INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 99 
to surround them, and prevent their escaping. The Negroes, 
however, waited with great composure until we came within 
bowshot of them, when each of them took from his quiver a 
handful of arrows, and putting two between his teeth and one 
in his bow, waved to us with his hand to keep at a distance ; 
upon which one of the king's people called out to the strangers 
to give some account of themselves. They said that " they 
were natives of Toorda, a neighbouring village, and had come 
to that place to gather tomberongs." These are small farina- 
ceous berries, of a yellow colour and delicious taste, which 1 
knew to be the fruit of the rhamnus lotus of Linnaeus. The Ne- 
groes shewed us two large baskets full, which they had collected 
in the course of the day. These berries are much esteemed by 
the natives, who convert them into a sort of bread, by exposing 
them for some days to the sun, and afterwards pounding them 
gently in a wooden mortar, until the farinaceous part of the 
berry is separated from the stone. This meal is then mixed 
with a little water, and formed into cakes ; which, when dried 
in the sun, resemble in colour and flavour the sweetest ginger- 
bread. The stones are afterwards put into a vessel of water, and 
shaken about so as to separate the meal which may still adhere 
to them : this communicates a sweet and agreeable taste to the 
water, and with the addition of a little pounded millet, forms 
a pleasant gruel called /ow^//, which is the common breakfast in 
many parts of Ludamar, during the months of February and 
March. The fruit is collected by spreading a cloth upon the 
ground, and beating the branches with a stick. 
The lotus is very common in all the kingdoms which I visited ; 
O2 
