CiiAP. LXXV. HOSPITALITY OF THE KE'L-ANTSA'r. 155 
We had intended to pitch our tent here, but we found 
the ground so extremely dry and hard that it would 
not hold the pegs. 
Soon after starting in the afternoon, on descending 
from the eminence we had a fine view of the river, 
two branches of which united behind an island. But 
the scenery soon changed, and, leaving the river at 
some distance, proceeding first over sandy ground, 
and then crossing a large backwater which was at 
present tolerably dry, and following a large herd 
of cattle that were ifeturning from their pasture 
grounds, we reached another considerable amazagh of 
the Kel-antsar, and encamped between them and the 
green swampy shore of the river. The place is called 
Zdr-ho ; but in the river lies the island of Kurkozay, 
which has obtained a kind of celebrity on account of 
a sanguinary battle which was fought there thirty-five 
years previous to the time of my visit, between the 
Tawarek on the one side, and the Songhay and Erma 
or Ruma on the other. The people here seemed to 
be very rich in cattle, and supplied us with an enor- 
mous quantity of fresh milk. 
While we were loading our camels, the sky Wednesday, 
was overcast with thick clouds, and heavy ^^^^ 
rain evidently fell in A'ribinda, while with us the 
strong wind prevented the clouds from discharging 
their contents. I have repeatedly remarked upon the 
quantity of rain that falls on the southern side of 
the river compared with the northern. Dry as the 
country here appeared to be, we this day became 
