262 
TRAVELS IN AFKICA. Chap. LXXX. 
proceeding towards their field labours. Most of them 
were tall, well made men, almost naked, with the 
exception of a white cap and a clean white cotton 
wrapper. Two or three of them wore blue tobes. 
Their weapons consisted of a bow and arrows, or 
a spear, and their agricultural implements were 
limited to a long handled hoe of a peculiar shape, 
such as is called jerran by the Arabs, and kambul 
by the Songhay. But besides a weapon and imple- 
ment, each of them bore a small bowl, containing a 
large round clod of pounded millet, and a little 
curdled milk, which they hospitably offered to us, 
although it constituted their whole supply of food for 
the day. We rewarded them with a few needles and 
by repeating the fat-hd or opening prayer of the 
Kuran.* It was, moreover, very fortunate that we 
had met them just here, as, if not directed by their 
information, we should scarcely have been abla to 
cross without accident these numerous creeks, some 
of which were of an extremely boggy nature, and 
others obstructed by rocks, which caused us consider- 
able delay ; for the principal branch or goru of the 
rivulet was not less than about thirty-five yards broad, 
and about two and a half feet in depth, with a rocky 
bottom. Fine bususu, or tamarind trees, and wide- 
spreading duwe, or fig trees, adorned the delta, 
while a good deal of a kind of grain called "ade- 
lenka," or " donhere," was cultivated in the fields. 
* They informed us, that Kulman was six hours' distance from 
here. 
