202 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXVII. 
me those loosely-attached principalities which still pre- 
serve some sort of independence, and henceforth had 
only to do with Bormi officers. 
Not feeling very well, I remained in my tent with- 
out paying my compliments to the officer here sta- 
tioned, whose name is Kashella Said, with whom I 
became acquainted on a later occasion, but the good 
man being informed by the people that a stranger 
from a great distance, who was going to visit his 
liege lord, had entered his town, sent his people to 
welcome me, and regaled me with several bowls of 
very good paste, with fresh fish, and a bowl of milk. 
Zurrikulo was once a large town, and at the time 
of the inroad of Waday revolted from the sheikh, 
but was obliged to surrender to his brother *Abd e* 
Rahm&n. Since then it has gradually been decaying, 
and is now half deserted. The neighbourhood of the 
town is full of wild animals ; and great fear was en- 
tertained by my companions for our beasts, as we 
had no protection in our rear. The roaring of a 
lion was heard during the night. 
Monday Next morning, when we resumed our 
March 24th. ma rch, the fan-palm for some time con- 
tinued to be the prevailing tree ; but some kukas also, or 
Adansonia digitata y and other more leafy trees began 
to appear, and after a while a thick underwood sprang 
up. Then followed a few scattered, I might say for- 
lorn, date-trees, which looked like strangers in the 
country, transplanted into this region by some acci- 
dent. The sky was clear ; and I was leaning carelessly 
