Chap. XXII. ANIMATED INTERCOURSE. 
7 
pigeons. Beyond this spot the country became more 
open ; and about five miles from the well we reached 
the pond or " tebki-n-riiwa Kiidura," close on the right 
of our path. It was already partly dried up, and the 
water had quite a milky colour from the nature of 
the ground, which consists of a whitish clay ; but 
during the rainy season, and for some time after- 
wards, when all the trees which surround it in its 
dry state stand in the midst of the water, it is of 
considerable size. There are a great many kalbo- 
trees here. We also met a small troop of men very 
characteristic of the country we had entered, being 
wanton in behaviour and light in dress, having no- 
thing on but short shirts (the colour of which had 
once been dark blue) and diminutive straw hats, while 
all their luggage consisted of a small leathern bag 
with pounded " gero " or millet, some gourd bottles 
to contain the fura, besides two or three drinking- 
vessels. One of them, an exceedingly tall fellow, 
rode a horse scarcely able to carry him, though the 
cavalier was almost as lean as his Rosinante. Soon 
afterwards the pond became enlivened by the arrival 
of a caravan of pack-oxen, everything indicating that 
we had reached a region where intercourse was easy 
and continuous. 
We remained here nearly two hours, till the " airi" 
came up, when we joined it, and soon discovered the 
reason of their being so long ; for in the thick under- 
wood the long strings of camels could not proceed 
fast, and the stoppages were frequent. We then met 
B 4 
