MY QUARTERS IN WURNO'.

119 with straw at the setting in of the rainy season, in order to protect it from violent rains. The clay hall had been built by A'bú, the elder brother and the predecessor of the present ghaladíma, who greatly surpassed the latter in warlike energy, and who fell in Zánfara during that unfortunate expedition against the Góberáwa, the preparations for which Mr. Overweg witnessed during his stay in Marádi, in the beginning of the summer of 1851. The principal apartment of this clay hall, supported by two massive columns, with an average temperature of 94°, was an excellent abode during the hottest part of the day, when it felt very cool and pleasant; but it was rather oppressive in the morning and evening, when the air outside was so much cooler. But in the court-yard there was not the slightest shade, all the trees in this quarter of the town, as well as the huts consisting of reed, having been swept away by a great conflagration the preceding year, a young kórna-tree, which had been planted at a later period, only just beginning to put forth its foliage. The whole court-yard, also, was in a most filthy state, characteristic of the manners of the natives in their present degraded moral and political situation. The first thing, therefore, that I had to do, in order to make myself tolerably comfortable, was to cleanse out this Augean stable, to build a hut for my servants, and a shady retreat for myself. I was well aware that the latter, which it was not easy to make water-tight, would become useless with the first considerable fall of rain; but I entertained the hope that before that time I should be able to set out on my journey.

It was market-day, there being a market held here every Monday and Friday, although the great market of Sokoto, which is much more important, even in the present reduced condition of that place, still serves to supply the wants of the inhabitants of all the neighboring towns and villages at large. Sending, therefore, into the market, in order to supply my most urgent wants, I found that corn, as well as meat, was even dearer here than in Kátsena, 100 shells scarcely sufficing for the daily maintenance of one horse, and 800 shells buying no more corn than 500 would have done in Kátsena, while an ox for slaughtering cost 7000 shells; and I bought two milking-goats, in order to enjoy the luxury of a little milk for my tea, for 2700 shells. The only article. which was at all cheap was onions. The market is held on a natural platform spreading out in front of the northwestern gate, and surrounded and fortified by a ditch, as, in the present weak state

of the Fúlbe, the market-people are liable to be suddenly attacked by the enemy. This place, as well as the whole of the town, I visited the following day, in company with my friend Alháttu, who, in acknowledgment of the present I had given him in Gáwasú, and in expectation of more, took me under his special protection; but in crossing the town in a westerly direction from our quarters, I was surprised at its neglected and dirty appearance, a small ravine which intersects the town forming a most disgusting spectacle, even worse than the most filthy places of any of the deserted capitals of Italy. Emerging then by the western gate (the kófa-n-sábuwa), through which leads the road to Sókoto, and which was just being repaired by the people of the ghaladíma, in order to make it capable of withstanding the effects of the rainy season, we turned northward round the town. In front of each gate, on the slope of the rocky eminence on which the town is built, there is a group of wells, each with a little round clay house, where the proprietor of the well has his usual residence, levying on each jar of water a small contribution of five shells; but there are also a great number of wells facing the northwestern gate, close to the market.

Leaving a small farm, belonging to my friend 'Abd el Káder, the Sultan of A'gades, on our left, we then turned round to the north, into the road which leads to Saláme, and crossed once more the "gulbi-n-ríma," which takes its course toward Sokoto, exhibiting a very uneven bottom, and forming several pools of stagnant water. Here a broad plain spread out, at present almost bare of vegetation, where my poor camels searched in vain for pasture, putting me to a daily expense of 800 shells in order to recruit their strength by means of "haráwa," or bean-straw, which furnishes the most nourishing food for the camel in these regions, though in general it is regarded as unwholesome for the horse. Having thus fed my camels for some time, I sent them to a greater distance, in the direction of Sokoto, between Dankému and Gída-n-mánomí, where better fodder was to be procured.

After the luxuriant vegetation of other parts of Negroland, I was astonished at the naked appearance of the country around the capital, only a few kúka or monkey-bread-trees being seen; but the country presented a very different aspect on my return journey the next year, at the end of the rainy season. Góber is distinguished for its general dryness, and for this very reason is esteemed exceedingly well adapted for cattle-breeding. The fron

PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION.

121

tiers of the three different provinces or territories (viz., Kebbi, Góber, and A'dar) join in this corner; and this is the reason that, while Sokoto is regarded as lying within the borders of the province of Kebbi, Wurnó is considered as belonging to the conquered territory of the province of Góber; while just beyond the gulbin-ríma, in a northerly direction, the province of A'dar or Tadlar

commences.

But, to return to my first promenade round Wurnó, having surveyed the broad dry valley of the gulbi, we turned round the precipitous cliffs over which winding paths lead up to the town, and, having skirted for a while a small branch or korámma, which farther on turns away, we kept along the eastern side of the town, and re-entered the place from the southeastern corner, through the gate by which we had made our first entrance. Annexed the reader will find a wood-cut which will serve to show its situation much better than any description could do.

Meanwhile the town became more and more deserted, and on

the 7th of April, Alháttu and 'Omár, or Ghomáro, the two brothers of the ghaladíma, with numbers of other people, went to join the expedition; but these fighting men, with a few exceptions, care only about their bodily comfort, and for a few "goríye" or Kóla nuts would be willing to sell the whole of their military accoutrements. It was a great matter with these warriors that, while the old goriye were nearly finished, the new ones, which were just then brought into the market, were sold for the high price of 120 shells each. In scarcely any place of Negroland did I observe so little true military spirit as in Wurnó; and almost all the leading men seem to be imbued with the melancholy conviction that their rule in these quarters is drawing to an end.

Friday, April 8th. It was again market-day, and I made sundry purchases, including a small ox, for almsgiving, as I had made it a rule, in every large town where I staid any considerable time, to distribute alms among the poor. I was astonished at the great quantity of cotton which was brought into the market, and which showed what these fine vales are capable of producing, if the inhabitants, instead of being plunged in apathy and exposed to the daily incursions of a relentless enemy, were protected by a strong government. This very day we received the news that the rebellious Kábáwa, or natives of Kebbi,* had made a foray against Señína, a town situated on the most frequented road between Sokoto and Gando, the two capitals and central seats of the power of the Fúlbe in these quarters. The neighboring Féllani had come to the rescue of the town, and had prevented the enemy from taking it, but six horses had been carried away. Only a few days later, the news arrived of another attack having been made by the rebels upon the town of Gando, the residence of Dyang-rúwa, one day's distance to the south from Bírni-n-Kebbi, although this time they were less fortunate, and were said to have been driven back with the loss of twenty-two horses. Meanwhile the sultan himself, with his sluggish host of cavalry, instead of attacking the Góberáwa, who already, before we left. Kátsena, had taken the field with a numerous army, was said to be stationed in Katúru. He had been joined by the governor of Záriya in person, while Kanó had sent only the ghaladíma with the whole of their cavalry.

* The national name Kábáwa is taken from the ancient form of the name, Kábi, which was formerly in use (exactly like the form Máli, Maláwa), but has given place to the form Kebbi, which is thus distinctly written, even in Arabic, by authors of the seventeenth century.

From Katúru, 'Alíyu with his army, after some useless delay, betook himself to Káuri-n-Namóda, whence we received news on the 11th, the Góberáwa having meanwhile taken up a strong position in front of him, without being able to induce him to offer them battle. The dread of these effeminate conquerors for the warlike chief of the Góberáwa, the son of Yakúba, is almost incredible. He has ruled since 1836, and the preceding year had roused the whole of the indigenous population of the various provinces to a struggle for their national and religious independence against the ruling tribe. This dread of him has been carried so far that they have quite obliterated his real name, calling him only Mayáki, or "the warrior." While 'Alíyu was stationed at Káuri-n-Namóda, and part of his army was in Dankárba, the Aʼzena made an attack upon Ráya, a town situated at a day's distance from the former place. But the whole condition of the country, to the west as well as to the east, was most deplorable; and three native merchants, of the Zoromáwa or Zoghorán, when speaking about my projected journey toward the Niger, and beyond that river westward, told me, in the most positive manner, "bábo haña," "there is no road;" that is to say, "the country is closed to you, and you can not proceed in that direction." And taking into consideration the low ebb of courage and enterprise among the natives-the weakness and unwarlike spirit of 'Alíyu —the complete nullity of Khalílu—the vigor of the young and warlike Mádemé, the rebel chief of Kebbi, who, starting from his residence Argúngo, distant only a couple of hours' march from that of Khalílu, was carrying the flame of destruction in every direction—the revolted province of Zabérma, with an equally young and energetic ruler, Dáúd, the son of Hammam Jýmmathe province of Déndina in open revolt and cutting off all access to the river-all these circumstances rendered the prospect of my accomplishing this journey very doubtful. Moreover, besides the weakness of the two rulers of the Fúlbe dominions, there is evidently a feeling of jealousy between the courts of Sokoto and Gando; and here we find the spectacle of two weak powers weakening each other still more, instead of uniting most cordially in an energetic opposition against the common foe. For instance, the young chief of Kebbi, who at present caused them so much. trouble, had been previously a prisoner in Wurnó; but when Khalilu wanted to take his life, 'Alíyu procured his liberty, and gave him a splendid charger to boot.