S42 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. CHAP. IX. 
water and flour, unless I sometimes gave liim some cusscussou. He, 
as well as his mother, was a shade lighter than a mulatto, which is 
generally the colour of their tribe. 
Several of the girls carried with them an instrument called 
Zantoo. It is a long gourd hollowed out, having a hole at each end, 
and is played by striking one end against the calf of the leg, and 
occasionally stopping the other by a quick blow of the open hand. 
It has a very pleasing effect when well played, and the glass armlets, 
which are sometimes worn to the number of eight or ten on each 
arm, add to it a pretty tinkling sound. Whenever a party had a 
little outwalked the Kaffle, and sat down to rest, the Zantoos were 
set in motion, and were accompanied by their plaintive national 
airs. The wild music and picturesque appearance of these resting- 
parties was very pleasing, and I seldom passed one of them without 
having a lively chorus addressed to me. 
There is a small bush found on the Desert, called by the slaves 
Wussawussa, with leaves resembhng those of box in form, but 
tender, and having a very salt taste ; these the slaves collected 
whenever they could, and boiled with their evening meal ; and the 
flavour is not unpleasant. 
In some of the wadeys were many thorny bushes bearing small 
black berries, called Dummagh ^Uli, or " brains," which have a very 
sweet, but at the same time astringent taste, and of which these 
poor girls always brought me large supplies, in return for my assisting 
those who were fatigued or thirsty. In fact, Belford and myself, being 
the only persons who did not beat or ill treat them, became great 
favourites ; and my talents in particular were so highly appreciated, 
that not a male or female slave tore or wore out their sandal leathers, 
but they were immediately brought to me to be repaired, as I had 
always some leather in my pocket for that purpose : I thus became 
cobbler to the whole Kaffle. 
