Chap. XL VIII. RETURN OF GRE'MA. 
349 
season. On the north-east side, also, there was a 
great deal of forest; but it was adorned by some 
groups of fine trees. It was enlivened by numbers 
of Guinea fowl and gazelles ; and a great number of 
" kalgo " trees, with their wide-spreading branches, 
were observed here. The soil had been already tole- 
rably saturated with moisture, fine tufts of succulent 
grass were springing up here and there, and I was 
enabled to water my horse at a small pool ; but this 
abundance of the watery element, of course, was only 
temporary, in consequence of the heavy rain which 
had fallen the previous night, and the poor inha- 
bitants were still to suffer most severely from drought, 
their deep well being almost dry. This was the only 
point in regard to which I had continual disputes 
with the inhabitants, who would scarcely allow my 
horse to get his sufficient quantum, although I had to 
pay a considerable sum for it. 
Meanwhile I waxed impatient. At length, on 
the evening of the 6th of April, my escort Grema 
(whom on the last day of March I had sent to the 
capital to bring me a decisive answer without delay) 
returned with a messenger of the lieutenant-governor, 
— not, however, to grant either of my requests, but 
rather to induce me to wait patiently till an answer 
should arrive from the sultan himself. In order 
that I might not starve in the meanwhile, they 
brought me a sheep and a shirt, with which I might 
buy provision in some neighbouring village ; but as 
there was nothing to be got besides millet and 
