Chap. LXXXIIL 
ZURRIKULO. 
385- 
Thus I reached Zurrikulo for the third time during 
my travels in Negroland ; but found it in a much 
worse condition than when I had last visited it in 1851, 
and the wall, although it had been considerably con- 
tracted, was still much too large for the small number 
of inhabitants. The governor, Kashella Said, who paid 
me a visit in the evening, when I had pitched my tent 
at a short distance from his residence, requested ur- 
gently that, on my arrival in the capital, I would em- 
ploy my influence with the Sheikh in order to induce 
him either to send him sufficient succours, or to recall 
him from this dangerous post ; otherwise he should 
take to flight with the rest of the inhabitants. There 
were here some Arabs who were scarcely able to con- 
ceive hoAV I could pursue these difficult roads quite by 
myself, without a caravan. 
In order to lessen the danger, I decided upon tra- 
velling at night, and set out about two o'clock in the 
morning, entering now a region consisting of high 
sandy downs and irregular hollows, full of diim- 
palms, and occasionally forming the receptacle for a 
swampy sheet of water, where the wild hog appears 
to find a pleasant home. After a march of nearly 
ten hours, which greatly fatigued my camels, on ac- 
count of the numerous sandy slopes which we had 
to go up and down, we reached the little hamlet of 
Gabore, situated in a rather commanding position, 
bordered towards the north by a hollow dell. Here 
I encamped on the eastern side of the village, and 
was glad to treat my people with a sheep and a 
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