214 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXVII. 
as well as in many other districts of Bornu, especially 
in the district of Koyam. The women of the vil- 
lage, who were very curious to see the interior of 
my tent, were greatly surprised to find that I 
was a bachelor, and without a female partner, 
accustomed, as they were, to see travellers in this 
country, at least those tolerably at their ease, with a 
train of female slaves. They expressed their asto- 
nishment in much diverting chat with each other. 
I got also milk and a fowl for my supper, and the 
billama afterwards brought some "ngaji" (the fa- 
vourite Kamiri dish) for my men. As the situation 
of the village was elevated, it was most interesting 
to see in the evening the numerous fires of the 
hamlets and small towns all around, giving a favour- 
able idea of the local population. 
Thursday, Early in the morning we continued our 
aich 2/th. marc ] 1 . ]3 U {- we i 0S £ a g rea ^ d ea ] 0 f time 
through ignorance of the direct way. Some of the 
paths appear, at times, like a well-frequented high- 
road, when suddenly almost every trace of them is lost. 
At length, at the walled town of Gobalgortim, we 
learned that we were on the road to Kashimma ; and 
we determined to keep on as straight as possible. 
The country which we traversed early in the morning 
consisted of stiff clayey soil, and produced ngaberi ; 
but this was only a sort of basin of no great extent, 
and the landscape soon changed its character. After 
we had passed Gobalgonim, the country became much 
richer in trees ; and this circumstance, as well as the 
