Chap. LXXVII. FIRST SIGHT OF GO'GO^ 
213 
the highest state of the inundation, and girt by a 
dense grove of diim-bush and talha trees, but desti- 
tute of the nutritious byrgu. 
In this locality, which is called Kokoro, we made a 
halt in order to wait for El Bakay ; but, as he did not 
come, and as we were unable to stay in this wilderness 
where no encampment was near, we moved on in the 
afternoon, with an almost exact southerly direction, 
towards Gogo, Gawo, or Ghdgo, the celebrated capital 
of the Songhay empire. We first kept along the 
border of the green swampy creek, which further 
on presented an open sheet of water, while on our 
left, between the dense diim-bush, diim-palms also 
began to appear. But about two miles further 
on, leaving the creek for awhile, we ascended sandy 
downs, where from the deserted site of a former 
amazagh, bearing evident traces of having been the 
resting-place of a numerous herd of cattle, my com- 
panions descried in the distance the tops of the palm 
trees of Gogo, while I strained my eyes in vain, filled 
as I was with the most ardent desire of at length 
reaching that place. 
Descending then into a slight depression, we 
reached a larger faddama, which soon after was joined 
by a considerable branch from the north-west, gra- 
dually filling with water as we advanced, and form- 
ing an arm of the river. From beyond the other 
side, a very comfortable looking encampment be- 
came visible, and almost induced my companions to 
give up the plan of reaching the desolate site of the 
