Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 1.djvu/382

 this vast expanse of water. But, towards one o'clock, the balloon having slanted across this part of the lake, advanced once more inland for a distance of seven or eight miles.

The doctor, who was first annoyed at this direction, did not complain when he perceived the town of Kouka, the celebrated capital of Bornou. He could obtain a bird's-eye view of it, surrounded by walls of white clay; some mosques of considerable size towered above the Arab houses.

In the courts of the houses, and in the public squares were palm trees, and caoutchouc plants, crowned by a dome of foliage 100 feet in extent. Joe remarked that these immense umbrellas were suited to the heat of the sun's rays, and he drew very comfortable conclusions from this dispensation of Providence.

Kouka is really composed of two distinct towns, sepa- rated by the "dendal," a wide boulevard of great length, crowded by foot-passengers and horsemen. Upon one side lay the aristocratic quarter of the town, with its high and airy houses; on the other cowered the poorer quarter, a wretched assemblage of low conical huts, where an in- digent population dragged on a mere existence—for Kouka is neither commercial nor industrial.

Kennedy found some resemblance to Edinburgh, which was built on a plain, with its two perfectly distinct towns.

But the travelers had scarcely time to observe all these details, when a contrary wind, with the changeableness which characterizes the air-currents in Africa, suddenly laid hold of them and carried the balloon forty miles across Lake Tchad.

There a novel sight awaited them; they were able to count the numerous islets in the lake, inhabited by the Biddiomahs, very notorious and sanguinary pirates, and whose vicinity was as much to be dreaded as that of the Touaregs of the Sahara. These savages bravely prepared to receive the "Victoria" with showers of arrows and stones; but the balloon had soon passed their isles, over which it appeared to hover like a gigantic winged beetle.

At this moment Joe, who was gazing at the horizon, said to Kennedy, "Faith, Mr. Dick, you are always dreaming of shooting. Here is something which will suit you!"