TUARICKS BOBAN BIRNI. 
163 
We were met by a party of Tuaricks, who came 
to salute En-lSToor, mounted on horseback,, As we 
had had some very rough customers amongst the 
Tagama, I took little notice of them, and con- 
tinued eating my bread and cheese. At this the 
people of the caravan laughed. They thought we 
ought always to receive these strangers, Tuaricks, 
with fear and trembling. I deemed the contrary 
plan more politic. However, had I known they 
were official persons, and one son of a sheikh of a 
town, I should have given them a more civil 
welcome. 
7th. — We came eight hours and a-half south, 
over an undulating country, intersected with small 
wadys, and through ghaseb stubble. All was wavy 
ground, and bare of trees. There is, however, a 
small hill, at a distance of some ten miles from our 
encampment, called Boban Birni, " Great City," of 
conical form. Numerous villages were scattered 
along the whole line of route, a few of some size. 
The form of the huts is like that of beehives. 
Around them are small magazines of ghaseb, sup- 
ported on wooden stakes, very like corn-stacks. The 
inhabitants of these Damerghou villages are blacks, 
with features like the Bornouese. In fact, they speak 
the Bornou languages, and are said to have been 
the product of past razzias in that country by the 
Tuaricks. 
Damerghou is the granary of Asben, and seems 
to be entirely in possession of the Asbenouees 
