TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 69 obliged to hire men to carry that proportion of the baggage left behind, which was intended as a load for it. We left Coonting at four o'clock on the morning of the S8th, and travelled east. Two of the horses were unable to rise from the ground this morning, and were left to their fate. At about a mile from Coonting, we entered a thicket composed of underwood and cane, which was so close that we were obliged to cut down the branches and some trees, for a considerable distance, in order to admit of the camels passing with the loads. The face of the country begins to rise here considerably, and to be diversified by hill and dale—the former high and covered with wood, and the latter apparently very fertile. The soil, too, changed from light sand to a hard yellow clay, intermixed with small quartz pebbles. For about two miles the road led us over hilly and broken ground within a few yards of the river side.

At mid-day we reached a small walled town, Kolicorri, but which had such a wretched appearance that we were deterred from halting at it ; we therefore continued our march ese.

about two miles further, when we arrived at Tandicunda, a very respectable town, defended by a strong stake fence interwoven with thorny bushes, and wholly inhabited by Bushreens. Two more of the horses gave up during this march,