Chap. XXXIII. THE DIVIDING RIDGE. 
411 
small rocky eminence on our right, and a more consi- 
derable one on our left, while in the distance, to the 
west, various mountain groups became visible. This 
line of elevation might seem to form the water partition 
between the basin of the Tsad and that of the Great 
Eiver of Western Africa, but I am not sure of it, as 
I did not become distinctly aware of the relation of 
the rivulet of Miibi to that of Baza. 
Be this as it may, this point of the route probably 
attains an elevation of about 2,000 feet, supposing 
that we had ascended about 800 feet from Uje, the 
elevation of which is 1,200 feet above the level of 
the sea. Having then crossed, with some difficulty, 
on the part of the camels, a rugged defile, enclosed by 
large granite blocks, we began to descend consider- 
ably, while Mohammedu drew my attention to the 
tree called " bijage " in Fulfulde, which grows be- 
tween the granite blocks, and from which the people 
of Fumbina prepare the poison for their arrows. 
However I was not near enough to give even the 
most general account of it ; it seemed to be a bush of 
from ten to twelve feet in height, with tolerably large 
leaves of an olive colour. 
Emerging from this rocky passage, we began 
gradually to overlook the large valley stretching out 
to the foot of the opposite mountain chain, which 
seemed from this place to be uninterrupted. Its 
general elevation appeared to be about 800 feet above 
the bottom of the valley. We then again entered 
upon cultivated ground, and turning round the spur 
