NIEBEL. 
203 
not to remain long" in this place, and I began to whistle and 
call my horse. An inhabitant of the village sneeringly asked 
me, if in my country I was a cow-keeper. Among these 
people, as in France, to whistle in public is considered as a 
proof of ill-breeding. 
Quitting Landieni, we kept along the foot of mountains 
of a considerable height: some stunted baobabs and gum- 
trees were scattered from the middle of their declivity to the 
base. We were then obliged to ascend to reach Niebel ; the 
acclivity was so rugged that I was obliged to dismount. This 
village, although very elevated, is surrounded by still higher 
mountains. The torrents rushing down from these mountains 
have in their progress formed such deep ravines in their sides, 
that enormous masses of rock are left suspended as it were in 
the air, and threaten every instant to crush the village by 
their fall. Niebel like all other hamlets in these countries 
resembles a camp. The straw-built huts, in the form of a tent, 
are placed at some distance from each other. There are few 
mud houses ; we observed, however, a mosque at the foot of a 
baobab, the trunk of which is embraced by the branches of 
a climbing tree. This village, situated in an entirely desert 
district, was destitute of provisions ; I was obliged to go and 
draw water and to cook for myself, since no one offered us 
any supper. 
March 30th. We were ready to set out, when Boukari 
met with an Iman of Timbo whom he had seen at St. Louis ; 
D D 2 
