Chap. LXXV. 
ghe'rgo. 
153 
gravel, partly exhibited a more stony cliaracter, and, 
contrasted with the wide green valley of the river, 
presented a bleak desert scenery with undulating 
ground towards the north, clad with nothing but 
isolated tufts of dry herbage. From the higher ground 
I had an interesting view over the whole village, 
situated in the midst of swampy creeks and bordered 
on each side by a solitary tree. I counted from this 
point about 350 huts. 
On returning from my walk to our encampment, I 
found a great number of the inhabitants of the place 
assembled, and, after they had paid their compliments 
to the Sheikh, anxiously looking out for the stranger 
in order to obtain his blessing also. But I did not 
find them sufficiently interesting to have much inter- 
course with them, for they have very little of that 
noble independent carriage which distinguishes, in 
such an eminent degree, their south-eastern country- 
men ; and their stature, as well as their features, 
seemed to indicate plainly a very strong intermixture 
with Mosi slaves. It is not improbable, that the 
whole indigenous population of this northern bank of 
the Niger originally belonged to the race of the 
Tombo. Most of these people wore closely fitting 
white shirts and trowsers, both made of a broad kind 
of cotton strip, or tari, of very coarse texture, while 
their head is generally encircled with a very rugged 
and poor turban, if we may so call it, of the same 
material ; only a few of them being dressed in a more 
decent style. They had a good deal of butter, but 
