542 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXXVII. 
further on he presented me with a " fito," a red fruit 
looking exactly like red pepper, with numbers of 
small kernels, and of a somewhat acidulous taste. 
We rested a little more than three hours, during 
the heat of the day, near a pond of stagnant water, in 
a district rich in pastures, where, among numerous 
herds of the Shiiwa, the cattle of Haj Beshir were also 
grazing. But the ground hereabouts seemed to be 
nothing but one continuous world of ants, which did 
not allow us a moment's undisturbed repose, and even 
during our short stay they made several successful 
attacks not only upon part of our luggage, but even 
of my dress. 
When we set out again, at an early hour in the 
afternoon, numerous pools of water along the road 
testified to the presence of the rainy season ; and the 
village Maska, which wc passed soon afterwards, was 
surrounded with corn and cotton-fields as well as by 
rich green pasture-grounds. The path was well fre- 
quented. We met first a horseman of the sheikh sent 
as a messenger to Uje, with the order to call in the 
numerous horse of that district ; and Billama was of 
opinion that his master had thoughts of arranging 
the affairs of Khadeja. Further on we met a troop 
of Shuwa women, who, in a mournful song, lamented 
the death of one of their companions. They passed 
us too rapidly to allow the words of their song to be 
distinctly heard. 
The country on our left, and that on our right, 
showed a remarkable contrast ; for while, on our left, 
