But The Country Had
Dried Up, And The Lake Of Urigi Became A Small Swamp.
He further
informed us, that even in the late king Dagara's time it was a
large sheet of water; but the instant he ceased to exist, the
lake shrank to what we now saw.
Our day's march had been novel and very amusing. The hilly
country surrounding us, together with the valley, brought back to
recollection many happy days I had once spent with the Tartars in
the Thibetian valley of the Indus - only this was more
picturesque; for though both countries are wild, and very thinly
inhabited, this was greened over with grass, and dotted here and
there on the higher slopes with thick bush of acacias, the haunts
of rhinoceros, both white and black; whilst in the flat of the
valley, herds of hartebeests and fine cattle roamed about like
the kiyang and tame yak of Thibet. Then, to enhance all these
pleasure, so different from our former experiences, we were
treated like guests by the chief of the place, who, obeying the
orders of his king, Rumanika, brought me presents, as soon as we
arrived, of sheep, fowls, and sweet potatoes, and was very
thankful for a few yards of red blanketing as a return, without
begging for more.
The farther we went in this country the better we liked it, as
the people were all kept in good order; and the village chiefs
were so civil, that we could do as we liked.
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