contains a motley assemblage of wild beasts—­lions, panthers, hyenas, elephants, and serpents of extraordinary form and bulk.  These monsters, while undisturbed in this mighty den, remain tranquil, or war only with each other, but when the lake swells, and its waters rush in, they of necessity seek refuge among the abodes of men, to whom they prove the most dreadful scourge.  Not only the cattle but the slaves attending the grain, often fall victims; they even rush in large bodies into the towns.  The fields beyond the reach of this annual inundation are very fertile, and land may be had in any quantity, by him who has slaves to cultivate it.  This service is performed by females from Musgow, who, aiding their native ugliness, by the insertion of a large piece of silver into the upper lip, which throws it entirely out of shape, are estimated according to the quantity of hard work which they can execute.  The processes of agriculture are extremely simple.  Their only fine manufacture is that of tobes, or vestments of cotton skilfully woven and beautifully dyed, but still not equal to those of Soudan.

The Bornouese are complete negroes both in form and feature; they are ugly, simple, and good natured, but destitute of all intellectual culture.  Only a few of the great fighis or doctors, of whom the sheik was one, can read the Koran.  “A great writer” is held in still higher estimation than with us, but his compositions consist only of words written on scraps of paper, to be enclosed in cases, and worn as amulets.  They are then supposed to defend their possessor against every danger, to act as charms to destroy his enemies, and to be the main instrument in the cure of all diseases.  For this last purpose they are assisted only by a few simple applications, yet the Bornou practice is said to be very successful, either through the power of imagination, or owing to the excellence of their constitutions.  In the absence of all refined pleasure, various rude sports are pursued with eagerness, and almost with fury.  The most favourite is wrestling, which the chiefs do not practise in person, but train their slaves to it as our jockeys do game cocks, taking the same pride in their prowess and victory.  Nations are often pitched against each other; the Musgowy and the Bughami being the most powerful.  Many of them are extremely handsome, and of gigantic size, and hence their contests are truly terrific.  Their masters loudly cheer them on, offering high premiums for victory, and sometimes threatening instant death in case of defeat.  They place their trust not in science, but in main strength and rapid movements.  Occasionally, the wrestler, eluding his adversary’s vigilance, seizes him by the thigh, lifts him into the air, and dashes him against the ground.  When the match is decided, the victor is greeted with loud plaudits by the spectators, some of whom even testify their admiration by throwing to him presents of fine cloth.  He then kneels before his master, who not