139 
CHAP. LXXV. 
FINAL AND EEAL START. GREEKS ON THE NORTHERN BANKS 
OF THE NIGER. GHERGHO. BAMBA. 
About noon the whole encampment was Wednesday, 
thrown into a state of the greatest excite- ^^^^ 
ment, by the arrival of two of the Sheikh's followers, 
who informed us that our friend had not only left 
the camp, but had even passed us, keeping along 
the northern border of the swamp which stretched 
behind our camping^ground. All was joy and ex- 
citement, and in an instant my tent was struck, and 
my luggage arranged on the backs of the camels. 
But we had to take a very roundabout way to get 
out of this place, surrounded and insulated as it 
was by deep swamps, for with our horses and camels, 
together with our heavy luggage, we could not 
think of crossing the creek which entirely cuts off the 
downs of Ule-Tehdrge. We were thus obliged to 
return all the way to Belesaro, almost as far as our 
previous fording-place between Amalelle and Ernesse. 
Here, cutting through the swampy plain (which at 
present at this spot was for the greater part dry), 
along the localities called Tin-eggedad, and further on 
