FROM KANO TO SOCCATOO. 
191 
half running, half walking along the Soccatoo road, which still 
skirts the banks of the river or lake, no appearance of inhabitants 
to be seen, passed the ruins of three towers ; and the traces of ele- 
phants and other wild beasts were numerous : the soil a deep red 
clay, mixed and covered with a thin layer of sand. At 2 saw a 
range of hills extending from south-west to north-east, not of great 
elevation ; as we approached them, the lakes and swamps took a di- 
rection to the southward; the soil became clay and gravel, with 
rocks of clay iron-stone on the surface. At 5 we got amongst the 
ravines, and beds of torrents at the foot of the hills, and turning 
to a bend in the hills south, kept winding amongst them, fatigued 
and tired, until 10 the next morning, when I halted at one of the 
Fellata’s former encampments. I passed many walking on foot, 
driving their horses before them, and for several miles before I 
came to the camp, the foot, some of whom we had now come up 
with, were lying along the road, unable to move further. My 
camels, which had got amongst the first, had halted two hours before. 
Thursday, 19th. — The road still lay over hills of clay iron-stone, 
imbedded in a dark red clay, for about four hours, when we arrived 
on their south-west side, where we had to pass about a mile and a 
half of low swampy ground, before we came to the Zunnie river, 
which was here broad, full, and running with a current of about two 
miles and a half an hour to the westward ; its depth at the ford 
about five feet, its breadth about sixty yards. As usual, there was 
a great assemblage of horses, camels, bullocks, and asses, and of 
course great confusion, every one striving to drive before the others. 
I stripped, and taking the bridle of my horse, plunged in, and drove 
him on before me. I got a severe head-ache, as the water w r as very 
cool, and I was warm. I lay down, after I had dressed, under a tree 
on the other bank, until the camels had fed a little, when I started 
again. The river below forms a chain of lakes and swamps, skirting 
