Ziber s Conspiracy.

Belleu was near Lifi, with about forty men acquiring honey and ivory, and capturing as many slaves as he could get. He was the same man who, during the campaign, had once brought me letters from Shakka, and had even talked to me about his numerous cavalry, promising to place them at my disposal, so that although I had no great faith in Avhat he said, I was induced to give him five hundred cartridges. But he never appeared with his men. Tn fact, he had deceived me ; he only possessed one horse, and his sole occupation was to stop the fugitive Besingers of Suleiman's army, and enlist them in his own troop. He had finally captured Sheikh Rumbek's family and carried them off.

I charged Yango with the office of either driving Bellen away or taking him prisoner, ordering him to set all Bellen's slaves at liberty. After Yango had procured for me the necessary porters, I set out for Shakka.

The country we traversed as we proceeded north was perfectly flat, and so badly watered that we were deprived of that necessary element for three consecutive days. We found a quantity of gum acacias on the way, but this tree ])roduces gum of inferior quality, classed under the name of t/iaUa. It is never collected by the natives, for it Avould not pay the cost of transport. Tamarind trees were also abundant.

A little north of Delgauna commences the giant tree of Africa, the baobab {Adansonia digitata). The dulep tree is also found in great numbers, and, when doora is scarce, furnishes food for the Arabs of Shakka. The whole country is totally deserted because of its dryness, and the little rain-water we found in a few ponds was bad in quality and made us very ill. We observed frequent elephant tracks, the traces of giraffes and other animals, and by hunting my men supplied our deficiency of grain.