222 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
CHAr. LXXVIII. 
with the Sheikh, in order to pay my compliments to 
the Kel e' Siik, who had just concluded their prayers. 
The two chiefs, Khozematen and Hanna, principally 
claimed my attention. But, although they were very 
respectable men, it was a rather curious circum- 
stance that both were blind, or nearly so ; Hanna, 
who was the elder by two years, had only one eye, 
and Khozematen was totally blind; notwithstanding 
which, he felt confident that I was able to cure him. 
Besides the transactions with these people, the 
preparations for my home journey were going on, 
although slowly ; and the Sheikh addressed a letter in 
my favour to the chiefs on the road along which I had to 
pass. It was couched in flattering terms, and could not 
fail to be of the greatest service to me after my sepa- 
ration from him.* Notwithstanding that a tolerable 
variety of business was on hand, the locality soon be- 
came loathsome to me on account of the great heat 
which prevailed. The shade which was afforded by the 
fine sycamores near the river, was at too great a 
distance from my tent, and too much frequented by 
birds, to be of any avail. I was therefore glad that 
the visit of some other people induced my host to 
interrupt our stay here by a small excursion. 
These people were the Ga-bero, as they are gene- 
rally called, or, according to their original nomencla- 
ture, Sudu-kamil, a numerous tribe of Fiilbe, who 
have been settled in these regions for several hundred 
years, and from fear of the persecution of the A'skia, 
* A translation of this letter will be given in Ap1)endix IV. 
