After a good deal of delay, we at length began our voyage about a quarter before eight in the morning; and I felt my spirits greatly cheered when I found myself floating on this river, or backwater, which was to carry me all the way to the harbour of Timbúktu. The river near the town forms a fine open sheet, widening to about 300 yards; but further on, as we were winding along in a north-easterly direction, it was greatly obstructed with rank grass, or rather býrgu, which very often covered the water entirely, so that the boat seemed to glide along a grassy plain. It was quite out of the question to use oars. We were therefore reduced to the necessity of proceeding with poles, generally moving at the rate of two miles and a third an hour, but very often less. Besides the býrgu, which constitutes the chief fodder for horse and cattle in all the districts along the Niger, and which even furnishes man with the sweet beverage called “ménshu” and a sort of honey called “kartu,” white water-lilies, or _Nymphæa Lotus_, were in great quantities; and, between the latter, the waterplant “serranfúsa,” which, being about ten inches long, floats on the water without having its roots fixed in the ground. But, after a voyage of about three miles, we emerged from the reedy water of Sarayámo into a more open branch, said to be that of Bámbara, which here joined it. According to some of my informants, this water is identical with the Gérru, which I have mentioned on a former occasion. Here the eastern bank became quite free from reed-grass, while a herd of gazelles was to be seen near the shore; the western bank, meanwhile, being adorned with numerous dúm-palms, gáwo, and tamarind trees, or, as they are called here, busúsu; while, further on, the ascending ground was covered with “tunfáfia” (_Asclepias gigantea_), “retem” (or broom), and “damankádda.” But after a while, when rank grass again began to prevail, this arm also became greatly obstructed, being separated by the grass into several branches. The water being only from five to seven feet deep, we proceeded rather slowly onward, winding along in a northerly direction, at times diverging more to the west, at others more to the east; till about an hour after noon we reached the small town of Fatta, situated on the eastern shore, and surrounded by extensive rice-grounds, where the people were busy with the labours of the field.