They had now entered a region full of water, the soil presenting very little inclination to afford it the means of flowing off. He was detained some time in the populous town of Dore, and on the 21st of July set out on the most dangerous stage of his journey to Timbuctoo. Many large sheets of water had to be crossed, and occasionally swamps, which greatly impeded their progress. It was the rainy season, and he was thus at times unable to proceed. As he had now to traverse the province of Dellah, which is ruled by a governor subject to the fanatical chief of Mas-ena, who would never allow a Christian to visit his territory, the doctor was obliged to assume the character of an Arab. At the town of Bambarra, situated among the creeks and back-waters of the Niger, he met an Arab native of Tisit, who had made the pilgrimage to Mecca. The stranger cross-questioned him very narrowly about the place from which he came, and the doctor had reason to fear he should be discovered. However, the man's whole appearance inspired him with such confidence that he felt sure that he might be trusted. On the 27th of August the doctor set out on his last journey by land, in order to reach Sarawano, the place where he was to embark on the river. It is only during the rainy season that there is communication by water to Timbuctoo, which lies directly north from this place. He here engaged a boat with two cabins of matting, one in the prow and the other in the stern. She was built of planks sewn together in a very bungling manner. A labyrinth of creeks, back-waters, and channels spreads over the whole of this country, affording water-communication in all directions. On the 1st of September the voyage commenced, and the doctor naturally felt in high spirits when he found himself floating on the river which was to carry him all, the way to the harbour of Timbuctoo. The water was greatly obstructed by long grass, which made rowing impossible, and the boat was therefore impelled by poles, generally moving at the rate of between two and three miles an hour. At night, a storm threatening, the boat was moored in a wide grassy creek; but the numerous swarms of mosquitoes molested them greatly during the night. The barking sounds of some animals were heard, which the doctor found proceeded from young crocodiles. On the 2nd of September the boatmen made use of their oars, sometimes passing broad open spaces, and again getting into narrow channels. Barth and his attendants were tolerably well supplied with fish, which they either purchased or which were caught by the boatmen with a harpoon.