En-Noor and I converged to-day from the backs of our respective camels. He asked me particularly if I liked stout women, and whether stout women were found in England. I replied, gravely, that this species occurred in all Christian countries; a piece of zoological information which seemed highly to gratify him. His highness still pretends he does not know where he is going--that is, whether to Zinder or Tesaoua. We encamped near a shallow wady, the first we have seen in this part of the country; i.e. a well-defined dry bed of a river. CHAPTER X. My Barracan--Spontaneous Civility on arrival in Damerghou--Ghaseb Stubble--Cactus--Water-Melons--Party of Tuaricks--Boban Birni--Huts of Damerghou--Tagelel--Women of the Village--Population of the Country--Complaisant Ladies--Festivities--Aquatic Birds--Dancing--A Flatterer--A Slave Family--A new Reason for Wife-beating--Hazna Dancers--Damerghou, common ground--Purchase of Ghaseb--Dethroned Sultan--Yusuf--Mohammed Tunisee--Ophthalmia--Part with Barth and Overweg--Presents to Servants--Sheikh of Fumta--Yakobah Slave--Applications for Medicine--Boban Birni--Forest--At length enter Bornou ground--Daazzenai--Tuarick Respectabilities--Detachment of the Salt-Caravan. _Jan. 6th._--We came seven hours. The weather is always thick, as for many days past; but the wind not so strong, nor the air so cold. We had even some drops of rain; and, probably, the rain here is not so constant, in its fall in summer-time, as is generally supposed. I took out my last barracan, as some precaution against the threatening clouds. This barracan excited everybody's attention; every one admired it, and asked for it. I was plagued to death by the people, and I vowed I would not take it out again be the weather what it might. The same demand had been repeatedly made for my poor carpet; so, on the following day, I took it off from the camel. An hour before we pitched tent; we passed a town on the top of a hill composed of huts, some covered with skins, and some made of straw. Our encampment is in a wady, near a cluster of hovels. The people came running to welcome us, by offering ghaseb for sale. Two volunteered to assist us in clearing a clean place for our tents. This being the first act of spontaneous assistance which we had witnessed from Tripoli to Damerghou, I gave them each a ring. We are now fairly in Damerghou; and to-day we saw the first specimens of the culture in this part of Africa. The ground is cleared by burning, as on the coast; which burning serves partly to supply the place of manure. The people, apparently slaves, were burning and raking up the ashes and stubble, with rakes made of fallen branches of trees. We passed through wide tracts of ghaseb stubble. Some of the stalks were seven or eight feet high, but the ears were not larger than those seen at Ghadamez--about eight or nine inches.