And so our way continued; valley lay bordered on valley, and the little river which ran bubbling by the roadside led us past gardens and villages, through a region of surpassing loveliness, to the great village of Zabdeni, where we at length halted, after an uninterrupted ride of ten hours and a half.
The escort which accompanied us consisted of twelve men, with a superior and a petty officer.

These troopers looked very picturesque when, as we travelled along the level road, they went through some small manoeuvres for our amusement, rushing along on their swift steeds and attacking each other, one party flying across the plain, and the other pursuing them as victors.
The character of these children of nature is, on the whole, a very amiable one.

They behaved towards us in an exceedingly friendly and courteous manner, bringing us fruit and water whenever they could procure them, leading us carefully by the safest roads, and shewing us as much attention as any European could have done.

But their idea of _mine_ and _thine_ does not always appear to be very clearly defined.

Once, for instance, we passed through fields in which grew a plant resembling our pea, on a reduced scale.