Chap LXXXI. THE SAVAMPY GU'lBI N-SO'kOTO. 321 
how he was going on after being relieved frorn a 
great part of the anxiety which appeared to oppress 
him the year before; but fearing the delay, I resolved 
to make direct from here to Birni-n-Kebbi. 
We had heard already on our journey Monday, 
that we had arrived at the very latest ^^snstuth. 
time in order to cross, with any degree of safety, the 
swampy faddama of the giilbi-n-Sokoto, which a little 
later in the season is extremely difficult to pass. 
At all events it was very fortunate that no rain had 
fallen for the last few days, or we should have expe- 
rienced considerable difficulty in crossing this swampy 
ground : even as it was, we had to traverse three 
sheets of water, the first of which was about three 
feet deep and of considerable breadth, the second 
forming the real bed of the river, running with a south- 
westerly bend towards the Kwara, although not so 
wide as the former, and the third forming a stagnant 
creek. Having passed some ricefields, we at length, 
after a march of a little more than three miles, 
emerged from the swampy bottom of the valley, and 
ascended rising ground covered with the fine crops 
belonging to the inhabitants of Diggi, and soon after 
left the town itself on our right, which from our 
former journey had remained in our remembrance, 
as we had here been met by the chivalrous sons of the 
governor of Zogirma. Here dukhn and durra were 
grown promiscuously in the same field, affording a 
proof that this ground is well adapted for both kinds 
of cultivation. 
VOL. V. Y 
