282 TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
ing, but does not generally continue long in that quarter. The 
hot and oppreffive winds which fill the air with thick dull 
blow conftantly from the South. 
One day, while I was fitting in the market-place at Cobbe, 
I obferved a fingular appearance in the air, which foon dif- 
covered itfelf to be a column of fand, raifed from the defert 
by a whirlwind. It was apparently about a mile and a half 
diftant, and continued about eight minutes ; this phenomenon 
had nothing of the tremendous appearance of the columns of 
fand defcribed by Bruce as riling between AfTuan and Chendi^ 
being merely a light cloud of fand. 
The harveft is conducted in a very fimpTe manner. The 
women and flaves of the proprietor are employed to break off 
the ears with their hands, leaving the ftraw {landing, which is 
afterwards applied to buildings and various other ufeful pur- 
pofes. They then accumulate them in bafkets, and carry them 
away on their heads. When threihed, which is awkwardly 
and incompletely performed, they expofe the grain to the fiin 
till it become quite dry; after this an bole in the earth is pre- 
pared, the bottom and fides of which are covered with chaff to 
exclude the vermin. This cavity or magazine is filled with 
grain, which is then covered with chaff, and afterwards with 
earth. In this way the maize is preferved tolerably well. In 
ufing it for food, they grind it, and boil it in the form of 
polenta, which is eaten either with frefh or four milk, or ftill 
more frequently with a fauce made of dried meat pounded in a 
mortar^ 
