224 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXVII. 
Having made a short halt about noon to refresh 
ourselves and our animals, we continued our march 
through the forest, which here consisted principally 
of dum-palms, faraon, kalgo, talha-trees, and a little 
siw&k or Capparis sodata. The ground was covered 
with the heavy footprints of the elephant, and even 
at this season it retained many ponds in the channel- 
like hollows. A solitary maraya or mohhor {Anti- 
lope Soemmeringii) bounded through the thicket ; 
indeed antelopes of any species are rare in these 
quarters, and on the whole road I had seen but a 
single gazelle, near the village Diggere-bare. But it 
seems remarkable that from the description of the na- 
tives there cannot be the least doubt that that large 
and majestic variety of antelope called addax, which is 
very much like a large stag, is occasionally found 
here. A fine open space with rich pastures and with 
hurdle-inclosures interrupted the thicket for about 
a mile, after which we had to traverse another thick 
covert, and emerging from it were agreeably surprised 
at beholding a lake of considerable dimensions on our 
left, and after a short interval another still more con- 
siderable approaching from the north and turning 
eastward, its surface furrowed by the wind and hur- 
rying along in little billows which dashed upon the 
shore. On its eastern side lie the ruins of the cele- 
brated town Ghambaru, which although not the of- 
ficial residence of the kings of B6rnu, was neverthe- 
less their favourite retreat during the flourishing 
period of the empire ; and those two lakes, although 
