148 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. LXXV. 
ful battle was fought between two rival pretend- 
ers.* It is difficult to imagine the different aspect 
which this country must have presented in former 
times, when all the favourable sites formed the seats 
of flourishing dwelling-places, and animated inter- 
course was thronging along the track on the side of 
the river. It was a fine halting-place, characteristic 
of the whole nature of this region ; but the ants were 
very numerous, and disturbed us greatly during our 
short halt. 
After resting for about four hours, we pursued our 
march eastward, keeping for the first mile close along 
the bot-ha, which soon changed its character to a con- 
siderable open sheet of water. Leaving then this water, 
and crossing several smaller grassy creeks, and tra- 
versing a low sandy ridge, we reached another large 
backwater ; and winding along it in a south-easterly 
direction, through bushes and diim-palms, we reached, 
after a march of about six miles, an interesting sandy 
headland called E'm-n-kuris, situated at the point 
where the creek joins the river, which here forms a 
fine sweep, changing its course from a west-easterly 
to a south-northerly direction. 
On this open sandy promontory we chose the spot 
for our night's quarters, opposite an encampment 
of the Kel-antsdr which was situated on the other 
side of the creek, and enlivened by diim-palms. 
* A'hraed Baba, in Journal of Leipsic Oriental Society, vol. ix. 
p. 547. 
