Chap.LXXXI. friendly RECEPTION IN GA'rBO. 311 
own wild luxuriant growth. Having passed the 
village of Beldnde, which was adorned by numbers 
of diim-palms, and the extensive hamlet called 
U'ro-emiro, we entered more properly the bottom of 
the valley or rafi, being already at this season for a 
great part covered with swamps, which, a month 
later, render the communication extremely difficult, 
although at times, the ground rises a few feet higher 
than the ordinary level. But although this low 
ground is extremely well adapted for the cultiva- 
tion of rice, very little was at present actually to be 
seen. 
At length we thought that we had entirely left the 
swampy ground behind us ; but about a mile and a 
half beyond the village Gerlaje, which we left on one 
side, we had to cross a very deep and broad swamp, in 
which one of the last of my camels fell down and died. 
Three miles beyond, we reached the village of Garbo, 
which was already familiar to me from my outward 
journey, although I was scarcely able to recognize it, 
so great was the change produced by the rich vegeta- 
tion, and the crops of millet and sorghum which had 
sprung up through the influence of the rainy season. 
But the inhabitants also, elated by the hope which 
the prospect of a rich harvest held out to them, ex- 
hibited a f^ir more cheerful temperament than on my 
former visit, and immediately led me through the 
narrow lanes to the house of the emir, who received 
me in a hearty manner as an old friend. On enter- 
ing into conversation with him, I was not a little 
X 4 
