364 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXXII. 
seen so fine a country. The plain is traversed by 
a large fiumara or komadugu, which comes from 
the neighbourhood of Alawo, where there is a great 
collection of water, and reaches the Tsad by way of 
Dikowa, Nghala, and Mbuhi. At the three latter 
places I have crossed it myself in the course of my 
travels; and between Uje and Dikowa it has been 
visited by Mr. Vogel, but I do not know whether 
he is able to lay down its course with accuracy. 
We had to cross the watercourse twice before we 
reached Mabani, a considerable place situated on a 
broad sandy hill, at a distance of little more than 
four miles from Maiduguri. To my great astonish- 
ment, at so early an hour in the morning, my party 
proceeded to take up quarters here ; but the reason 
was, that the messengers from A'damawa had to 
inquire hereabouts for some of the people, who, as I 
have stated before, had been carried away by Kashella 
'Ali. However, in the absence of the billama or head 
man of the town, a long time elapsed before we cou]d 
procure quarters ; but at length we succeeded in ob- 
taining a sort of open yard, with two huts and two 
stalls, or " fato siggidibe," when I gave up the huts to 
my companions, and took possession of the best of 
the stalls, near which I pitched my tent. The town 
covers not only the whole top of the hill, but, de- 
scending its southern slope, extends along its foot 
and over another hill of less size. It may contain 
from nine to ten thousand inhabitants, and seems to 
be prosperous: indeed all the dwellings, despicable 
