282 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXXX. 
least, was well treated ; for the inhabitants of a small 
island in the river brought me a plentiful supper in 
the evening, consisting of prepared millet, a couple of 
fowls, and some milk. 
Wednesday, Travcrsing the swampy ground, after a 
July 26th. inarch of half a mile we reached again the 
direct path, keeping at some distance from the bank 
of the river, which, although divided into several 
branches, exhibited a charming spectacle in the rising 
sun. Cultivated ground and wilderness alternated, 
and the monkey-bread tree appeared in great abun- 
dance ; but further on the duwe and kenya began to 
prevail ; the islands in the river also, as Nasile and 
Ler, being richly clad with vegetation. 
However, the district did not seem to be very 
populous, and the only village which we passed on 
the main was Shere, surrounded by a stockade, where 
we endeavoured, in vain, to obtain a little milk. We 
left, at a distance of several miles to the west, the 
town of Larba, which, as I have mentioned on my 
outward journey, is inhabited by a warlike set of 
people greatly feared by their neighbours ; but at 
present we heard that the ruler of that town, of the 
name of Bito, had lately returned from Say, to whose 
governor, A'bii Bakr, he was said to have made his 
submission ; although it is probable that his only in- 
tention had been to keep free that side, in order to be 
undisturbed in his proceedings against the chief of the 
Torode, or T6robe. 
Altogether the region presented a very interesting 
