348 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXXXII. 
It was three o'clock the following morning when 
we all assembled round the courtyard of the gha- 
ladima, but on account of the guide who had pro- 
mised to conduct us through the wilderness not 
daring to trust himself with these people without 
receiving his reward beforehand, we did not get off 
till half-past five o'clock, after we were quite tired out 
and ill prepared for a long march. The forest was 
overgrown with rank grass, and in the beginning 
exhibited some large ponds. The dor6wa formed 
the principal tree, only now and then a diim-palm 
giving some variety to the vegetation. Through 
this dense forest we marched at such a rate, that it 
rather resembled a flight than anything else, render- 
ing it impossible for me to lay down this road with 
the same degree of accuracy to which I had adhered 
with the greatest perseverance throughout the whole 
extent of my long wanderings. At length, after a 
march of more than twenty miles, we reached the 
beginning of the large pond Subiibu, which, how- 
ever, at present was almost dried up, presenting 
nothing but small pools of water ; but I was sadly 
disappointed in my hopes of obtaining here some 
rest, the locality being regarded as too insecure to 
make a long halt, although on account of this 
sheet of water we had evidently given to our course 
a direction greatly diverging from that of our main 
route, which was to the north-east. 1 felt so much 
exhausted, that I was obliged shortly after to remain 
secretly behind, protected only by my faithful ser- 
