278 
TKAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XL VI. 
antelope during my travels in Negroland. Great 
numbers of Guinea fowl, such I had never observed 
before, enlivened the underwood further on, the 
ground consisting of a hard soil called by the natives 
kabe, and covered with only a scanty growth of 
stunted mimosas. I was much interested in observ- 
ing here the red species of Negro corn, which seems 
not to be cultivated by the more civilized tribes of 
Negroland, but which forms the principal food of 
the pagan races towards the south. Having passed 
a Shiiwa hamlet — beri Shiiwabe, — the country be- 
came more diversified. A considerable pond, at pre- 
sent dry, and bordered by beautiful trees, spread out 
on our ]eft, while our right was bordered by the 
ruins of a large town called Sii, a name which seems 
to be a remnant of the ancient tribe of the S6 or Soy, 
which formerly ruled over the whole of this region 
as far as Kala. A poor old woman, incapacitated by 
age from reaching the market-town, was sitting in 
front of the ruined wall, offering to the passers-by 
the little cotton which she had been able to clean. 
The country is at present in such a state, prin- 
cipally owing to the turbulent spirit of the Shiiwa 
Arabs, that even this road is regarded as unsafe ; 
and we were therefore obliged to keep together, 
several inhabitants of Logon having attached them* 
selves to my little caravan. The road divides here, 
the more considerable path leading to the town of 
Kiisuri, and the smaller southern one, which we 
followed, leading to Log6n birni, or Karnak L6gone.. 
