320 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. XXXI. 
the sites of villages, while near the road they give 
way to an immense fertile plain, where beans are 
cultivated, besides grain. However, this also is 
covered at this season of the year with the tiresome 
and endless Asclepias. Among the sites of former 
towns on the east side of the road is that of New 
Birni, which was built by the Sultan Mohammed, 
when residing in Berberuwa, about the year 1820, 
and destroyed by Haj Beshir in the year 1847, and 
does not now contain a living soul. Farther on is 
a group of kitchen-gardens belonging to some gran- 
dees, and adorned with two or three most splendid 
tamarind-trees, which in this monotonous landscape 
have a peculiar charm. 
It was about one o'clock in the afternoon when I 
entered Ngornu, the town of " the blessing." The 
heat being then very great, scarcely anybody was 
to be seen in the streets; but the houses, or rather 
yards, were full of people, tents having been pitched 
to accommodate so many visitors, while fine horses 
looked forth everywhere over the low fences, sa- 
luting us as we passed by. Scarcely a single clay 
house was to be seen, with the exception of the 
house of the sheikh, which lies at the end of the 
dendal ; but nevertheless the town made the impres- 
sion of comfort and ease, and every yard was neatly 
fenced with new " siggedi " mats, and well shaded by 
korna-trees, while the huts were large and spacious. 
Having in vain presented myself at the house of 
the vizier, where the people were all asleep, and wan- 
