GOUR-NXJTS BIRD'S NEST. 
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built than any I have yet seen in this part of 
Aheer. This country has seen its best days; for 
the huts which now take the place of these houses, 
high and well-built of stone and mud, are, indeed, 
miserable. Probably these deserted places are 
some of the towns whose people were carried off 
to Bornou in the recent razzias. At the bottom 
of most of the wadys to-day, water was found at a 
foot depth, though not a copious supply. People 
were at the wells in numbers, watering their cattle. 
En-Noor paid me another attention to-day, 
when on camel-back, in presenting to me a piece 
of gour-nut. This is considered a very great com- 
pliment. As to the fruit itself, I have not yet 
acquired the taste ; it is only agreeable if you 
are thirsty, and after chewing it drink water. 
22d. — We remain here to-day. It is not so 
cold as it has been. 
I am sorry Madame En-Noor has left off the 
milk, though I never cease to send coffee twice 
a-day. I must now, however, send but once, as my 
sugar is getting low. 
I observed the beautiful bird's nest which I 
mentioned the other day. It is a perfect piece of 
architecture, far superior to the huts made in this 
country. The only apparent deficiency is, that it 
seems to hang on nothing, or is suspended sometimes 
on a slender straw, at other times on a thin twig. 
The nest is built of straw inside and outside, but the 
inside is of a finer straw. I have not seen the bird 
VOL. II. k 
