Chap. XXVII. 
CHANGING GUIDES. 
237 
had started again at three o'clock, they procured a 
man from the billama of the next village, and then 
left me. I wished to obtain a guide to conduct me at 
once to Kukawa ; but I was obliged to submit to this 
arrangement, though nothing is more tedious and 
wearisome than to be obliged to change the guide at 
every little place, particularly if the traveller be in 
a hurry. It might be inferred, from the number of 
little paths crossing each other in every direction, that 
the country is thickly inhabited ; and a considerable 
troop of tugurchi gave proof of some intercourse. 
Dark-coloured, swampy ground, called 11 ange," at 
times interrupted the sandy soil, which was covered 
with fine pasture ; and we gradually ascended a little. 
I had already changed my guide four times, when, 
after some trouble, I obtained another at the village 
Giisumri ; but the former guide had scarcely turned 
his back, when his successor in office decamped, most 
probably in order not to miss his supper, and, after 
some useless threatening, I had again to grope my 
way onward as well as I could. Darkness was already 
setting in when I encamped near the village Baggem, 
where I was treated hospitably by the inhabitants of 
the nearest cottage. 
Keeping through an open country with Tuesday 
sandy soil and good pasture, we reached, a April lst - 
little after nine o'clock, the well of U'ra, a village 
lying at some distance to the left of the path, and 
here filled a water skin, and watered the horse ; but, 
hurrying on as we were, perhaps we did not allow the 
