260 
KIBABS — FIRES. 
The preparation of kibabs is quite a science here. 
The kibab cook makes a conical hillock of dust and 
ashes, flattened on the top. The edge of this mound he 
plants with sticks, on which is skewered a number 
of little bits of meat : then a fire is kindled between 
this circular forest, and the sticks are twisted round 
from time to time, so that every part may be well 
roasted. To us these kibabs are cheap enough,, 
five or six cowries a stick. 
The wall of Zinder has no gates, only openings. 
I went to the garden of the Shereef. The vege- 
tation does not look very flourishing in this season. 
The Shereef has planted some horse-beans ; " the 
only beans of the kind," says the gardener, " in all 
the territories of Bornou." 
3lst. — The weather is increasingly cool ; therm, 
at sunrise, 50°. The atmosphere of Zinder never 
clears up. I was awakened this morning, before 
daylight, by the cries of " Fire !" A fire of huts was 
raging close upon us. This is the third accident 
of this kind which has taken place during the 
sixteen days we have been here. The people take 
them, as a matter of course, with Californian in- 
difference, and it is likely that there are two or three 
fires every ten days. 
A merchant from Kanou (native of Tunis) 
called to see me. He says the English (Ameri- 
cans) now bring calicoes, powder, dollars, rum, 
wadas, guns, and many other things, to Niffee r 
which afterwards are sent up to Kanou. The slave- 
