120 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXXIV. 
low swampy meadow-grounds, and leaving Tndikuway 
on our left, we encamped again in the midst of a 
swamp, at a short distance from the bank of the river. 
Fortunately, there was some rising ground, opening 
a fine view over the river, which here formed an arm 
of about 600 yards in breadth, while the opposite 
shore of A'ribinda exhibited a very pleasant back- 
ground. Cautiously I pitched my tent as high as 
possible, with the door looking towards the river, in 
order to console myself with the aspect of the stream. 
A beautiful jeja or caoutchouc tree, here called enderen, 
which I scarcely remember to have seen anywhere else 
in the whole of this district, gave life and animation 
to the encampment. A few miles towards the west, 
the high sandy downs of U'le Teharge formed also 
an object of great interest. 
It was extremely fortunate that the ground of this 
encampment did not present such a uniform level 
as in our last day's amazagh, for in the afternoon we 
were visited by a violent tempest, which threw back 
the fence that we had erected around our camping- 
ground, upon ourselves and our horses, and threatened 
to tear the tent to pieces : then, having made the 
round of the whole horizon, it returned once more 
from the north and discharged itself in a terrific 
shower, which lasted more than two hours, and 
changed the whole of the lower part of the plain into 
a large lake. 
This thunderstorm aiForded evident proofs of the 
full power of the rainy season; and as I had not 
