206 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXXVII. 
then keeping along the swampy plain, soon got en- 
tangled in a larger sheet of water, which stretched 
along the foot of Mount Tondibi, and appeared to in- 
tercept our passage. We therefore thought it better 
to get out of the swampy ground, which here was full 
of water covered with water lilies, and to ascend the 
sandy downs, where we passed another amazagh of the 
Tin-ger-egedesh. There is no doubt that this swampy 
plain, for several months of the year, presents one 
uninterrupted sheet of water. Thus we ascended the 
northerly oflPshoots of Mount Tondibi, which formed 
undulating sandy downs, stretching forth from the 
foot of the rocky mount, and richly clad with dum- 
bush ; but we soon passed them, and descended again 
on the other side into the grassy swampy plain, 
at present dry, but intersected by a creek every 
now and then. The river was at a considerable 
distance. 
A mile beyond, we reached an encampment of the 
Kel e' Siik, consisting of reed huts, and at the in- 
stigation of the Wadawi, in the absence of the Sheikh, 
made a halt and unloaded our camels, when we sud- 
denly received counter- orders, and reloading our 
camels with great alacrity, proceeded on our march. 
The plain was here intersected by several winding 
channels, where we observed numerous herds of 
cattle and flocks of sheep belonging to the slaves of 
Khozeraaten, who, like all the Tawdrek, were about to 
leave the river, and to enter the region of the desert, 
and the mountainous tract of A'derdr, where, in 
