244 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXXIX. 
left the desert far behind us. I am not sure how the 
country here is called ; but T think that the district 
called A'zawdgh may reach down to the eastern border 
of the river. The Niger was for a moment entirely 
free from rocks, forming a magnificent open sheet of 
water ; but further on it again became obstructed by 
isolated clitFs. 
Meanwhile, as we pursued our march steadily on- 
wards, at a short distance from the bank, in a S. S. E. 
direction, the Kel e' Siiki, Mohammed e' Telmiidi, en- 
tertained me, from the back of his tall mehari, with 
a description of the power of the Tarki chief. El 
Khadir, the southern verge of whose territory we had 
passed on our outward journey, and now again turned 
round the northern side of it. The chief, at this time, 
was encamped about three days from here, towards the 
west, collecting, as we were told, an expedition against 
the principality of Hombori, the governor of which 
claims dominion over the whole district. There are 
even here several settlements of Fiilbe, a troop of whom 
we fell in with, and recognized in them young noble 
people, who in their countenances bore evident traces 
of a pure descent. Their idiom was closely related to 
the dialect of Masina. During the spring, however, 
the Tdrki chief generally frequents the banks of the 
river, which then afford the richest pasturage. 
Gradually the green shore widened, and formed a 
swampy ground of more than half a mile in breadth, 
adorned by a line of trees which, during the inun- 
dation, likewise becomes annually submerged by the 
