88 FIRST BASE VILLAGE.

we soon saw them disappear over the brow of a hill. They were much blacker than any of the Arabs we had seen before, with very negro-like features, and were evidently considerably behind the people of the adjoining countries we had visited, in the scale of civilisation. Their sole clothing consisted of a piece of skin fastened round the waist.

Baobab-trees were exceedingly numerous. They nearly all had sticks driven into their trunks, one above the other, to enable the natives to climb them. This they do, not merely for the purpose of gathering the fruit, but also to collect the honey which is often found in large quantities in these trees.

On our journey of Jan. 31 we saw the first Base village, called Fodah, a small collection of conical-roofed huts, perched, as all their villages are, on the side of a hill, near the top. The Base not only inspire terror in the hearts of their neighbours, but are themselves very much in dread of every one else. "Their hand is against every man, and every man's hand against them." We passed by some tombs, and through what had been ////rr-fields, but saw no people. The Arabs were most anxious that we should not fire our guns until we had "interviewed" some of the natives, as they feared that by doing so they would only be unnecessarily alarmed. There was fortunately very little provocation to do so, as we saw scarcely any game.

The whole day's march was at some distance from the Gash, and, as. I before mentioned, through a country that had been recently burned. We were at a loss to imagine what could be the object of burning so much country. It certainly had the effect of driving away every head of game. At night we constantly saw fires on the hills ; and were told, that, though we did not see them, there were plenty of Base living all about,