may however 
be attributed to their laziness. According to their own 
account, they were living almost entirely upon the 
waterfowl which frequent the shores of the lagoon 
in countless numbers; and indeed the whole village 
was full of wild geese and ducks. However, I suc- 
ceeded in getting a little milk, some honey, and kreb, 
or kasha, — a kind of seed, probably identical with the 
Poa Abyssinicd) but of which there are different 
species : here in B6rnu there are principally two 
species, called " kasha ngorgo" and " kasha magaya," 
while in Wad ay there are three or four, called " de- 
nan g," " Kliyak," " shorok," and tanfafanang, besides 
a collateral species called " fele." 
It is very remarkable that, while the waters of the 
lake are fresh, most of the water which is obtained 
hereabouts, at a very short distance from its shore, is 
full of natron. The water of this place was so im- 
pregnated with that mineral, that it was scarcely 
drinkable, which was felt the more as the air was 
oppressive in the extreme ; and I felt so exhausted at 
the commencement of my journey, and after a long 
stay in the town, that I was obliged to recruit my 
