MORI KI.-DU'CHI. 569 corn, which was fast ripening, measured not less than twentyeight feet. Besides sorghum, sweet potatoes, or dánkali, were also cultivated here to a great extent. Having then crossed a stony tract, we again reached the town of Moríki, where the river approaches to within a few hundred yards.* On the high ground close to the border of the town a market-place spreads out. Having observed the narrowness of the lanes, I preferred encamping a considerable distance beyond the town, near a hamlet surrounded by a thick fence, and inhabited by Fúlbe of the tribes of the Jakabáwa and Kukodawa. The neighborhood of Moríki was said to be infested by the inhabitants of the town of Tléta, who were reported to make nightly forays, carrying away horses and cattle; but, notwithstanding this information, we had an undisturbed night's rest, although I thought it prudent to fire several shots. Monday, October 9th. Having dried our tent a little from the extremely heavy dew which had fallen during the night, we set out to join our companions. Traversing the same rocky district through which we had passed on our outward journey, we reached again the well-known place of Dúchi, and entering with difficulty the obstructed lanes of the village, where we lost another of our camels, pitched our tent on a small open square opposite the house where the ghaladíma had taken up his quarters. Some tamarind-trees on the slope of a rocky eminence, which rose close behind our resting-place, afforded us a tolerable shelter during the hot hours of the day. Tuesday, October 10th. Our day's march carried us as far as Búnka, with the loss of another of our camels, and we encamped this time inside the town, in a tolerably spacious court-yard, the surrounding fields being now covered with tall crops, and not af fording sufficient ground for encamping. Altogether the country presented a very different aspect from what it had done on our outward journey, and the water-course near Zýrmi, with its steep banks, offered a difficult passage, although the water was not more than a foot and a half deep. My camels being either knocked up or having entirely succumbed, I endeavored in vain to procure a good ox of burden, the principal reason of my difficulty being that I was not provided with shells, and, in consequence, I had some trouble the next day in reaching the town of Kámmané, 1 The water-course is here still of considerable size, and comes a good many miles from the southeast, from a place called Gózaki, skirting the towns of Kaúrin-Namóda and Góga. where the ghaladíma took up his quarters. Already on the road I had observed a good deal of indigo and cotton cultivated between the sorghum. Even here, close to the town, we found the grounds divided between the cultivation of rice and indigo, and I soon learned that the whole industry of the inhabitants consisted in weaving and dyeing. They have very little millet of any kind, so that their food is chiefly limited to ground-nuts or kolche. They have no cattle, but their cotton is celebrated on account of its strength, and the shirts which they dye here are distinguished for the peculiar lustre which they know how to give to them. Although the inhabitants have only about twenty horses, they are able, according to their own statement, to bring into the field not less than 5000 archers. However exaggerated this statement may be, they had not found it very difficult, the preceding year, to drive back the expedition of the Góberáwa; for they keep their wall in excellent repair, and even at present only one gate was passable at all for laden animals, the others being only accessible by a kadárku or narrow drawbridge. The whole interior of the town presented an interesting aspect, tall dúm palms shooting up between the several granite mounds which rise to a considerable elevation, while the court-yards exhibited a great deal of industry, the people being busy with their labors till late in the evening. The proprietor of the court-yard where I had taken up my quarters treated me with the favorite drink of furá soon after my arrival, and with túwo in the evening. I was also fortunate enough to obtain some milk from the villagers outside. Thursday, October 12th. It was rather late when we left this place for another long forced march, a dense fog enveloping the country; but it was still much too early for my noble friend the ghaladíma, who was busy installing a new governor, for which he received a present of a horse and large heaps of shells, so that it was almost ten o'clock before we had fairly entered upon our march. This district being very dangerous, we proceeded on with great haste, and I really conjectured that it was in truth the unsafe state of the road which had caused the delay of our departure, the people being anxious to disappoint the enemy, who, if they had heard the news of our arrival in this place, would of * Kámmané is one of those places which are distinguished on account of their granite mounds, and which extend from A'yo and Mágaré to Chábané, A ́jjia, and the fifteen rocky mounds of Kotórkoshé, where the Sultan of Sokoto had the preceding year directed his expedition. TAKING LEAVE OF THE GHALADI ́MA. 571 course expect that we should set out in the morning. Having made our way for about six hours through a dense forest, we left a granite mound and the ivy-mantled wall of Rúbo on one side, with a fine rími and abundance of fresh grass of tall growth. The forest then became clearer, and we reached a considerable tebki, or pond, which being regarded as the end of the dangerous tract, my companions came to congratulate me upon having now at length escaped the dangers of the road. However, our day's march was still tolerably long, extending altogether to twelve hours, and, being rather unwell that day, I had considerable difficulty in keeping up with the troop. In consequence of our late departure, we had to traverse the most difficult part of our route, that nearest to U'mmadaw, which is intersected by granite blocks, in the dark, so that our march was frequently obstructed, especially at a spot where two mighty granitic masses left only a narrow passage. A good deal of indigo is here cultivated between the millet: and the town itself is very spacious; but, arriving at so late an hour, we had great difficulty in obtaining quarters, all the open grounds being covered with corn, and we were glad to find at length an open square where we might pitch our tent. Friday, October 13th. Here my route separated from that of the ghaladíma, as I was going to Kanó, while he, again, along this roundabout way (the direct route having been almost entirely broken up by the enemy), directed his steps toward Kátsena. After satisfying our appetites, for which we had not been able to provide the preceding night, I took a small present with me, and went to bid farewell to the ghaladíma and those of his suite who had been particularly kind to me, and I hope that they will long remember me. Having fulfilled this duty, I proceeded with my people, in order to continue my march alone. The country was tolerably open, broken only here and there by granite rocks, while the vegetation was enlivened now and then by dúm palms. Cultivation was limited to certain tracts; but, notwithstanding the unsafe state of the country, the pasture-grounds were not quite destitute of cattle, and, being at length able to travel according to my own inclinations, I enjoyed the scenery extremely. It had been my original intention to pursue the road to Korófi; but, by mistake, after leaving Wurnó, I had got into the track leading to Birchi. I reached this latter town after a march of altogether about twelve miles, having crossed my former route from Kúrayé to Kúrrefi. I found that almost all the male inhabitants of the place had joined the expedition against Káura; and I pitched my tent in front of the house of the ghaladíma, but was invited by the people who were left as guardians to pass the hot hours of the day in the cool entrance-hall of his court-yard. Although the place does not exhibit any great signs of wealth or comfort, I was glad to find that the corn here was much cheaper than in Uʼmmadaw. I was also enabled to buy some butter. Moreover, the absence of the governor exercised no unfavorable influence upon my treatment, which was very kind: an old m'allem especially evinced a friendly disposition toward me. Saturday, October 14th. After a march of about fourteen miles, passing by the town of Raweó, where a small market was held, and traversing the suburb of Sakássar, with its beautiful "ngáboré," or fig-trees, we reached the town of Máje, which had been represented to us as rich in cattle and milk, but which I found half deserted; the town having greatly declined about twelve years previously, when the whole country, including the places Takabawa, Matázu, Korófi, and Kúrkojángo, revolted, and gave free passage to an army of the Góberáwa. I was glad to buy a good sheep for 1500 shells. The governor of the place was absent in Kátsena, where he generally resides. We had pitched our tent in the shade of a beautiful fig-tree, and passed the afternoon very pleasantly, but were greatly troubled during the night by the numbers of musquitoes. Rising at an early hour, and traversing a fine country, I reached the large town of Kusáda in the afternoon, and encamped here, outside, not far from the market-place, which at the time of my arrival was quite untenanted; but the following night it became well frequented by a number of travelers who sought quarters there. On this march I observed a specimen of industry on a small scale, exercised by the inhabitants of the town of Máje, who buy sour milk in a place called Kánkia, at a considerable distance, and supply the town of Korófi with it. Numerous villages were lying on either side of our path, cultivated and uncultivated ground succeeding alternately, Indian millet being here the chief product besides cotton. The pasture-grounds also were enlivened by a good number of horses. Pursuing from this point my old road through the fine province of Kanó, rich in all kinds of produce, and well stocked with cattle, and encamping the next night close beyond the town of Bíchi, I reached the town of Kanó in the afternoon of the 17th, having sent one of my people in advance. EMBARRASSMENTS. 573 CHAPTER LXXXIII. SECOND RESIDENCE IN KANO', UNDER UNFAVORABLE CIRCUMSTANCES.-MARCH TO KU'KAWA. ON my arrival in Kanó I found every thing prepared, and took up my quarters in a house provided for me; but I was greatly disappointed in finding neither letters nor supplies, being entirely destitute of means, and having several debts to pay in this place -among others, the money due to my servants, to whom I had paid nothing during the whole journey from Kúkawa to Timbúktu and back. I was scarcely able to explain how all this could have happened, having fully relied upon finding here every thing I wanted, together with satisfactory information with regard to the proceedings of Mr. Vogel and his companions, whose arrival in Kúkawa I had as yet only accidently learned from a liberated slave in Sókoto. But fortunately, without relying much upon. Sídi Rashid, the man whom I knew to be at the time the agent of her majesty's vice-consul in Múrzuk, I had given my confidence at once to Sídi 'Alí, the merchant whom I have mentioned already in the account of my former stay in this place as a tolerably trustworthy person, and whose good-will I endeavored at once to se cure by sacrificing to him almost every thing I had left of value, including a small six-barreled pistol. In return, he promised to supply my wants till I should be put in possession of the money and merchandise which I had deposited in Zínder. The first thing, therefore, which I had to do the next morning, after having paid my compliments to the ghaladíma and the governor, and made to each of them a handsome present, such as my means would allow, was to send my servant Mohammed el Gatróni, upon whom I could fully rely, to Zínder, giving him full instructions, and promising him a handsome present if he should succeed in bringing away all my effects, both those which had been deposited on a former occasion, and the merchandise which had been forwarded on my account at a later period, and a smaller one in case he should only find the latter portion; for, after all, I was by no means sure that the box of ironware and the four hundred dollars had remained safe during the severe civil struggles which |