As I have already observed, the plain through which runs the road from N’ghiez to N’pâl is not cultivated, though the soil is capable of being rendered very productive. The woods consist principally of mimosas; and the various species of grasses which cover the ground attract thither abundance of all sorts of game. The soil in the environs of N’pâl is of two kinds: you meet with hollows in which the rain water settles, and this renders them far superior to the rest of the plain: they are composed of black sand, enriched by the mud which the water deposits, and by the remains of the vegetables which rot in it: these are the most productive spots. The rest of the land, though of inferior quality, is very fertile; it contains fields of considerable extent, cultivated with the greatest care; each marabout has his own, which he tills himself with his slaves. The inhabitants grow abundance of millet, cotton, water-melons, and a sort of beans, of which they consume a great quantity. They have herds of horned cattle, sheep, and goats: they rear great numbers of poultry, wild and tame ducks, Guinea fowl, and several kinds of game, the young of which they pick up in the fields. The water which they drink is bad: they collect it in ponds during the rainy season, for the wells are at a great distance from the village, and even these furnish water that is by no means agreeable: I meant to go to see them, but a violent storm prevented my making this excursion. On the 6th I purposed to set out, but it was Tabasky day, and I could not procure a guide. One offered himself for the following day, when I was seized with a fever, which confined me to my bed, and had such pains in all my limbs that I was unable to move. In the rainy season all the negroes are liable to this disorder, for which, however, they employ no remedy. At length, on the 9th I was about to depart, when I was told that my guide was a thief, and that he would certainly rob me, or arrange with some accomplice to do it. As it was impossible for me to procure another, I deferred my departure till the following day. On the 10th I availed myself of the opportunity of some persons going to their fields on the frontiers of Wâlo, who promised to put me into the right track. We proceeded N.E. ¼ N. for three miles; there they pointed out the route which I was to pursue, and then went to their work. I stopped for a moment, and then travelled on alone in a north-east direction toward Wâlo. About noon I arrived much fatigued at Sokhogne, a village in the Wâlo country; the route which I had followed was covered with wood. The environs of this village are not cultivated.