HE LEAVES THE KING'S CAMP. 57 
master could spare her^ to pick up haze for her subsistence ; 
she only received the milk of one cow for her share, and care 
had been taken to allot her one of those that gave the least ; 
nevertheless, in her forlorn state, she found means to soften 
my lot ; so true it is that the wretched are the most compas- 
sionate. During the whole week that I remained after this 
time in the camp, she did not fail once to bring me a little 
calabash of sangleh. 
October the 7th, 1 requested the king to send me to the 
marabout's camp as he had promised. He gave me a bullock 
to ride upon, and a slave to guide me. At nine in the morning 
we set off, but had scarcely proceeded a quarter of a mile 
before the bullock stopped, and would not go further, upon 
which we were forced to return to the camp. 
On the 8th, Hamet-Dou having provided me with ano- 
ther bullock, I set off at six o'clock in the morning, travelling 
to the S. W. i W. over a sandy soil covered with khakham. 
Our journey was very painful, on account of the thirst we 
endured ; for there was not a drop of water to be found on 
the road. At two o'clock we found traces of a camp, which 
we followed. Climbing some hillocks of loose sand, we per- 
ceived to the south a streamlet running from W. to S.W. ; 
its banks were bordered with mimosa, zizyphus lotus, and 
nauclea, which appeared in full verdure. My guide told me 
that the rividet was called el-Hadjar, and that it overflows 
the plain in the rainy season. I thought that it was probably 
the same which I had passed with Boubou-Fanfale. I saw 
some smoke rising from the banks of the river, which seemed 
to indicate the vicinity of a camp, and 1 rejoiced at it, hop- 
ing that I should have an opportunity of quenching my thirst; 
but, on advancing a few paces towards it, I perceived that the 
whole plain was on fire. Some person had set fire to the dry 
herbage, and the birds of prey were hovering around to catch 
the insects and reptiles as they were escaping from the 
flames. 
