376 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXXIII. 
had established his simple workshop. The group 
consisted of three persons, the master heating the 
iron in the fire ; a boy blowing it with a small pair 
of bellows, or " bubutii," and a lad fixing a handle in 
a hatchet. On the ground near them lay a finished 
spear. Riding up to salute the smith, I asked him 
whence the iron was procured, and learnt that it was 
brought from Madegele, in Bubanjidda. This is con- 
sidered as the best iron hereabouts ; but a very good 
sort of iron is obtained also in Mandara. 
We halted for the hot hours of the day near a 
village belonging to the district Shamo, which origi- 
nally formed part of the Marghi country, but has 
been separated from it and annexed to Bornu, its 
former inhabitants having either been led into slavery 
or converted to Islam — that is to say, taught to repeat 
a few Arabic phrases, without understanding a word 
of them. The inhabitants of the village brought us 
paste of Guinea corn and milk, which, mixed together, 
make a palatable dish. From this place onward, 
ngaberi, or holcus, prevails almost exclusively, and 
argiim moro, or Pennisetum typhdideum, becomes rare. 
Some native traders, armed with spears and driving 
before them asses laden with salt, here attached them- 
selves to our troop; for the road further on is so 
much infested by robbers, that only a large body of 
men can pass it in safety. The country which 
we now entered bore but too evident proofs of the 
unfortunate condition to which it is reduced, form- 
ing a thick forest, through which nevertheless, here 
