Friday, June 30th.—At daylight loaded the bullocks, and at 7 A.M. sent them off. I went to the governor’s house and took leave of him. He gave me a messenger to the chief of Guari, and lent me a man to lead my camel. After leaving him, I rode and joined the caravan. Passed two towns called Gilma, the one built on the top of a rocky hill, the other at a few hundred yards from its base. They are at hot war one with the other, and seldom a day passes without some one or other belonging to either town being killed. Yesterday we heard there were twelve of the lower town’s-people killed in a pitched battle between them. Their usual field of battle was pointed out to me by the messenger; it is a clear spot of about three hundred yards broad, between the south wall of the lower town and the base of the hill. Parties of women belonging to both towns were working in these fields, but parties of armed men kept walking up and down between them and the enemy. Saturday, July 1st.—Left our encampment, and travelled through a country well cleared and cultivated near the road planted with millet, &c.; the soil, red clay and gravel. At 10 A.M. passed round the south side of a town called Akingie, which was walled, large, and populous, the environs cleared and planted with grain on the east side. Found the town’s-people collecting the toll from the Fitakies of the caravan who had preceded us in the morning. They had here a regular toll-gate, not painted white and hung on hinges like those in England, but the collectors of the toll were lusty rude fellows, armed with clubs and staves, the head man with a sword. After passing the toll of Akingie the country became more hilly and woody; the soil stony and gravelly, and little cultivated. At noon arrived at the town of Curigie, where I halted, the head man of which, having provided me with a house, made a present of two fowls, with millet for my horses and camel. The walls of this town are extensive, but the houses are few, partly built on a hill and part in the valley. At this season both inside and outside of the town has a beautiful appearance, from the large spreading and shady trees inside the town. The houses, some of which are built on the top of the blocks of granite which form the hill, are beautifully situated; green plats, overhung by shady trees, growing out of the clefts of the rocks.