Chap. XXXV. 
RIBA'GO. 
481 
observed the least traces of the cultivation of rice, for 
which they seem to be so marvellously adapted, the cul- 
tivation round Ribago being almost exclusively limited 
to maiwa or maiwari, a peculiar species of sorghum 
called " matea " in KanurL On inquiring why these 
people did not grow rice, I learnt that the Fulbe 
hereabouts had all migrated from Bornu after the 
downfall of their jemmdra and dominion in that coun- 
try, when not only were the new political intruders 
repulsed, but even the old settlers, who had been esta- 
blished in that country from very ancient times, were 
obliged to emigrate. In Bornu, however, as I have 
had occasion to mention before, no rice is cultivated, 
so that these people, although at present established 
in regions where rice would probably succeed much 
better than millet and Indian corn, abstain entirely 
from its cultivation. On the other hand, in the western 
parts of A'damawa and in Ham&rruwa, whither the 
Fulbe have migrated from Hausa, rice is cultivated 
to a considerable extent. On a former occasion I 
have already touched on the question, whether rice 
be indigenous in Negroland or not. It has evidently 
been cultivated from time immemorial in the coun- 
tries along the middle course of the Fsa, or Kwara, 
from Kebbi up to Gagho, or G6go; but this might 
seem to be in consequence of a very ancient inter- 
course between those regions and Egypt, which I 
hope to be able to establish in the course of my 
narrative. It grows, however, wild in many parts, 
from the southern provinces of Bornu, Bagirmi, and 
VOL. II. I I 
