SOI 
Besides these productions which cover the country, 
either in detached masses or in large strata, the surface 
of the ground is entirely covered with loose volcanic 
stones, from three or four inches in circumference, to a 
foot in diameter, all equally black, porous, or carious, 
as if they had just come out of the crater. But it is par- 
ticularly at the approaches to Sassa, that the traveller 
meets with groups of crevices, and volcanic mounds, 
of so frightful a size, that he is seized with horror, 
which is increased if he allows his imagination to wan- 
der to the pferiod when these masses were hurled forth 
with violence from the bowels of the earth. The holes 
and crevices, which are to be met with continually, 
contain water as black as ink, and almost always foetid. 
There are evident signs that all this country was for- 
merly filled with volcanoes, for we beheld several small 
craters in traversing the plain. 
By a singular contrast this plain in bounded to the 
north by a mountain, whose elevated summit rises to 
the line of perpetual snow, and presents the appearance 
of a perpetual winter above the upper crevices of the 
ancient volcanoes. It is true, however, that at this 
period of the year there was but little snow upon the 
meridional slope of the mountain. 
* Saturday r , 22d dugust. 
We were upon our march by five o'clock in the 
morning, in a N. E. direction, across a calcareous plain, 
which sloped almost imperceptibly, and along the bank 
of a small river. 
We entered a khan two hours and a half afterwards, 
called Khan Scheik, where we breakfasted. Onward 
from this spot may be traced indications of the near 
approach to a great capital, from the number of towns 
